Chapters From the New Apocrypha/The Parable of the Blind Man
AND Jesus spake again a parable unto them, saying, Behold, there was a certain rich man which had a vineyard;
And when the time came for the ripening of the grapes there were few laborers to be hired. Then the rich man saith unto his steward, Go ye into the market-place and hire men to gather my grapes;
And if ye find not them whose business it is to gather the fruit of the vine for the wine-press, hire others also, and whoever will come to gather my grapes forbid him not.
So the steward did as his lord commanded, and went into the market-place and hired laborers, and others also;
And he came with them whom he had hired unto his lord and saith unto him, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.
Yet have I done as thou hast commanded; I have hired others also, the halt, and the aged, and even this blind man.
And the rich man saith unto his steward, Thou hast done well; give therefore to every one a basket, and send him into my vineyard, that he may gather grapes for the wine-press.
So every one of them that had been hired went forth unto the vineyard and toiled all the day.
And at nightfall they came and brought the grapes which they had gathered unto the wine-press.
And of the laborers, some brought an hundred baskets, and some sixty, and some thirty.
And when my lord reckoned with them he commanded his steward to give unto every man according to his work,—unto him who gathered an hundred baskets, ten farthings,—unto him who gathered sixty baskets, six farthings, and unto him who gathered thirty baskets, three farthings.
Then came also the others, the halt and the aged; and some had ten baskets, and some five, and some three.
And my lord commanded his steward to give unto every man according to his work,—unto him who gathered ten baskets, ten farthings,—unto him who gath- ered five baskets, five farthings, and unto him who gathered three baskets, three farthings.
Then the steward saith unto my lord, Lo ! now will I do as thou commandest; but on the morrow, when the laborers come again to gather thy grapes, they will murmur against thee.
And will say among themselves, what doth it matter if we be idle? And he that gathered an hundred baskets will gather ten,—and he that gathered sixty will gather six, and he that gathered thirty will gather three.
Then my lord saith unto the steward, Do as I have commanded thee, for the work of the day shall reckon for itself.
And again my lord saith unto the steward, Where is the blind man? And even as he spake, the blind man, standing afar off, lifted up his voice and saith, Here am I.
Again he saith, (because he heard the voice,) I come quickly. And when he drew nigh, the steward saw that he had gathered no grapes;
And he was angry, and saith unto the blind man, Thou wicked and slothful servant; thou hast been idle all the day and hast gathered nothing. Go thou away empty.
Then the blind man lifted up his voice and wept, and saith, Say not that I have been slothful, but rather that I have toiled all the day and have gathered nothing. Let it be as my lord commandeth.
Then the lord rebuked the unjust steward, and saith unto him,
Give unto the blind man ten farthings, and let him go his way, for he hath done what he could.
Verily, I say unto thee, the laborer shall indeed be judged by the fruit of his labor;
And the halt and the aged likewise, each according to his ability.
For of a truth I require of no man more than he is able, and of this blind man do I require nothing, for thou didst hire him to work in my vineyard, knowing that he was blind.