On the surface, the parable of the workers in the vineyard appears to be an offense to common sense. Those who work a longer day ought to be paid more than those who work just an hour or two. When viewed in this manner, the landowner seems unfair. However, a closer read of the parable from the lens of St Augustine of Hippo shows that everyone who comes to God receives the same gift of everlasting life and the vision of God, revealing his radical generosity rather than a wage strictly measured by human standards. In the possession of eternal life itself all are equal, because eternal life — the vision of God — has no bounds and cannot be "more or less" for anyone. God's mercy is so radical that there is always a place for the person who turns to him, even at the last moment, He would always welcome the sinner who turns back to Him in genuine sorrow.