Matthew 20:12 Meaning and Explanation
“Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →They protest that the master has made the one-hour workers equal to those who endured the full day's labor and heat.
What Does Matthew 20:12 Mean?
The complaint is now spoken plainly. The first workers bore the burden and heat of the day, laboring through the scorching midday sun, while the last worked but one hour in the cool of evening. Their grievance is equality: thou hast made them equal unto us. To their minds, equal pay erases the difference their hard labor earned.
Their words expose a deep human instinct to grade and rank, to insist that reward must mirror effort exactly. Yet the master's generosity is precisely what they cannot bear. There is a sober caution here for anyone who has served God long and faithfully: the danger is not the labor but the pride that begrudges grace given to others. Heaven's joy is not lessened when the latecomer is welcomed as fully as the firstcomer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 20:12
What does Matthew 20:12 mean?
They protest that the master has made the one-hour workers equal to those who endured the full day's labor and heat.