Matthew 20:16 teaches that God’s kingdom turns human ranking upside down: those who seem to be at the back of the line may be first, and those who assume they are first may end up last. Jesus also says that many are invited but only a few are chosen, which reminds us that God’s call is wide and his choosing is his own. Jesus spoke these words at the end of the parable of the workers in the vineyard, addressing his disciples as the story’s lesson came to a close.
So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 20:16 (WEB)
What Matthew 20:16 Means
The phrase “the last will be first, and the first last” describes a reversal. In the parable, workers hired at dawn expect more pay than those hired at five o’clock, but the landowner pays everyone the same wage. Those who worked longest feel cheated, and those who worked least receive the most generous surprise. Jesus is saying that in God’s economy, status and effort do not earn the final ranking in the way people assume.
The second half, “many are called, but few are chosen,” is more complicated and widely discussed. The word “called” points to the open invitation of the gospel that goes out to many people. The word “chosen” points to those who actually respond and receive what God offers. The verse does not give a formula for who is saved, and it should not be read as a statement about the odds of any one person. It asks the listener to take the invitation seriously and to examine whether their attitude matches the generosity of the one who calls.
The Context of Matthew 20:16
The Gospel of Matthew was written to a community that knew Jewish scripture and expectations well, and it often highlights how Jesus fulfills and redefines those expectations. Verse 16 closes a parable that the disciples would have heard as a warning about pride in privilege. Just before it, the landowner answers a complaining worker: “Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want with what I own?” That question sets the tone of the whole passage.
Right after the verse, in verse 17, Jesus turns toward Jerusalem and tells the twelve that he will be handed over and crucified. The timing matters. The last shall be first is not a vague comfort but a truth Jesus embodies, since the one who is greatest chooses the lowest place. Reading the verse alongside his coming suffering helps us see that the reversal is rooted in the way of the cross.
Key Phrases in Matthew 20:16
Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
(WEB)
This verse states the same pattern of reversal in another setting, where those who exalt themselves are humbled and those who humble themselves are exalted. Reading it beside Matthew 20:16 shows that the theme of God’s upside-down kingdom runs through the teaching of Jesus, not only through one parable.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, that no one would boast.
(WEB)
Paul explains that salvation is a gift received through faith and not earned by works. This connects closely with the parable’s message that the landowner’s generosity, not the workers’ effort, determines the reward. It helps keep the call and the choosing rooted in grace.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 20:16
Lord, you are generous beyond what I can measure, and your ways are higher than my ways. When I compare myself to others and feel that I have been overlooked, soften my heart and remind me that your kindness is not a debt you owe me. Help me rejoice in the blessings you give to those around me, and give me a humble trust in the invitation you have extended to me. Teach me to receive what you offer with gratitude and to live as one who has been called. Amen.
