Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.” Matthew 20:10–16.
Today we hear the parable of the laborers, in which the Lord gives us a glimpse into the reward of heaven. Contained within this parable is a teaching that takes a disposition of humility to accept, as well as an understanding that God does not owe anyone the beatific vision.
The overall composition of the parable is easy enough to understand. The Landowner is God who has called the laborers (man) to work His vineyard. Each person is called at a different time within the age of the world. Some are called before the Incarnation of Christ (the Jews), and some are called after the redemption (the Gentiles). Likewise, we can see that some are called at different points in their life; some are born into the church through infant baptism, and some are converts later in life, even possibly on their deathbed.
But where this parable becomes more mysterious and, in many cases, difficult for some to accept is in the final line:
So the last will be first, and the first last.
We make a distinction in the glory of heaven given to the blessed. God indeed wills salvation to all men, at least in a general way. But for those who are brought to glory, the degree of that heavenly glory is different. St. Thomas comments:
But what is this? Will all have glory equally? I say that there will be an equal repayment in a certain respect, but in a certain respect not. For beatitude can be considered as regards the object, and in this way there is one beatitude for all; or it can be considered as regards participation in the object, and in this way not all will participate equally, because they will not see thus clearly; in my Father’s house there are many mansions (John 14:2). And it is as if many men go to water, and one carries more than another: the river puts forth its whole self, yet not all carry equally. In this way, he who has a soul more enlarged with charity will accept more. The blessing of God makes haste to reward the just, and in a swift hour his blessing bears fruit (Sir 11:24).1
This means that all who attain heaven will each receive the beatific vision; they will see God face to face. This object is the same for all. The blessed enjoy the vision of God, simply put. But the degree of participation in that vision is different for the blessed, and that degree correlates to the degree of charity found within the soul at the moment of their death.
Thus, the life of virtue and the sacraments are shown to be of the utmost importance. We do not want to leave off conversion until the last moments. We ought to desire to increase our charity at every opportunity so as to be more and more like God, so that when we depart this life, we are as conformed to God as possible.
For more from Dr. McGovern, visit his Substack at A Thomist, Dedicated to the Theological tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas. Exploring Thomas’ Spiritual Theology and topics in Christology and Mariology.
St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew, C. 20, L. 1, n. 1640.