Though he vainly thought, that if those few were but two, they were himself and his son. The devil, by his temptations, is hiring labourers into his field, to feed swine. I have endeavoured, though, of course, cursorily, and I feel most imperfectly, to give thus far Matthew's sketch of the Saviour as the Holy Ghost enabled him to execute it. Notice the flow of the narrative as the . Jesus blessedly answered their thoughts, had there only been a conscience to hear the word of power and grace, which brings out His glory the more. Nicodemus may be born again when he is old, and the old man may be put off, which is corrupt. Not only shall the Judge of all the earth do right, but what will not He do who gives all good? The plucking of the corn, and the healing of the withered hand, had taken place long before. First of these comes the treasure hidden in the field, for which the man sells all he had, securing the field for the sake of the treasure. In Christianity there must always be this invincible optimism in the moment when things are conspiring to drive a man to despair. To mock and to scourge: Jesus predicted these specific aspects of His coming agony which on a human level He could not arrange. He makes some more useful than others, without regard to the time which they serve, and he will reward them accordingly. The grape harvest ripened towards the end of September, and then close on its heels the rains came. And He was Jesus, Emmanuel. Drinking of that cup. Lord cometh, his reward is with him, to give unto every man according as his work shall be, as one star differeth from another star in glory, so shall it be. "The Spirit lifted me [Ezekiel] up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God. I injure no one, and have a right to do what I will with my own. Thus explained, this parable has no reference to the call of the Gentiles, nor to the call of aged sinners, nor to the call of sinners out of the church at all. He was to be betrayed into the hands of the chief priests and Scribes; there we see the suffering of the heart broken by the disloyalty of friends. Modern disciples of Jesus should view heavenly rewards the same way. It was true that He was made of woman, and made under the law; but He was Jehovah Himself, that lowly Nazarene. He tells them that they should not have gone over (or finished) the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come. Never heard of them before. Yet man, in face of all, is so deceived of the enemy, that he prefers to be left with the demons rather than enjoy the presence of the Deliverer. In the picture of the holy city in the Revelation there are twelve gates. 20:1-16 The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, and they should be admitted to equal privileges and advantages with the Jews. But at the end, when His disciples are in the extremity of trouble, in the midst of the sea, the Lord walks on the sea toward them, and bids them not fear; for they were troubled and afraid. He said to them, 'Go you also into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' The crown set before us is a crown of righteousness, which the righteous Judge shall give. If they had let him pass, their chance would have gone by for ever; but when the chance came they seized it. Heartlight Provides Positive Resources for Daily Christian Living. Poetical Books The first is, as it has been said, "All service ranks the same with God." And He prophesied so accurately the things.First of all, He is going to be betrayed. This parable explains why the last will become first. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day. But he answered one of them and said, Friend, I am doing you no wrong. John 3:16, Jesus faith love), The Whole Bible Pauline Epistles A verification email has been sent to the address you provided. It was the custom in Palestine for a Rabbi to teach as he walked along the road; and no doubt those around Jesus could not hear what Jesus was saying for this clamorous uproar. d T. Hieros. and what had the Son of David to do with a Canaanite? Under grace, we cant come to God complaining, Dont I deserve better than this; because God will reply, Does this mean that you really want Me to give you what you deserve?. Out of the market-place, where, till they are hired into God's service, they stand idle (Matthew 20:3; Matthew 20:3), all the day idle (Matthew 20:6; Matthew 20:6). i. They said to him, "We can." THE FALSE AND THE TRUE AMBITION ( Matthew 20:20-28 ), 20:20-28 At that time the mother of Zebedee's sons came to him with her sons, kneeling before him, and asking something from him. (Matthew 20:29-31) Two blind men gain the attention of Jesus. The same indifference to the mere sequence of events is found occasionally in other parts of the gospel; but I have purposely dwelt upon this chapter 8, because here we have it throughout, and at the same time with evidence exceedingly simple and convincing. To drink the cup simply means to follow Christ wherever he may lead, and to be like him in any situation life may bring. That which was the first in order chose the four citizens who were judged the most proper to serve in the war; and the six tribunes who commanded the first legion chose one of these four, whom they liked best. "They that are first shall be last, and they that are last shall be first"( Matthew 19:30 ). There is no incident which so demonstrates their invincible faith in Jesus. He speaks of Israel then, and of Israel before He comes in glory, but He entirely omits any notice of the circumstances which were to come in by the way. 16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.(A). [2.] Now He brings out not the kingdom merely, but His Church; and this not merely in view of hopeless unbelief in the mass, but of the confession of His own intrinsic glory as the Son of God by the chosen witness. So thoroughly is it in view of Israel that our Lord does not say one word here about the Church, or the intervening condition of Christendom. (2.) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. He was then present, a man despised, yet with title to forgive sins, proved by immediate power to heal. The picture is that the landowner had an inexhaustible supply of work for those who wanted to work. (Matthew 20:24-28) The disciples reaction; Jesus sets forth true greatness. "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed Him, crying and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us." The Old Testament This, of course, is not the moment to unfold it. Of course, there is often the order of time, but through the central part, and not infrequently elsewhere, his setting forth in order turns on another principle, quite independent of mere succession of events. "The cross," he said, "was a mousetrap (muscipula) to catch the devil, baited with the blood of Christ.". The scribe had no heart for the hidden glory. All that are chosen from eternity, are effectually called, in the fulness of time (Romans 8:30), so that in making our effectual calling sure we make sure our election (2 Peter 1:10); but it is not so as to the outward call; many are called, and yet refuse (Proverbs 1:24), nay, as they are called to God, so they go from him (Hosea 11:2; Hosea 11:7), by which it appears that they were not chosen, for the election will obtain,Romans 11:7. I injure no one, and have a right to do what I will with my own." c. Betrayed they will condemn Him to death deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. Humble service is the great prerequisite, as shown by Jesus own ministry. It is a direct violation of both the two great commandments at once; both that of love to God, in whose will we should acquiesce, and love to our neighbour, in whose welfare we should rejoice. And if those who in the last moment come into the kingdom of God, God rewards them, and they receive the reward for their place in the kingdom. [At the end of his parable about the Kingdom of Heaven being like workers hired at different times during the day, Jesus said,] "So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.". Mark gives them in the end of his second and the beginning of his third chapters. The English translators have thus given the sense well; for the expression really conveys this slight, though the word "fellow" is printed in italics. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. Thereon, coming into the ship, the wind ceases, and the Lord exercises His gracious power in beneficent effects around. Here I close tonight. "And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth." John is swifter of foot, and comes first to the sepulchre: but Peter has more courage, and goes first into it. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. It begins with a well-known scene but then introduces surprising elements to make a powerful point. The householder had every right to have cut them off with a trifle instead of a whole day's pay. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point 20Then the mother of Zebedees sons(K) came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down,(L) asked a favor of him. Before dinner starts, hide your nerf guns, then start the soundtrack to Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Jesus gives the parable of the laborers in the vineyardHe foretells His crucifixion and resurrectionHe came to give His life as a ransom for many. Friend, I am doing you no wrong. This made it to be plainly and only a difficulty for God to solve. (Ken Chumbley, The Gospel of Matthew, commentary, p.#351). These men did not all do the same work; but they did receive the same pay. This parable taught him that God would give him a just reward for his sacrificial labor for Jesus. Jesus was passing by. Grace forms the hearts of those that understand it, according to the great manifestation of what God is, and what man is, too, given us in the person of Christ. General Epistles And He said to her, What do you wish? She said to Him, Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.. Isaiah prophesied the fact that He would be scourged, but in prophesying the fact, Isaiah tells us the reason. Matthew gives no such details, but call and mission are together here. But, from first to last, what a trial of spirit, and what triumph! First, it sheds a light on the disciples. Very early men began to say, "Jesus gave his life a ransom for many. In Matthew it is their mother. God does not look on the amount of our service. Note, First, The church is God's vineyard; it is of his planting, watering, and fencing; and the fruits of it must be to his honour and praise. The other workers hired through the day were not promised a specific wage, only whatever is right. Though he vainly thought, that if those few were but two, they were himself and his son. The idea was you were to confess the crimes that you had committed against Rome, and as you confessed your crimes, the man who was administering that scourging would go easier and easier on you. The offence removed. Is not your eye evil, because I am good? without holiness no man shall see the Lord. And he went out about the third hour: The third hour was about 9:00 a.m.; the sixth hour was about 12 noon; the eleventh hour was about 5:00 in the evening. Note: MLA no longer requires the URL as part of their citation standard. And they said unto him, Lord, we want our eyes opened. . They may come at the beginning of their life, in their youth, in adulthood, in old age, or at the very end. So our goal as disciples is to value things now as God does. They put upon Him a scarlet robe, and they begin to say unto Him, "Hail king of the Jews," and they mocked Him. a. To lose all for heavenly treasure, to come and follow the despised Nazarene here below what was it to compare with that which had brought Jesus to earth? And wilt thou seek for a happiness in the creature, or think from thence to make up the deficiencies of thy happiness in God? Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. (iii) These two blind men had an imperfect faith but they were determined to act on the faith they had. Through this parable Jesus assured Peter and the disciples that they will be rewarded but the principle of many who are first will be last and the last first (Matthew 19:30) meant that God may not reward as man expects even as the parable illustrated. In the next discourse we may hope to have the rest of his gospel. Many people are in the ministry for what they can receive (either materially or emotionally) from their people instead of for what they can give. Most clearly it is not so much a question of sin in the aspect of uncleanness (typifying deeper things, but still connected with the ceremonial requirements of Israel, as we find from what our Lord said in the chapter to the cleansed leper). ; Continuity with Matthew 19 At the great day, though the dead in Christ shall rise first, yet they which are alive and remain, on whom the ends of the world (the eleventh hour of its day) comes, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds; no preference shall be given to seniority, but every man shall stand in his own lot at the end of the days. Peter answers, "Of strangers." (E) They will condemn him to death 19and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged(F) and crucified. This as yet draws out wonder, at least from the witnessing multitudes, that God had given such power unto men. The delivered demoniacs are, to my mind, clearly the foreshadow of the Lord's grace in the latter days, separating a remnant to Himself, and banishing the power of Satan from this small but sufficient witness of His salvation. But what a mercy that those who appear now to be rejected may be called in another muster, enrolled, serve in the field, or work in the vineyard? The giving of a whole day's wages to those that had not done the tenth part of a day's work, is designed to show that God distributes his rewards by grace and sovereignty, and not of debt. The next chapter (Matthew 18:1-35) takes up the double thought of the kingdom and the Church, showing the requisite for entrance into the kingdom, and displaying or calling forth divine grace in the most lovely manner, and that in practice. Jesus was moved with compassion to the depths of his being, and touched their eyes; and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. Or is your eye evil because I am good? "What do you want me to do for you?" Certainly, He did not arrange His own betrayal. A great tempest. The deity of Christ was the hook; his flesh was the bait; the bait was dangled before leviathan; he swallowed it and was taken. Gentile as he was, he was for that very, reason the less narrowed in his thoughts of the Saviour by the prevalent notions of Israel, yea, or even by Old Testament hopes, precious as they are. THE LORDSHIP OF THE CROSS ( Matthew 20:20-28 continued). If to conquer with Christ meant to suffer with Christ, they were perfectly willing to face that suffering. Our job as disciples is to keep searching and including the lost, the last, and the least in the Kingdom and not just those who can bring us some benefit. Matthew 20:16. Matthew 20:16New International Version. However suitable to the Jewish expectation that He should be found a man, undeniably there was that apparent which was infinitely above the Jew's thought; for the Jew showed his own degradation and unbelief in the low ideas he entertained of the Messiah. The first thing to be remarked is, that the leper was an early incident in the manifestation of the healing power of our Lord. Matthew 20. None can suppose that these were deemed useless, or that, because not now chosen to serve their country in the field, they were proscribed from the rights and privileges of citizens, much less destroyed, because others were found better qualified to serve their country at the post of honour and danger. Nor is this all. A man out of his plenty may give us a gift of a hundred pounds, and in truth we are grateful; a child may give us a birthday or Christmas gift which cost only a few pence but which was laboriously and lovingly saved up for--and that gift, with little value of its own, touches our heart far more. How thoroughly did our Lord take a lowly place for our sakes! If the gospel dies in England, write on its tomb, Betrayed. If our churches lose their holy influence among men, write on them, Betrayed. What care we for infidels? Next, the storm follows. The Lord then had been shown such as He was towards Israel, had Israel in their leprosy come to Him, as did the leper, even with a faith exceedingly short of that which was due to His real glory and His love. "Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! It's God's to give, however, to whomever He pleases. 97. See Matthew 19:27-29. We have each of us our own vineyard to keep, our own soul; and it is God's and to be kept and dressed for him. A man came there first thing in the morning, carrying his tools, and waited until someone hired him. ", To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. "That ye may know it (then saith He to the sick of the palsy), Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thy house." It may well be that we who have been Christian for so long have much to learn from those younger Churches who are late-comers to the fellowship of the faith. And, 2. Next is the one pearl of great price, the unity and beauty of that which was so dear to the merchantman. Matthew 20:16 Context 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? It is not a question of bringing in law to govern the kingdom or guide the Church. A wider interpretation is, of course, possible, and has been often applied, in which the first-called labourers answer to the Jews, and those who came afterwards to converts in the successive stages of the conversion of the Gentiles. Yes, it was His to rule and command the sea, even as the land and all that in them is. Secondly, Whatsoever is right,Matthew 20:4-7; Matthew 20:4-7. i. The Jewish day began at sunrise, 6 a.m., and the hours were counted from then until 6 p.m., when officially the next day began. It appears to me, that the nature or aim of Mark's gospel demands this. Rather than seeking God as to whether or not you should buy a new car, you had to seek your elder or your shepherd. How are we to account for a selection so marked, an elimination of time so complete? But if you were silent and refused to confess your crimes, then each time he would lay the whip on heavier, and heavier, until you'd be forced to cry out your crime against the Roman government. "If you wish to be great," he says, "be a servant; if you wish to be first of all be a slave." 2 And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, he sent them into his vineyard. So, when more is added, He says, "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. All rights reserved. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. They had heard of the miracles that He had wrought, up in the area of Galilee, around Capernaum. Those last hired receive the most pay and are paid first. Matthew 5:45). The aggravation of it; "It is because I am good." Yet is He the Son of man who hath power on earth to forgive sins; and He uses His authority. Thus it is shown that, though we have rich grace to the Gentile, there is the remembrance of natural relationship still. (Matthew 20:32-34) Jesus heals the two blind men. Jesus laces this point throughout the parable. Every opportunity to serve is a gift of His grace. 1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire a labourers into his vineyard. I'll be turned over to the chief priests. The parable of the workers in the vineyard 20:1-16. Oh, what a heart is ours! It is the end of the account of Jesus itinerant ministry, and its setting as they went out of Jericho points forward to the next town on the road, Jerusalem. (France). It seemed the last place on earth to which a man in his condition should have gone. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. Or is your eye evil because I am good? The very next scene, the case of Jairus, the ruler, shows it. It was clearly a question of connection with the apostle of the circumcision ( i.e., Peter's wife's mother). O Lord God, your grace to me is marvelous. Thus, in the scene of the leper, we have Jesus presented as "Jehovah that healeth Israel," as man here below, and in Jewish relationships, still maintaining the law. So when the evening was come, and the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. Peter wanted to know what they would get in return. Will be betrayed: Conceivably, Jesus could have been delivered to the religious authorities without this. So this seems to be the words that couch this particular parable. The world may assess a man's greatness by the number of people whom he controls and who are at his beck and call; or by his intellectual standing and his academic eminence; or by the number of committees of which he is a member; or by the size of his bank balance and the material possessions which he has amassed; but in the assessment of Jesus Christ these things are irrelevant. (Matthew 20:20-21) The mother of James and John asks for a place of special status for her sons. That many who begin last, and promise little in religion, sometimes, by the blessing of God, arrive at greater attainments in knowledge, grace, and usefulness, than others whose entrance was more early, and who promised fairer. But when the Lord was here, no matter what the unbelief of others, it was only an opportunity for the grace of Jesus to shine out. Now these last have worked but one hour, and that too in the cool of the day; and yet thou hast made them equal with us.