The Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard

Photo © Martin Crampin larger image

1913 Two-light window. The left-hand light appears to show the master hiring workers, and in the right-hand light he settles accounts with them. An angel in the top tracery light holds the text 'As for the earth, out of it cometh bread' (Job 28:5), while in the side tracery lights are shields with a cross and a lion, symbolising faith and courage. Angels with inscription below. technique: stained glass size: 50 cm (width of each light) [approx] firm/studio: Robert J. Newbery patron: William Thomas Lewis Church of St Elvan, Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taff north wall The text below the main scenes reads 'For many are called, but few are chosen' (Matthew 22:14). Given by Sir W.T. Lewis, first Lord Merthyr of Senghenydd, in memory of his associates, the 'Captains of Industry'. The subject appears to be the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20), in which all of the workers are paid the same regardless of the time at which they were hired, to the annoyance of those who had worked all day. It could perhaps depict the parable of the talents, a more common subject, but the master does not clearly hand over anything in the left-hand light, and there are only two men in this scene. The text below, from Matthew 22, is not related to either parable, but concludes the parable in which a king holds a marriage feast for his son, to which those who were invited did not come, and those from the highways 'both bad and good' were brought in.  (ObjectID=4574 ImageID=8567) Original File Name=Aberdare_DSC8569A.jpg

This artwork is indexed under the following main subject(s):
for other works containing these subjects please click on the links.

• after the return of the lord the servants account for their debts and are rewarded accordingly - the talents or pounds - parable of Christ  [Matthew 25:19-30; Luke 19:15-26]
• at the end of the day the lord pays all the labourers equally; those that worked all day object - the labourers in the vineyard - parable of Christ  [Matthew 20:8-16]
• the talents or pounds - parable of Christ  [Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27]

Martin Crampin, Stained Glass from Welsh Churches (Talybont: Y Lolfa, 2014), p. 158.

Photo © Martin Crampin