Matthew 20  "Thus the last shall be first and the first last." v16   Jesus is using an illustration of the vineyard owner to show once again that God uses a different accounting system than the world does.  He doesn't favor the richest men.
He doesn't favor the hardest workers or those who work the longest.
He doesn't look at the outside - the temporal, mortal, physical status.
He, instead, gives us Jesus - He is the Standard, the measuring stick, so to speak.
Jesus, the Son of Man, who is going to Jerusalem willingly to be condemned, beaten, and crucified.  Jesus, who will be raised up on the third day.
Jesus, who "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Jesus, who is moved with compassion when He sees our blindness and hears our pleas for mercy.

Last - (greek - eschatos) = farthest,  final ( of place or time), lowest, uttermost
First - (greek - protos) = foremost (in time, place, or order of importance) - before, beginning, best, chief.

The last ones hired by the generous landowner, were those with the lowest rank.  No one wanted to hire them.  The 11th hour, the end of the day, had come.  They had stood and waited... all day long.  They needed work.  They needed money to take care of their families.  They were helpless and hurting.  They were running out of hope.. .but they had not given up.  For they waited.. all day.
Imagine their astonishment when they were paid for a whole day's work!  And even when those who had worked the whole day complained... the landowner's statement, " but I wish to give to this last man the same as you.".. must have floored them!  Who does that?
God does!  The landowner in this story reveals what the kingdom of heaven is like.  What grace!  What generosity !  What mercy!
He comes to the lost, to the lowest, to those farthest away... to those who have been rejected and ignored.  To those without hope and desperate for God to show up.   And He brings us to the front of the line! He gives to us more than we deserve!  He amazes us and defends us.  This is the God we serve!  He really meant it when He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." ( Matthew 5:3)

Oh thank You Lord! You are amazing!  Your grace, Your generosity to us... is astonishing.  You sent Jesus, Your anointed One, to come and die, to give His life as a ransom, the price of our redemption.
Heavenly Father,  You are righteous and loving and kind.  You are our Creator and our Loving Father.  You have chosen us, the least, the last, the lowest.... and You have shown us such generosity,  giving us eternal salvation.  Let Your kingdom come Lord,  this kingdom of generous, wonderful, grace!
Fill our hearts and minds with the fullness of Your Will, with all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Forgive us our sins.  We choose to forgive those who have sinned against us. We don't want to hold on to the things of the past,  those things that weigh us down, and keep us from following You.
Oh Father, keep our minds and hearts from those things that tempt us, from the things that take our eyes off of You.  Those things that make us afraid and anxious , that make us doubt and run away from You. Deliver us from those fiery darts that the evil one hurls at us.  Lead us to Your throne. To Your glorious kingdom.  To Your power and glory.  Fill our hearts with love for You and for Your Word... for one another.  In Jesus' name we pray.  amen.