Matthew 20:11

11 When they got their coin, they complained to the man who owned the land.

Matthew 20:11 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 20:11

And when they had received it
The external privileges of the Gospel dispensation, an inheritance among them that are sanctified, and a right unto it, on the foot of free grace,

they murmured against the good man of the house;
who had been so kind and liberal, to those who came last into the vineyard, and had done no injury to them, but gave them a full reward. So the Jews that first believed in Christ, were at first uneasy at the Gospel being preached to the Gentiles, at the calling of them, and their partaking of the same privileges in a Gospel church state with them, without submitting to the ceremonies of the law, as they had done; just as the Pharisees, in Christ's time, murmured against him; for receiving sinners, and eating with them: though in the latter day, the envy of Ephraim shall depart, and in the ultimate glory there will be no murmuring at each other's happiness.

Matthew 20:11 In-Context

9 "When the workers who were hired at five o'clock came to get their pay, each received one coin.

10 When the workers who were hired first came to get their pay, they thought they would be paid more than the others. But each one of them also received one coin.

11 When they got their coin, they complained to the man who owned the land.

12 They said, 'Those people were hired last and worked only one hour. But you paid them the same as you paid us who worked hard all day in the hot sun.'

13 But the man who owned the vineyard said to one of those workers, 'Friend, I am being fair to you. You agreed to work for one coin.