Here's the next song in my series, The Parables of Jesus. Although I finished composing the music for this one a few months ago, It has taken me a while to memorize it well enough to play and sing it without too many glaring mistakes. Anyway, here it is!

I really like this parable because it teaches the principle of humility. None of us are any better or any worse than anyone else, no matter how long we've been working in the vineyard. God is especially fond of each one of us! We are all equal in His sight.

For the (D)kingdom of heaven is like unto
a (G)man that is an (A7)householder,
which (G)went out early (A7)in the morning
(D)to hire labourers (G)in(A7)to his (D)vineyard.

And (D)when he had a(G)greed (A7)with the labour(D)ers
for a penny a day, he (G)sent them in(A7)to his vine(D)yard.

(D)And he went Gout a(A7)bout the third (D)hour,
and saw others (G)standing idle (A7)in the market(D)place,
And (G)said unto (A7)them; Go ye al(F#m)so into the (Bm)vineyard,
and (G)whatsoever is (A7)right I will (D)give you.
And (C)they (A7)went their (D)way.

A(D)gain he went out about the sixth (G)and ninth (A7)hour,
(C)and (A7)did (D)likewise.

And a(G)bout the eleventh (A7)hour he went (Bm)out,
and (C)found others (A7)standing (D)idle,
and (G)saith unto (A7)them, Why stand ye (F#m)here all the day (Bm)idle?
(G)They say unto (A7)him, Be(C)cause no man hath (A7)hired (D)us.
He saith unto them, Go (G)ye also in(A7)to the vineyard;
(D)and whatsoever is right, (G)that shall (A7)ye re(D)ceive.

(G)So when (A7)even was come, the (F#m)lord of the (Bm)vineyard
(C)saith un(A7)to his (D)steward,
(D)Call the labourers, and (G)give them their (A7)hire,
be(C)ginning from the (A7)last unto the (D)first.

And (G)when they came (A7)that were hired
a(F#m)bout the eleventh (Bm)hour,
they re(C)ceived every (A7)man a (D)penny.

(D)But when the first came, they supposed
that (G)they should have received (A7)more;
and they (C)likewise received (A7)every man a (D)penny.
And when they had received it, they (C)murmured against the (G)goodman of the (A)house,
Saying, These (D)last have wrought but one hour,
and (C)thou hast made them (A7)equal unto (D)us,
which have (C)borne the (G)burden and (A7)heat of the (D)day.

But he (G)answered one of (A7)them, and said,
(F#m)Friend, I do thee (Bm)no wrong:
didst (C)not thou agree with (A7)me for a (D)penny?
(G)Take that thine (A7)is, and go thy (Bm)way:
I will (G)give un(A7)to this (D)last, (C)even as (A7)unto (D)thee.
Is it (G)not lawful (A7)for me to (F#m)do what I (Bm)will with mine (G)own?
Is (F#m)thine eye (Bm)evil, be(C)cause I am (A)good?

So the (D)last shall be first, and the first last:
for (C)many be (G)called, but (A7)few - (D)chosen.

(D)Matthew chapter twenty, verses (C)one (A7)through six(D)teen.