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Explanation for:
Matthew
20
:
10
But when the first also came, they thought that they should receive more: and they also received every man a penny.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Just as the Sword severs the veins of the steed and topples the rider, so too do wicked thoughts sap the strength of the spirit and fill the soul with grief, causing turmoil for those who succumb to it. The one who aimed to reach the city, which was thirty stages away, traveled twenty-nine stages yet did not reach the final destination; he exited his home but did not enter the city. Similarly, he who arrived at the singular sixtieth hour received his due reward alongside those who bore the weight of the day. Likewise, one who remained steadfast until that very sixtieth hour, but in the twelfth hour begins to uproot what he has sown, will find no reward, for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ declared: \\"he who endures to the end, that one will be saved\\" (Matt. 10:22). Additionally, it is said: \\"no one who lays his hand on the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God\\" (Luke 9:62). Lot's wife, upon looking back, transformed into a notable pillar. Therefore, the apostle, forgetting what lies behind, reached forward to what is ahead (Phil. 3:13). So, beloved, exhibit patience, for this world is fleeting, along with its desires; yet, he who fulfills the will of God will endure forever (1 John 2:17). We are but pilgrims and strangers in this realm. If, while time remains, we engage in actions pleasing to the Lord, we shall receive our reward. Thus, cultivate patience, dear brother, for it is written: \\"In your patience you shall gain your souls\\" (Luke 21:19). Enoch walked with God for two hundred years following Methuselah's birth. Shall we, in our brief time, yield to complacency? Resist, beloved, the thoughts that harm, and declare with him who proclaimed: \\"I live not, but Christ lives in me\\" (Galatians 2:19). How can a person gain the entire world yet forfeit his soul? (Matthew 16:26). \\"Depart from me, you evildoers, I will keep the commandments of my God\\" (Ps. 118:115). Ecclesiastes declares, \\"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity\\" (Eccl. 1:2). After pursuing such wealth and renown, I shall no longer labor for vanity, lest after my departure, others enjoy it, and I face judgment."},{"author-name":"Ambrose of Milan","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88871ceef8c96e0998cd0_Ambrose%20of%20Milan.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"O Lord Jesus, if only You would remove our burdens and share Your provisions with us! As it is written in Luke 22:19. For You are the steward in the Father's house. How we long for You to allow us to serve as Your laborers, even if we arrive at the last hour! You also call those who come at the eleventh hour and reward them with equal wages, eternal life rather than mere accolades. The crown of righteousness is reserved not for all, but for those who can proclaim, \\"I have fought the good fight\\" (2 Tim. 4:7).\\n\\nI am compelled to speak on this matter, as I am aware that some maintain they will hold onto the grace of baptism and repentance until the moment of their passing. First, how can you be certain that your soul will not be claimed during the night that approaches? Refer to Luke 12:20. Second, why do you believe that any blessings can come to you without your own striving? Grace may be singular, and the recompense may be unified, yet the reward of victory is distinct. Paul did not labor in vain, having received the gift of grace, he sought after the prize, understanding that even though the grace given may be the same, the palm of victory is granted to but a few."},{"author-name":"Cyrill of Alexandria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a8ea5c988a4fc073480_Cyrill%20of%20Alexandria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"In the meantime, the earlier workers believe that their efforts surpass those of the later ones, as though they have suffered more from the flames of the evil one, given that sin, corruption, and death had not yet been defeated. However, a fair assessment reveals that the earlier laborers deserve greater recognition, for they existed under the dominion of death and the forces of darkness. This situation reflects the severity of the times and the oppressive conditions (Matthew 20:12), during which even the refreshing influence of the Spirit was absent to assist individuals in pursuing righteousness."},{"author-name":"Augustine of Hippo","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88950a5c988a4fc06c7ae_Augustine%20of%20Hippo.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"Indeed, all received the same wage, which the master of the house ordered to be distributed to those who toiled in his vineyard, with no distinction made between those who worked longer and those who worked shorter hours (cf. Matt. 20:9). This wage symbolizes eternal life, where no individual enjoys a longer existence than another, for in eternity, the duration of life remains uniform. However, the multitude of dwelling places (Jn.14:2) indicates varying degrees of rewards within the single reality of eternal life. Just as there are different glories among the sun, moon, and stars, with each star differing from one another in brilliance, so shall it be at the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15:41-42). The saints, akin to stars in the sky, will receive varying degrees of radiance in the kingdom of heaven, yet with respect to the one wage, no one will be excluded from that realm. Therefore, let God be all in all (1 Cor. 15:28), for since God is love (1 John 4:8), through that love, may it be that what belongs to one becomes shared by all. In loving another for what one does not possess, one also attains it. Hence, let there be no envy regarding differing degrees of brightness, for the unity of love shall prevail among all."},{"author-name":"Gregory the Great","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88c2b032f5f6e5effaa54_Gregory%20the%20Great.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":6,"exegesis-text":"Those who worked from the eleventh hour are granted the same wage, a denarius, that those who began at the first hour eagerly anticipated. This is because those who were summoned from the foundation of the world share in equal reward of Eternal Life with those who came to the Lord at the end of the age. Consequently, those who toiled longer express their discontent, saying, “These last ones worked for only an hour, and yet You have made them equal to us, who have endured the burden of the day and the heat.” Those who started from the beginning faced the strain of the day and the heat; living in this world for an extended period often meant they had to withstand the longest trials of the flesh. It can be challenging for anyone to bear the weight of the day and the heat, as it signifies enduring weariness throughout a long life due to the trials of the flesh.\\n\\nIt raises the question of how those who arrived late to the kingdom can be subjected to complaints. In the heavenly realm, no one who murmurs can receive it; murmuring is not found among those who attain it. However, since the ancient Patriarchs, regardless of their righteous lives leading up to the Lord's arrival, did not enter the kingdom until He who opened the doors to Paradise through His death descended, their complaints arise from the reality that they lived righteously in anticipation of the kingdom, only to be delayed in receiving it for a long time. Those who, according to perfect justice, were permitted into the peaceful places of the afterlife, certainly exhibited a tendency to labor in the vineyard and express their dissatisfaction. Consequently, even after their grievances, those who, following a long stay in hell, have transitioned to the joys of the kingdom receive their denarius."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Evening signifies the conclusion of the age; at this time, everyone is granted a denarius, representing the grace of the Holy Spirit, which transforms humanity into the likeness of God and allows participation in the divine essence. Those who existed prior to Christ's arrival endured greater suffering, as death had not yet been vanquished, the devil was not yet defeated, and sin still held sway. However, through Christ's grace, we are justified in baptism and empowered to triumph over our adversary, who has already been subdued and slain by Christ. From one perspective, those who embrace faith in their youth carry a heavier burden than those who come to Christ later in life. The youth contend with the ‘burden’ of wrath and the heat of carnal desires, while the elderly are less troubled by such passions. Nonetheless, all are bestowed with the same gift of the Holy Spirit. This parable illustrates that repentance allows one to inherit the kingdom of heaven even in later years, as old age is represented by the eleventh hour. Yet, according to the parable, should the saints feel envy over those who receive equal rewards? Absolutely not. It merely indicates that the rewards awaiting the righteous are so bountiful and magnificent that they could provoke envy."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"They expected to receive a larger reward due to their longer hours of work. Observing the bountiful wages given to those who came later, they presumed that their compensation would be based not on the agreement made, but rather on how their efforts compared in duration to those of the most recent workers."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The initial workers, upon hearing from their fellow laborers about the generous rewards given, assumed they would receive a greater payment for their longer hours. However, their expectations were unfounded: THEY ALSO RECEIVED A DENARIUS EACH. This caused them considerable distress."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The generosity of the master inspired hope among the other laborers that he might reward them at a higher rate due to their longer hours, meaning they would receive more than the agreed-upon denarius. However, when their master decided to pay them all the same amount of a denarius each, they complained and criticized him for equating their efforts with those who had only worked for an hour, while they had endured the heat and hardship of an entire day."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"To prevent the apostles and all Christ's followers from perceiving the promised blessings as entitlements based on their own merits—similar to the attitudes of the Pharisees aiming for the highest places in the Messiah's kingdom—Jesus proclaims, \\"But many of the first shall be last, and the last first.\\" In the Gospel of Mark, only this statement is recorded, while the Gospel of Matthew elaborates on it through the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, who were compensated equally for their efforts. This parable elucidates the manner in which Christ employs this teaching, as seen in other instances (Matt. 20:16, Luke 13:30). \\n\\nIn this parable, the vineyard symbolizes the Church of Christ; the householder represents the Lord; and the laborers who commenced work at various times embody believers in Christ who were called at different stages into His Church—whether in relation to His contemporaries during His earthly ministry or to all believers throughout history. The conclusion of the parable echoes its introduction, albeit with slight variations to align with the narrative’s progression: \\"Thus shall the last be first, and the first last; for many are called, but few chosen.\\" \\n\\nThe overriding message of this parable is that the distribution of rewards to believers in eternal life relies solely on God's sovereign will and grace, rather than on the human evaluation of merit. Many who seemingly exerted little effort towards their salvation, viewed as last by themselves and others, may receive recognition as first in God’s judgment. Conversely, many who regard themselves as first may find themselves last when the ultimate judgment occurs. Consequently, this parable instills a spirit of humility in every disciple of Christ, which is essential for obtaining the rewards promised to those who have abandoned all for His sake."}]}
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