The Vineyard

I didn’t grow up in the vineyard.

I didn’t start early in the morning like others did – those who were raised in church, who knew Scripture before they could walk, who spoke the language of faith like a second skin. I’m not one of the “early workers” in God’s story. I came later. Much later. In my thirties, with baggage, questions, and a heart still learning how to trust.

At times, I’ve looked around the vineyard and wondered if I belonged.

And reading the parable in Matthew 20, I found myself in the ones hired at the eleventh hour. The landowner went out late in the day and found people still standing around. When he asked why they hadn’t been working, they said, “No one has hired us.” That line struck me. Not just as an explanation, but as a kind of pain: We were waiting. We just hadn’t been invited yet.

That was me. Waiting. Searching. Not knowing how to say yes to something I hadn’t yet been offered in a way I could understand.

But then the invitation came. And I stepped into the vineyard.

What amazed me – and still humbles me – is that Jesus doesn’t use a timecard system. The landowner in the parable pays everyone the same, whether they worked one hour or twelve. That seemed unfair to the early workers. I get it. Maybe I would’ve felt the same if I had started early. I don’t know.

But as someone who came in late, this grace doesn’t feel unfair – it feels unbelievable.

The God I’ve come to know doesn’t tally hours of service like wages. He gives the same gift to all: His presence, His love, His salvation. Not because we’ve earned it, but because He’s generous.

This parable taught me that in God’s eyes, we are all equal – not because we’ve done the same work, but because He loves us the same. Those who arrived early aren’t better. Those who came later aren’t second class. There’s no hierarchy at the foot of the cross.

This truth quiets the voice in me that says, You’re too late.

It silences the lie that others deserve more because they’ve done more.

The reward is not a wage – it’s a gift. And in God’s kingdom, grace is the great equaliser. No one earns more or less based on effort or status; instead, all are offered the same undeserved favour. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve laboured or how recently you arrived – the generosity of God pours out freely to all who accept it. This grace humbles the proud, uplifts the lowly, and reminds us that salvation is not about merit, but about mercy.

There’s a temptation, even now, to compare. To look at others who seem more polished in faith or more knowledgeable in Scripture and wonder if I’ll ever catch up. But then I remember: this isn’t a race to the top. It’s a call to be faithful with the time I’ve been given. And to rejoice – truly rejoice – that others are in the vineyard too. After all that is our purpose here on earth, to bring people to the vineyard.

I’m learning to celebrate God’s generosity instead of comparing His gifts. He gave me what I needed most: a place in His kingdom, a purpose in His vineyard, and the assurance that I belong.

It’s never too late. If there’s one thing I would say to someone who feels like they’ve come too late to faith, it’s this: God is still calling. And when you step into His vineyard, there’s no second-rate welcome. You receive the full measure of His grace – not just in eternity, but right now.

I came at the eleventh hour. And I was paid in full.

Equal in grace. Equal in love. Equal in His eyes.