Matthew calls her the mother of the sons of Zebedee; Mark calls her Salome; and John calls her Jesus' mother's sister. Surely, had he seen this, everything was there; but he saw it not, and so the Lord spread out His actual portion, as it literally was, without one word about the unseen and eternal. Blue Letter Bible is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. And thus He, whose glory was so forgotten by His disciples Jesus, Himself thinks of that very disciple, and says, "For me and thee.". Try to discourage them from seeking Jesus. For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. ), 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. They plucked his hair, they smote his cheeks, they spat in his face. Mockery could go no farther. That was a test of his faith. He had been there before. Henceforth, too, He forbids the disciples to proclaim Him as the Messiah. Nor is this all. In this he had laboured, as he said, from his youth up: "What lack I yet?" The parable itself displays a reversal of expectations "the last will be first and the first will be last"; this is not only the summary of the parable (20:16), but a critical aspect of New Testament theology. So the last shall be first, and the first last,. As he had asserted in Matthew 19:30 and which is clearly illustrated by this parable, as it may be applied to Jews or Gentiles, or to nominal and real Christians: for many be called; externally, under the ministration of the Gospel, as the Jews in general were, by Christ and his apostles; but, few chosen; in Christ from all eternity, both to grace and glory; and in consequence, and as an evidence of it, but few among the Jews; as also in the Gentile world, comparatively speaking: and even but a few of those that are outwardly called, are inwardly and effectually called by the powerful grace of God, out of darkness into marvellous light, into the grace and liberty of the Gospel, into communion with Christ, and to the obtaining his kingdom and glory, according to the eternal purpose of God. "On his first night he was asked to share his bed with a man suffering from contagious itch. He is not here sought as by the leper, the centurion, the friends of the palsied man; He Himself calls Matthew, a publican just the one to write the gospel of the despised Jesus of Nazareth. i. in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry. The Lord, no doubt, knew the heart of His servant, and could feel for him in the effect that circumstances took upon him. What can be simpler than that John put the question through his disciples, because he (not they only) had a question in the mind? And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. They gave Him full honor with this title. General Epistles The unparalleled grace of the Saviour must form and fashion the saints henceforth. 10 million Ukrainians without power because of Russia. He was quite clear that there was a bitter cup to be drunk and did not hesitate to say so. It is the death-blow to human tradition and ordinance in divine things, and in reality depends on the truth of the absolute ruin of man a truth which, as we see, the disciples were very slow to recognize. 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. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink: Their answer (We are able) seems to come a little too quick. He is talking about, no doubt, the scourging that He was going to receive, because it could not be that any of His bones should be broken. There are a great many things which have to be done at the moment or they will never be done. 97. Life had been imparted to, the sleeping maid of Zion the blind men call on Him as the Son of David, and not in vain. "Verily, I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven." How little they had learnt the divine lesson of grace, not ordinances! He also strongly claimed his right to do what he wanted with what was his. You both must wear five pieces of clothing. To take on the position of the minister is to take on the position of the servant to the flock of God. Instead of giving her at once a reply, He leads her on step by step; for so He can stoop. (3.) Matthew chapter twenty opens with the parable of the laborers going out into the vineyard.And Jesus said. They did not know that Jesus could have made the same promise of suffering to come to any of them (if they really wanted it!). And then Pilot delivered Him unto them to be scourged. He that would be great among you, let him be your servant and if you want to be chief, then become the bondslave." Those that were priests in the house of God would not they at least receive their own Messiah? THE MIND OF JESUS ( Matthew 20:20-28 continued). And what makes this still more striking, is the certainty that the kingdom, bright as it is, is by no means the thing nearest to Jesus. Heartlight is supported by loving Christians from around the world. If we turn toMark 1:1-45; Mark 1:1-45, the proof of what I have said will appear as to the leper. 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. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. Having left Nazareth, as we saw, He takes up His abode in Capernaum, which was henceforth "His own city." But there's a big twist. It probably was no more than a grave though passing difficulty, which he desired to have cleared up with all fulness for their sakes, as well as his own. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! ; Continuity with Matthew 19 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 as they stood there with those clouds over their eyes, Jesus said, "What do you want?" Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. He went out again about twelve o'clock midday, and about three o'clock in the afternoon, and did the same. Reject Him as the Messiah; in that rejection the moral glory of the Son of man would be laid as the foundation of His exaltation and manifestation another day; He was Lord of the Sabbath-day. "This man blasphemeth." He does not now compare the Jews to the Gentiles, (as in another passages) nor the reprobate, who swerve from the faith, to the elect who persevere; and therefore the sentence which is introduced by some interpreters, many are called, but few are chosen, does not apply to that point. It does not seem exactly as a pictorial view of what the Lord was doing, or going to do, but rather the repeated pledge, that they were not to suppose that the evil He had judged in the elders of Jerusalem, or the grace freely going out to the Gentiles, in any way led Him. ), but as some charitable generous householders keep poor men to work, in kindness to them, to save them from idleness and poverty, and pay them for working for themselves. 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. It is not a question of bringing in law to govern the kingdom or guide the Church. It was with this declaration that the parable began and ended. So the last will be first, and the first last. It was not more truly Christ's kingdom as man than He was God's own Son, His beloved Son, in whom He was well pleased, who was now to be heard, rather than Moses or Elias, who disappear, leaving Jesus alone with the chosen witnesses. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point The details, found elsewhere, of her being at the point of death then, before reaching the house, the news that she was dead, are not here. 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. Prophets A daily devotional about God's power for our battles. These workers hired at the very beginning of the working day agreed to work for a denarius a day, the common daily wage for a workingman. These are the words of an older gentleman who trusted Christ a few days before he died from cancer. So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. It is not a thing that can be settled by a mere assertion. Sometimes a young person dies almost before the door of life and achievement have opened at all. But Jesus answered and said, You do not know what you ask. [1.] And then he said interesting things for this cause; "There are many who are weak and sick among you, because they do not understand the Lord's body"( 1 Corinthians 11:30 ). So He meekly retires, healing, yet forbidding it to be blazed abroad. 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. Descending then upon the plateau, He delivered what is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount. Would any man make of the Messiah a mere man and a mere subject of the law given by Moses? Though God is a debtor to none, yet he is graciously pleased to make himself a debtor by his own promise, for the benefit of which, through Christ, believers agree with him, and he will stand to his part of the agreement. 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. It is grief to ourselves, anger to God, and ill-will to our neighbour; and it is a sin that has neither pleasure, profit, nor honour, in it; it is an evil, an only evil. When God settles all the accounts, then things are going to be valued by his standards and not the world's standards. And they would lay this leather whip across the back, and it was so designed, that when they pulled it back up to rip up pieces of flesh.The purpose of the scourging was the third-degree Roman style. The Whole Bible "I have seen the children of the world to come (elsewhere (e) it is, of the chamber), , "and they are few".''. . Deliver Him to the Gentiles: Jesus knew that the religious leaders of the Jews did not have authority to carry out capital punishment themselves; yet sometimes they executed men despite this prohibition (Acts 7:54-60). The book features 50 challenges to do with your partner at affordable price points (FREE to about $50). But this may be, and commonly is, applied to the several ages of life, in which souls are converted to Christ. God's generosity will not succumb to human jealousy. 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. The Lord, while thoroughly proving that He forgot nothing, owned everything that was of grace in Peter or the rest, while opening the same door to "every one" who forsakes nature for His name's sake, solemnly adds, "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." To the end the events are put together, just as in Matthew 8:1-34, without regard to the point of time when they occurred. But the Lord could not send her away without a blessing, and without a blessing reaching to His own glory. (d) T. Hieros. In view of the context, the 12 disciples correspond to the workers hired at the beginning of the day, the beginning of Jesus public ministry. Any worker was welcome, even if he could give only an hour to the work. Sometimes those that are converted later in their lives, outstrip those that are converted earlier. 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. First, The general pay (Matthew 20:9; Matthew 20:10); They received every man a penny. When He reaches the house, minstrels were there, and people, making a noise: the expression, if of woe, certainly of impotent despair. "In God's economy," as someone has said, "there is no such thing as a most favoured nation clause." 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. When he had come to an agreement with them that they would work for 4 pence a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Their expectation was so focused on Jesus establishing an immediate political kingdom, and these words from Jesus were so contrary to that anticipation, these words just went over their heads. 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. This parable taught him that God would give him a just reward for his sacrificial labor for Jesus. Note, It is good for us often to consider what it was that we agreed with God for. He said, "Call those fellows to me." It was the creature doing his best, yet proving that he loved the creature more than the Creator. IfPsalms 8:1-9; Psalms 8:1-9 goes farther, surely that was for the Son of man, who for the suffering of death was exalted. In the Christian Church seniority does not necessarily mean honour. Thus the great tree and the leavened mass are in fact the two sides of Christendom. . In a sense, everybody is called to recognize God through the natural world, but the word "chosen" shows that God must personally rescue us from our self-centered blindness. Laborers in the Vineyard. vii. What do you want Me to do for you? All shall reach heaven, and all shall receive what I promise to the faithful. 1. A Roman coin was once found with the picture of an ox on it; the ox was facing two things--an altar and a plough; and the inscription read: "Ready for either." Jesus emphasized that both the calling and the choosing of God is based on His grace especially His choosing. Oh, what a heart is ours! a. It doesn't mean someone who is to be looked up to, and someone who is to be catered to, and someone who is to be bowed to, and all of this kind of stuff, and do special favors because he is the minister. He said to them, 'Go you also into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' He was going to build His Church "upon this rock" Himself, the Son of God. Thus shall every mouth be stopped, and all flesh be silent before God. 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. And they joined the crowd following Him on up to Jerusalem.Remember at this point the heart of Jesus is very heavy, because He knows that He soon is going to be betrayed, mocked, scourged, crucified. It shows us his kindness. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Taken together, the entire picture is one of great suffering. The question was not who or what came in the way; whoever appealed to Him, there He was for them. It is a just prefiguration of what will be in the close of the age the mass of the unbelieving Jews, now impure, but then also given up to the devil, and so to evident perdition. 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. But I see no sufficient reason to refuse the impression that John found it hard to reconcile his continued imprisonment with a present Messiah; nor do I discern a sound judgment of the case, or a profound knowledge of the heart, in those who thus raise doubts as to John's sincerity, any more than they appear to me to exalt the character of this honoured man of God, by supposing him to play a part which really belonged to others. He had no reason to envy his fellow servant, or to grudge at him; or to be angry that he came into the vineyard no sooner; for he was not sooner called; he had no reason to be angry that the master had given him wages for the whole day, when he had idled away the greatest part of it; for Is thine eye evil, because I am good? b. a. Accordingly, notice that, in the manner in which the Holy Ghost introduces it, there is no statement of time whatever. What feelings at such a time! Though primitive Christianity had more of the purity and power of that holy religion than is to be found in the degenerate age wherein we live, yet what labourers may be sent into the vineyard in the eleventh hour of the church's day, in the Philadelphian period, and what plentiful effusions of the Spirit may then be, above what has been yet, who can tell? [6.] Here again is found a fresh case of the same remarkable principle of selection of events to form a complete picture, which I have maintained to be the true key of all. 33), it is added, "And with many such parables spake He the word unto them . Now if you go back to the last verse of the previous chapter, you'll find this same statement. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. He is there with the beggars. ], "Any union leader worth their salt would protest at such employment practices. These words of Jesus gave rise to an old and complicated theological question: to whom did Jesus pay the ransom? The axiom of this verse and of chapter nineteen, verse 30, sets the tone for Jesus entire ministry and the church. (Matthew 20:32-34) Jesus heals the two blind men. The landowner asked if they were jealous because the landowner was generous to other people. The power of divine grace is magnified in the conversion of some, when they are in the midst of their pleasures and worldly pursuits, as Paul. All turns on that which was suitable to such a God, the giver of His own Son. So the last shall be first, and the first last. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Basically what He is teaching is that as we serve the Lord in His vineyard, that what really counts is the fact the Lord sent me. The New Testament Pauline Epistles The impression is that the landowner was surprised to find people idle, because he had plenty of work to give them. (Matthew 20:11-15) The complaint of the early workers. But Jesus called them unto him, and he said, You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. Luke-Acts Major Prophets What could be said of her intelligence then? A man is not a Christian if his first concern is pay. If I am faithful for an hour, if I am faithful for twelve hours, it is my faithfulness to the service to which the Lord has sent me.Now a lot of times we think that men like Billy Graham will surely receive the greatest rewards in heaven, because look at the tremendous fruit of his ministry. Ingratitude is the ugliest of all sins. And so with the other conversation: "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father;" it was after the glory of Christ had been witnessed on the holy mount, when man's selfishness of heart showed itself in contrast to the grace of God. And he said unto them, You shall indeed drink of my cup ( Matthew 20:23 ). PREVIOUS Matthew 20:15 NEXT Matthew 20:17. A man came there first thing in the morning, carrying his tools, and waited until someone hired him. New International Version (NIV). Matthew 20. In the eighth chapter of Matthew as it tells of them bringing all of their sick and those who were diseased to Jesus, and He healed them, every one, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying, "He in His own body bore our sufferings." Drinking of that cup. As the elder brother, in the parable of the prodigal, repined at the reception of his younger brother, and complained of his father's generosity to him; so these labourers quarrelled with their master, and found fault, not because they had not enough, so much as because others were made equal with them. Evidently it is the change of dispensation that is in question and at hand, the cutting off of the fleshly seed for their unbelief, and the bringing in of numerous believers in the name of the Lord from among the Gentiles. "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David!" Thirdly, Others are hired into the vineyard in old age, at the eleventh hour, when the day of life is far spent, and there is but one hour of the twelve remaining. If I assume from the words "set forth in order," in the beginning of Luke's gospel, that therefore his is the chronological account, it will only lead me into confusion, both as to Luke and the other gospels; for proofs abound that the order of Luke, most methodical as he is, is by no means absolutely that of time. He was ignorant of himself, because ignorant of God, and imagined that it was only a question of man's doing good for God. In immediate juxtaposition to this stands the Gentile centurion, who seeks healing for his servant. General Epistles What Jesus Did! he said. And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. Jesus was passing by. In the next discourse we may hope to have the rest of his gospel. And they said unto him, We're able ( Matthew 20:22 ). Now he started out at about six o'clock in the morning, and hired these men who were standing in the marketplace to go out and work in his vineyard. Now according to the historians, this scourging was such an awful taxing thing upon the person that many people never made it to the cross. The true disciple is motivated by love not lust. And so they didn't really remember that He said He was going to rise the third day, until after the resurrection. What He was introducing could not mix with Judaism. . "The parable is emphasizing a right attitude in service." II. And they no doubt led these two blind men to Jesus. This came out most blessedly through the disciples. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. They said to him, "We can." God could not be limited by a question of place; His word was enough. (Matthew 20:20-21) The mother of James and John asks for a place of special status for her sons.
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