《馬太福音》Day34
《恩典非工價》
1「因為天國好像家主清早去雇人進他的葡萄園做工，2 和工人講定一天一錢銀子，就打發他們進葡萄園去。3 約在巳初出去，看見市上還有閒站的人，4 就對他們說：『你們也進葡萄園去，所當給的，我必給你們。』他們也進去了。5 約在午正和申初又出去，也是這樣行。6 約在酉初出去，看見還有人站在那裏，就問他們說：『你們為甚麼整天在這裏閒站呢？』7 他們說：『因為沒有人雇我們。』他說：『你們也進葡萄園去。』8 到了晚上，園主對管事的說：『叫工人都來，給他們工錢，從後來的起，到先來的為止。』9 約在酉初雇的人來了，各人得了一錢銀子。10 及至那先雇的來了，他們以為必要多得；誰知也是各得一錢。11 他們得了，就埋怨家主說：12『我們整天勞苦受熱，那後來的只做了一小時，你竟叫他們和我們一樣嗎？』13 家主回答其中的一人說：『朋友，我不虧負你，你與我講定的不是一錢銀子嗎？14 拿你的走吧！我給那後來的和給你一樣，這是我願意的。15 我的東西難道不可隨我的意思用嗎？因為我作好人，你就紅了眼嗎？』16 這樣，那在後的，將要在前；在前的，將要在後了。(馬太福音二十1-16)
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:1-16)
分享【在前的、在後的，都同來領受恩典】
回應前文彼得提問門徒已撇下所有跟從主，他們將要得著甚麼，主耶穌便以葡萄園作比喻，讓門徒思考神的恩典，並不等同於人所理解的工價。
葡萄園的家主在清早 (估計約6am) 雇用工人，約定一天一錢銀子。其後家主又分別在巳初 (9am) 、午正 (12noon)、申初 (3pm)、酉初 (5pm) 陸續將仍在市上閒站的人雇到園裡。至晚上發薪時，後來的、先來的都同樣得一錢，先來的便因而埋怨。他們以世界慣常的計算方式，認為應按工時、付出與貢獻來衡量配得多少。然而，家主的回應指出，他並沒有虧負任何人，因為完全照著原先的約定付了工價；至於是否同樣厚待後來的人，乃出於他的主權與慷慨。這不是不公平，而是恩典。
耶穌藉此清楚指出：救恩與神國的賞賜，從來不是人用工時或功勞換取的，而是完全出於神主權的恩典。這正回應了彼得「我們已經撇下所有」的提問，也揭露了少年財主與門徒內心那種「我做得夠多，所以更配得」的心態。
事實上，無論先來或後到，所有工人都是家主主動去尋找、帶進葡萄園的；若不是家主的呼召，他們仍然只能在市集上閒站。這正提醒我們：不是誰比較配得，而是所有人本來都不配，卻仍然被施以恩典。在前的、在後的，都是同來領受神白白的恩典。
【釋經亮點】
和合本將第十五節下半句譯為：「因為我作好人，你就紅了眼嗎？」新譯本則譯作：「因為我慷慨，你就嫉妒嗎？」希臘文直譯是：「你的眼睛是惡的嗎？因為我良善？」這帶有猶太語境中的「惡眼睛」用語，指的是嫉妒、吝嗇、心胸狹窄、不甘心別人得好處的人。
因此，耶穌在這裡不單是指出先來的人「眼紅」或「嫉妒」，更是在揭露他們看待事情的方式出了問題——他們用比較與計算來看恩典，而不是以感恩與信心來回應。這也呼應了耶穌在登山寶訓中的教導：「眼睛就是身上的燈。你的眼睛若明亮，全身就光明；你的眼睛若昏花，全身就黑暗。」(馬太福音六22-23)
若我們總是以「惡眼睛」看世界，用比較衡量祝福，就會忽略自己本已領受那份原本不配得的恩典。問題不只是別人得多得少，而是我們是否仍然看見神的良善。
反思：當我讀到「後來的得與先來的一樣」時，我第一個感受是甚麼？驚訝？不公平？還是欣慰？今天以後，我是否能放下交換心態，以感恩的心服事祂呢？
禱告：持續施恩的主，感謝祢的比喻照出人心的計算與比較。求祢赦免我們總常用世界的「惡眼睛」來衡量祢的恩典，卻忘記我們本來就不配。求祢潔淨我的眼睛，讓我注目在祢的良善，以得著呼召入園而歡喜感恩。奉主名求，阿們。
Posted in 2026-01-Matthew-D