In the parable of the fieldworkers, why does the man?

Question

pay a penny to the last and then a penny to the first?

Answer 1

I think the point of the story is that intention is what counts.

It wasn't the fault of the guy hired late in the day that he was hired late in the day. He was willing to work the whole day if only he had been hired.

Answer 2

The parable is trying to teach that no matter how long you have served God, the reward (heaven) is the same for everyone.
If someone served God since 15 years old, they get the same reward as someone who started at 45.

This is why many people take the attitude that they will just wait until they're older to serve God.
There's a few problems with that attitude.
1. We are reminded every day that tomorrow is not promised. Any one of us could die at any moment.
2. That attitude winds up hardening your heart and you never accept God. When 45 comes, you say you'll wait until 55, and so on. Before you know it, you never make that choice and die withoug God because your heart became reprobate.
3. Why wait anyway? A life serving God is much more satisfying than the sinful lifestyle of the world.

Answer 3

It is a parable ! Parables are to be understood as giving us a spiritual lesson. The penny represents the reward. The reward is to be saved in the Kingdom of Heaven. Other men have worked very hard to be a Christian and has even gone to missionary work to gain more souls for Christ and will be saved when Jesus comes again as He promised in John 14 verses 1 to 3.

Some have accepted Christ on their deathbed and are also saved.
But God being fair and just, I personally believe that between these two extremes, the one who labored more for Jesus will have some "perks" when he get to heaven. I got the Bible text if you need them.

Answer 4

This parable is an example of the mercy of God. It speaks of men who worked in a field all day...and then a man who worked for just an hour, but at the end of the day, they each get paid the same. The first one complains, saying, "hey! I worked all day, I should get more than this fellow who just worked an hour!" but the owner of the field reminds him that he got the wages that he had agreed upon...and if the owner wanted to give the latecomer the same wages, what business was that of his? The field, and the money, were the owners to do with as he chose.

This parable means that God will save the one that says yes to His son when they are 20, and die at 80, having believed for 60 years...and he will save the person who, four days before he dies, says yes to Jesus Christ. Both are saved, because God has equal mercy on those who come early, and those who come late.

Answer 5

It's a parable of how it will be in the Kingdom of Heaven. The first will be last and the last will be first. The workers in the field have no bargaining power on wages, they will all be treated the same. Basically, you have no special status in heaven based upon getting there first or last.

Answer 6

Its a parable, He was trying to help the people understan that, even if they got saved 5 minutes before he returned to earth, they would still be as saved as the people that got saved 50 years before or a 100 years before, we would all be just as saved.

Answer 7

It is not a penny.
This is showing that it does not matter when a person accepts Christ, be it at a young age or on the death bead the reward is the same for all who come.

Answer 8

the basic idea here is that we should all be treated equally and an employer should treat us all equally as well.

Answer 9

because we are all equal. I think that is what it ment