And about the eleventh hour he went out again and found others standing idle, and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?”
In this verse the landowner, a figure representing God, continues to go out and look for workers even at the end of the day, at the eleventh hour (around 5:00 p.m.). He finds those who are still standing idle all day, without work, without having any direction. The question, “Why are you standing idle?” sounds not as an accusation, but as a call to become aware of the time that has passed and to respond to the last chance. The Lord continues to call until the end of the day, until “evening,” which shows that God’s grace and invitation remain at work until the final moment, and even the latest response can be accepted. This “eleventh hour” is also historically interpreted as the last stage of life, or the end of the world’s history, when God still gives people an opportunity to take part in His kingdom.