Matthew 20:13-15

"Friend" is only a mild term of rebuke in this context. The landowner pointed out that he had not cheated those whom he hired earlier in the day. He had paid the wage they agreed to. It was his business if he wanted to pay the latecomers more than they deserved. The evil or envious eye (Matthew 20:15) was an idiom depicting jealousy (cf. Matthew 6:23; Deuteronomy 15:9; 1 Samuel 18:9).

The landowner’s rhetorical questions explained that he had distributed the wages as he had because he was gracious and generous as well as just (cf. Luke 15:11-32; Romans 4:4-6; Romans 11:6).