The Roman penny was, in our money, of the value of a sevenpence half-penny, a day's wages for a day's work, and the wages sufficient for a day's maintenance. b. For a day. Many a man, who, as the world counts it, is a poor man, will be great in the Kingdom, because he never thought in terms of reward but worked for the thrill of working and for the joy of serving. The first of these lessons is, "Many first shall be last, and last first." "There arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch, that the ship was covered with the waves; but he was asleep." As to any one else, even the most liberal gift that ever was given of God to fallen man on earth, to the golden head of the Gentiles, exempted the deep and its untamed inhabitants. "Jesus deliberately and cleverly led the listeners along by degrees until they understood that if Gods generosity was to be represented by a man, such a man would be different from any man ever encountered." It is a question, then, of internal evidence, what that particular order is which God has employed in each different gospel. His wounds are those which he receives in the house of his friend. (Spurgeon). Many are called, c.] This clause is wanting in BL, one other, and in the Coptic and Sahidic versions. Isaiah prophesied the fact that He would be scourged, but in prophesying the fact, Isaiah tells us the reason. i. It is tragic that we have gotten so far away from the concepts that Jesus taught. And everybody will always try to discourage you, but persist, for there is a whole new life. It says simply, "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." And when the devil was come out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel." Your partnership makes all we do possible. He was not taken by surprise; He knew it from the beginning Man's implacable hatred is brought about most manifestly in the ways and spirit of His rejectors. Now the parable: A landowner went out early in the morning (6 am) to hire laborers for his vineyard. No doubt they had heard of the wondrous power of Jesus; and no doubt they wondered if that power might ever be exercised for them. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried out all the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. Oh, you have to love the mothers, don't you? Changes, to us inexplicable, occur: many first last, and last first. Thus, the present dealings of God in grace, the actual shape taken by the kingdom of heaven, the calling of the Gentiles, the formation of the Church, are all passed completely over. Matthew 20:16 NIV - "So the last will be first, and the - Bible Gateway d. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? The Lord works in delivering power; but withal the power of Satan fills and carries away the unclean to their own destruction. This world looks at the outward appearance, but God knows our hearts. There is nothing more tragic in this world than a man who is unemployed, a man whose talents are rusting in idleness because there is nothing for him to do. Probably thisto teach us that men who have wrought in Christ's service all their days may, by the spirit which they manifest at the last, make it too evident that, as between God and their own souls, they never were chosen workmen at all. When the ten heard about this, they were angry with the two brothers. 2. The Campus Martius was the grand field in which they were disciplined: there, they accustomed themselves to leaping, running, wrestling, bearing burdens, fencing, throwing the javelin, c., and when, through these violent exercises, they were all besmeared with dust and sweat, in order to refresh themselves, they swam twice or thrice across the Tyber! Work for God will not admit of trifling. We can be assured that God will never, ever be unfair to us, though He may for His own purpose and pleasure bestow greater blessing on someone else who seems less deserving. The Greek word is constantly so used as an expression of contempt, "This [fellow] doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." There is an element of human tenderness in this parable. Used by permission. Far from lowering the position of His servant, He declares there was none greater among mortal men. ( Matthew 20:16) The parable applied: the principle of God's reward. They did not understand what was happening, but they could see in every line of Jesus' body the struggle of his soul. "Thank the Lord, my rock, who trained my hands to fight and my fingers to do battle, my merciful one, my fortress, my stronghold, and my savior, my". And they said unto him, Lord, we want our eyes opened. The Church, which is His body and bride, has a far more intimate place, even though true of the same persons. The ignorance is wholly on our side: all they say or omit was owing to the far-reaching and gracious wisdom of Him who inspired them. He is there with the beggars. The Rabbis had a saying, "Some enter the Kingdom in an hour; others hardly enter it in a lifetime." . When they get to Jerusalem, those culminating events of the life of Jesus are going to take place. He was not setting out rules for wages and employment, but giving an illustration of Gods grace. [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.". Accordingly, notice that, in the manner in which the Holy Ghost introduces it, there is no statement of time whatever. The laws of that kingdom are not wrapt up in parables, but plainly set down, as in the sermon upon the mount; but the mysteries of that kingdom are delivered in parables, in sacraments, as here and Matthew 13:1-58; Matthew 13:1-58 The duties of Christianity are more necessary to be known than the notions of it; and yet the notions of it are more necessary to be illustrated than the duties of it; which is that which parables are designed for. ), NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story, NIV, The Woman's Study Bible, Full-Color, Red Letter: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Revelation, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, Verse Mapping Bible, Comfort Print: Find Connections in Scripture Using a Unique 5-Step Process, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Galatians, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, The Story, Hardcover, Comfort Print: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People. The kingdom of heaven assumes a form unknown to prophecy, and, in its successive mysteries, fills up the interval between the rejected Christ's going to heaven, and His returning again in glory. Disciples in Jesus day would not necessarily receive more reward than disciples whom God calls to serve Him just before the day of laboring ends, before His second coming. Now do you think that God the Father would allow His Son to suffer unnecessarily? We can never repay God for what he has done for us but we can always be grateful to him. And, look you, two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted out, "Lord, have pity on us, you Son of David!" 5. It is as if Jesus said to them, "You have received the great privilege of coming into the Christian Church and fellowship very early, right at the beginning. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. This came out most blessedly through the disciples. Those that have had gospel offers made them at the third, or sixth hour, and have resisted and refused them, will not have that to say for themselves at the eleventh hour, that these had; No man has hired us; nor can they be sure that any man will hire them at the ninth or eleventh hour; and therefore not to discourage any, but to awaken all, be it remembered, that now is the accepted time; if we will hear his voice, it must be to-day. So translated into our present day, an average day's wage for a laborer maybe twenty-five dollars or so. All rights reserved worldwide. Now, it was an established principle, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word should be established. That they had reason to fear, lest they themselves should be found hypocrites at last; for many are called but few chosen. vi. The grape harvest ripened towards the end of September, and then close on its heels the rains came. Thus He points out the utter moral incongruity of fasting at that moment, and intimates that it was not merely the fact that He was going to be rejected, but that to conciliate His teaching and His will with the old thing was hopeless. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? "Day laborers" would be readily available in the market place. "And He entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into His own city." He tells him that those he envied should fare as well as he did; "I will give unto this last, even as unto thee; I am resolved I will." Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. i. He was tricked by the seeming helplessness of Jesus; he took Jesus to be a mere man; he tried to retain hold of Jesus, and in trying to do so, he lost his power and was broken for ever. Adventure Challenge 47 - Matthew 20.16 - YouTube It was going on, then, to the bitter end, and surely not without such suffering and sorrow as holy, unselfish, obedient love alone can know. A few I have chosen for higher stations in the church. And so they didn't really remember that He said He was going to rise the third day, until after the resurrection. It is the man who will not be kept from Christ who in the end finds him. Jesus said that those who would share his triumph must drink his cup. Considerable time, it is true, elapsed between the two facts; but this only makes it the more sure and plain, that they are grouped together with a divine purpose. range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed The bodily presence of the Messiah was not needed. Observe. The system of grace is foreign to us: God deals with us according to who He is, not according to who we are. Hence the Lord would raise up a fresh testimony altogether, and do a new work suitable to it. It shall not be so among you, but whoever wishes to prove himself great among you must be your servant; and whoever wishes to occupy the foremost place will be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.". b. Some of the people of our own day who fancy that their sweet and pious attitude in some way entitles them to God's favor should take note of this. He is not going to lower Himself to a human measure. Thirdly, The gospel call is given to those that stand idle in the market-place. My Adventure Challenge - Home - Facebook But they in turn will deliver Him to the Gentiles, who will first of all mock Him. You both must wear five pieces of clothing. It was the creature doing his best, yet proving that he loved the creature more than the Creator. a. There are people who think that, because they have been members of a Church for a long time, the Church practically belongs to them and they can dictate its policy. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point THE LORDSHIP OF THE CROSS ( Matthew 20:20-28 continued). It was just because of this that the orthodox religious people of his time could not understand him. These words of Jesus gave rise to an old and complicated theological question: to whom did Jesus pay the ransom? Yes, it was His to rule and command the sea, even as the land and all that in them is. This gives an opportunity to teach what truly defiles not things that go into the man, but those things which, proceeding out of the mouth, come forth from the heart. The woman of Canaan, out of the borders of Tyre and Sidon, appeals to Him; a Gentile of most ominous name and belongings a Gentile whose case was desperate; for she appeals on behalf of her daughter, grievously vexed with a devil. In the end of the chapter is set forth parabolically the unlimited forgiveness that suits the kingdom; here, I cannot but think, looking onward in strict fulness to the future, but with distinct application to the moral need of the disciples then and always. The true disciple is motivated by love not lust. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. It was with this declaration that the parable began and ended. "Can a woman forget her sucking child? The discontent arose not because of any injustice in the landowner, but because of jealousy in the all-day workers (Matthew 20:9-15). Therefore it was not a mere simple fact that He banished sickness or infirmity, but He carried them in His spirit before God. And someone said, "Jesus is going by." Of course, both do preserve chronological order when it is compatible with the objects the Holy Spirit had in inspiring them; but in both the order of time is subordinated to still greater purposes which God had in view. b. He will never be less than fair, but reserves the right to be more than fair as pleases Him. Neither giveth he an account of any of his matters; nor is it fit he should. For less than $5/mo. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. But first appears the new and great fact, that Christ was going to build a new building, His assembly, on the truth and confession of Himself, the Son of God. And I believe that we can believe and trust Jesus Christ for physical healing, as well as spiritual healing. i. ii. (Matthew 20:1-2) A landowners workers early in the morning. 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). All turns on that which was suitable to such a God, the giver of His own Son. He was to be mocked by the Romans; there we see the suffering of humiliation and of deliberate insult. Well, he did not come to get your service; he came to give you his services; not that you might first do him honor, but that he might show you mercy. (Spurgeon). It means that no matter when a man enters the Kingdom, late or soon, in the first flush of youth, in the strength of the midday, or when the shadows are lengthening, he is equally dear to God. faithful unto death shall receive the crown of life. Barclay, William "The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2" (The New Daily Study Bible, Matthew 11-28) (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1975), Bruce, Alexander Balmain "The Synoptic Gospels: The Expositor's Greek Testament" Volume 1, Section 1 (Matthew-Luke) (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1897), Carson, D.A. b. Among this celebrated people, no one was forced to serve his country in a military capacity and it was the highest honour to be deemed worthy of thus serving it. This parable is not a perfect illustration of Gods grace, because the principle of working and deserving is involved. In heaven, every vessel will be full, brimful, though every vessel is not alike large and capacious. 3 He went out about nine o'clock . Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with what is my own? Of one of the disciples, whose state may have been specially present to our Lords mind, this was, we know, only too fatally true. Beracot, fol. A verification email has been sent to the address you provided. 2. So long as it is all we have to give, all service ranks the same with God. So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. When did this take place, if we enquire into it merely as a matter of historical fact? He said, "Call those fellows to me." (G) On the third day(H) he will be raised to life!(I). The hours in the parable were the normal Jewish hours. Then came to Him the mother of Zebedee's children [now James and John were the sons of Zebedee and she came to Him] with her sons ( Matthew 20:20 ). More and more excellent shall be the children of the desolate than those of the married wife,Isaiah 54:1. Who knows but that the church, in its old age, may be more fat and flourishing than ever, to show that the Lord is upright? It was an imperfect faith but they acted on it; and Jesus accepted it. Here, too, these Pharisees question and reproach His grace, when they see the Lord sitting at ease in the presence of publicans and sinners, who came and sat down with Him in Matthew's house. a. So many people, both in things material and in things spiritual, get what they want, and then forget even to say thanks. 4. Thus the point that meets us in the conclusion of the chapter is, that while every character, every measure of giving up for His name's sake, will meet with the most worthy recompence and result, man can as little judge of this as he can accomplish salvation. If the Gentiles were to be allowed into the fellowship of the Church at all, they must come in as inferiors. He may therefore give or withhold his blessings, as he pleases. Matthew 5:45). Matthew chapter 20 New International Version 1 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. Only tradition will not do this work, nor will human thoughts or feelings. And then they would take a leather whip, with little bits of lead and glass, embedded in it. Now what did Jesus mean when He broke the bread and said, "This is my body, broken for you"? ", 'The Lord Is My Savior, Shield, Refuge, and Stronghold'. To hire laborers for his vineyard: The landowner went to the marketplace, which was the gathering place for day laborers. The slum dwellers of Tokyo laughed at him, but they came to respect him. But there's a big twist. A ransom is something paid or given to liberate a man from a situation from which it is impossible for him to free himself. Next, we find Him confessed by the centurion, no longer as the Messiah, when actually with them, confessed according to a faith which saw the deeper glory of His person as supreme, competent to heal, no matter where, or whom, or what, by a word; and this the Lord Himself hails as the foreshadowing of a rich incoming of many multitudes to the praise of His name, when the Jews should be cast out. i. 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. Sinners are said to labour in the very fire (Habakkuk 2:13), whereas God's servants, at the worst, do but labour in the sun; not in the heat of the iron furnace, but only in the heat of the day. Because it is free grace, that is given to those that have it, boasting is for ever excluded; and because it is free grace, that is withheld from those that have it not, murmuring is for ever excluded. And the third day He will rise again: Most important, this was something that Jesus had no apparent control over. But this may be, and commonly is, applied to the several ages of life, in which souls are converted to Christ. He evinces, that at the very time when Peter forgot the vision and the Father's voice, virtually reducing Him to mere man, He was God manifest in the flesh. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. God hires labourers, not because he needs them or their services (for, if we be righteous, what do we unto him? It is a very significant story, for it paints a picture of the spirit and of the attitude of mind and heart to which the most precious gifts of God are open. 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.. Before dinner starts, hide your nerf guns, then start the soundtrack to Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Matthew 20 Commentary - John Gill's Exposition of the Bible Now notice, the mother is the one doing the speaking, but the boys are right there behind her. "The cross," he said, "was a mousetrap (muscipula) to catch the devil, baited with the blood of Christ.". 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. is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. [6.] Matthew 20 | NLT Bible | YouVersion "No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse." We are dependent, therefore, for determining this case, on the fact that Mark does habitually adhere to the chain of events. (iv) Here, also, is the infinite compassion of God. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister [or servant]; And whosoever will be the chief among you, let him be the bondslave ( Matthew 20:23-27 ): Jesus here is teaching the servanthood of the ministry and the path to greatness. All rights reserved worldwide. As the apostles were the first-fruits of the whole church, they appeared to possess some superiority; and Christ did not deny that they would sit as judges to govern the twelve tribes of Israel. It is worth stopping to see what the crude hands of theology have done with that lovely saying. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. How many times during communion has God touched me physically, and ministered to me physically, as I received that work of Christ for my own physical need?So Jesus predicts His crucifixion finally, and then rising again. He could and did form His instruments according to His own sovereign will. Such people resent what seems to them the intrusion of new blood or the rise of a new generation with different plans and different ways. The moment to act goes past; the impulse to decide fades. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus. But yet people who have been faithful to that service, to which God has employed them, whether it be intercessory closet prayer that nobody knows anything about, and I think when we get to heaven we are going to be surprised when we see those who are sitting on the front row. & Sanhedrim, fol. Heartlight is supported by loving Christians from around the world. Major Prophets The other workers hired through the day were not promised a specific wage, only whatever is right. "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David!" 1. 'God is love,' he shouted. 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). So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, What do you want Me to do for you? They said to Him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. The landowner rebuked them for their jealousy and resentment of the landowners generosity towards others. It is my will to give to this last man the same as to you. He tells them that they should not have gone over (or finished) the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come. 2. 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. This was testing matters more closely. Just the idea of Him being crucified was so shocking, that their minds in trying to absorb that, lost everything else He said after that. The ones who labored only an hour did not deserve their pay either. That is why the first will be last and the last will be first. 2. No doubt the tempest was great; but what harm could it do to Jesus? I feel sure that no Christian harbours a doubt about it. The crowd rebuked them, so that they might be silent. The ox had to be ready either for the supreme moment of sacrifice on the altar or the long labour of the plough on the farm. [1.] It was the little foreshadowing of what will be when the Lord has joined the remnant in the last days, and then fills with blessing the land that He touches. And they no doubt led these two blind men to Jesus. He has His rejection before His eyes, as well as the presumptuous unbelief of this sordid, and self-confident, would-be follower. It is the paradox of the Christian life that he who aims at reward loses it, and he who forgets reward finds it. Is not your eye evil, because I am good? What feelings at such a time! They boast, as the prodigal's elder brother did, of their good services; We have borne the burthen and heat of the day; that was the most they could make of it. 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. Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David! 1 Corinthians 6:2; Revelation 2:26). They cannot hurt the Christ. Notice is taken of the several hours of the day, at which the labourers were hired. 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. It can only mean here the "invited." It tells us of their ambition. And thus as Isaiah predicts the scourging, the stripes, he declares, "by His stripes ye are healed"( Isaiah 53:5 ). 16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.(A), 17Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. ii. He knew what they needed and what they wanted, but God still wants us to tell Him our needs as a constant expression of our trust and reliance on Him. Johannine Writings Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem: This was not a surprise to the disciples.