Pre-Lent · Septuagesima Sunday
Matthew 20:1-16
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
February 1, 2026
Overview & Insights
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16)
Peter’s initial question in this passage about the rewards that he and the rest of the Twelve will have for leaving everything to follow Jesus (19:27) connects directly with the previous passage, in which a rich man chooses his wealth over the chance to follow Jesus (19:21–22). Although Jesus answers that there will be reward for leaving all to follow him (19:28–29), his words turn to warning at 19:30–20:16. His admonitions against status presumption echo across this section of Matthew (see 18:1–5; 20:20–28). The dual refrain about the inversion of the first and the last frames the parable of the first and last day laborers (19:30; 20:16) and will find an echo in 23:12, where the places of the humble and the exalted are reversed.
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Commentary
Matthew 20:1–16 (Gospel) Working Preacher
Weekly exegesis of the Gospel by a named seminary scholar.
Exodus 16:2–15 (Old Testament) Working Preacher
Manna in the wilderness: God provides the same daily bread for all.
Philippians 1:21–30 (Epistle) Working Preacher
Paul on living worthy of the gospel, whatever the wage of the day.
Us and Them SALT Project
Accessible and preachable; the grumbling is that the last were made equal to the first.
Matthew 20:1–16 Center for Excellence in Preaching
Reformed, sermon-shaped commentary from Calvin Seminary.
Commentary on the Gospel: The Laborers in the Vineyard Opus Dei
A Roman Catholic reading of the same Gospel.
Background & Word Study
Questions preachers ask
Why does the landowner pay everyone the same wage?
The parable turns on grace, not fairness: the denarius is what a laborer needed to feed a family for a day, and the owner gives it to all. The early workers are not underpaid; the point is that they resent the owner’s generosity to the last-hired (Matthew 20:13–15).
What does “the last will be first” mean here?
The saying frames the parable on both sides (Matthew 19:30; 20:16). In context it warns Jesus’ own disciples against presuming on status or reward for having followed him first, the concern Peter raises in 19:27.
Where does this fall in the lectionary?
Proper 20 (Ordinary 25) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary, the Sunday whose date falls between September 18 and 24. The Roman Catholic and LSB three-year lectionaries also appoint Matthew 20:1–16 near this point in the year.
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