They answered, “Because no one hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.”
In this verse, the answer of the people standing there at a late hour is simple: “No one hired us,” that is, they did not refuse to serve; they simply had not yet been called. This symbolizes those who, at different stages of life, even in later years, hear God’s call for the first time. The Lord’s response is the same, without any precondition: “You also go into the vineyard.” He requires nothing from them except an obedient response, and again promises, “whatever is right, you will receive.” This is the expression repeated a second time (see 20:4), confirming that God is just and faithful even toward those who come at the last moment. This word is a wonderful testimony that in the kingdom of God, salvation is possible even at life’s “eleventh” hour, if the heart is sincere.