An Upside Down Kingdom
Chapter 11
In Matthew 20, Jesus tells the story of a landowner hiring workers for his vineyard. Some start at dawn, others at noon, some at 3 p.m., and some at 5 p.m. — yet all receive the same wage. When those who worked all day complain, the landowner answers, “Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you.” (Matthew 20:13-14).
This is a picture of God’s Kingdom, which does not operate according to human logic of earning and deserving, but according to grace and generosity. Grace is not about fairness as we understand it — it’s about God’s freedom to give generously. Those who worked all day grumble because they expected more, but the landowner reminds them that he has kept his promise and simply chosen to be generous to others.
In God’s eyes, both the “early workers” — those who have served Him all their life — and the “latecomers” — those who turn to Him at the last moment — are equally loved and fully rewarded. Just like in the parable of the Prodigal Son, God welcomes all with open arms, not because of what they’ve done, but because of who He is.
Jesus ends the parable with a powerful warning: “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16). It is a call to humility, to let go of pride, and to stop comparing ourselves to others. Humility means recognizing that everything we have — including salvation — is a gift from God.
What does this upside-down kingdom look like today? It means that people who come to faith late in life are just as loved and saved as those who have believed since childhood. It means that those who feel “unworthy” or “too late” to turn to God can know that His grace is still for them. God’s Kingdom turns human ideas of justice and merit upside down. The last become first, not because they “deserve it,” but because God is radically generous.
So whether you have been working in the vineyard all day, or you just arrived at the last hour, the reward of God’s love is the same — eternal life, forgiveness, and belonging. Let us rejoice in His generosity and humbly remember that it is grace — and grace alone — that brings us home.
“The last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Wishing you a good day!
Philemon