The parable today is found only in one place in the Bible, the Gospel of Matthew.  For some reason, Matthew remembered this event and recorded this story that Jesus had told.  Perhaps its message struck a chord with this former tax collector. The deep meaning, in this story, may be hard to grasp, because the economic picture in our culture is so different.  Many, today, have so much that often it is difficult to relate with others, who have so little.

There are situations in some countries, today that cause this parable to come to life.  For example, in some Central American countries, as one passes through a countryside, with its pineapple or banana plantations or other fields of crops of the world, one can see men standing at the gates with their machetes or other tools, hoping to be chosen to work in the fields that day.  In a country with very high poverty and unemployment, a day’s work means food for their families that night.  However, with so much available manpower to do the work, there is not always much consideration given to what is right and fair regarding whom will be picked.

Today's parable calls our attention to God’s economy of generosity and fairness.  In the parable, there were workers who had labored in the fields all day.  At the end of the day, they found out that they were being paid the same as those who had worked only a short period of time.  On top of that, the latecomers were paid first!