Mateo 19:30

“But many will be last who are first, and first who are last.”

After referring to the blessings that His disciples will enjoy as they labour for Him Jesus adds a warning to make all beware of presumption. Presumption is to be avoided because all will be rewarded equally, and God will deal with each one as He wills. This statement would sit very strangely if He had already just promised thrones to the Apostles as a guaranteed future blessing after they had performed their labours, and especially so as one of whom would certainly not receive one. But it does sit very well if those thrones signified their time of working in the vineyard.

Jesus’ point is that their walk in the Spirit (Matthew 12:28; Matthew 3:11) must be maintained. For many who get in early, and develop quickly, but find the going hard, will finish up last, because their attitude is poor. While many who start slowly and develop more gradually will end up first. For each of us progress must thus be continuous if we are to receive the fullest blessing, whether we commence at the first hour or the eleventh hour. This is what the ensuing parable is now all about as Matthew 19:16 makes clear.

But it is also about something else, and that is the pure goodness of the owner of the vineyard. It make quite clear that he represents God. Only God would show such goodness in such a fashion. For His concern was not only to get the harvest in, or the work done, but also to give full satisfaction even to those who did not deserve it.