CHAPTER 20

(A.D. 33)

THE PARABLE OF THE LABORERS

¹For the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man who is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard (a Parable in effect, Jesus is answering Peters question, what shall we have therefore?, the primary lesson that we will learn is that reward of the Kingdom is not of debt, but of Grace).

²And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day (about forty dollars a day in our present money), he sent them into his vineyard.

³And he went out about the third hour (9 a.m. in the morning), and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

⁴And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way (they left the amount of payment up to the householder).

⁵Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour (12 oclock noon and 3 p.m. in the afternoon), and did likewise.

⁶And about the eleventh hour (5 oclock in the afternoon) he went out, and found others standing idle, and said unto them, Why stand you here all the day idle?

⁷They say unto him, Because no man has hired us. He said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive (they as well, took him at his word).

⁸So when evening was come (about 6 p.m.), the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first (the ones hired last were to be paid first, with the ones hired first being paid last).

⁹And when they came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny (about forty dollars for the one hours work).

¹⁰But when the first came (the first ones hired), they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny (forty dollars).

¹¹And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

¹²Saying, These last have wrought (worked) but one hour, and you have made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

¹³But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do you no wrong: did not you agree with me for a penny?

¹⁴Take that which is yours, and go your way: I will give unto this last, even as unto you (our Lord is teaching Grace here, which means that we do not obtain Salvation from Him by merit, but as well, it speaks of Israel and the Church; the Church although last, will receive just as much as Israel, who was first).

¹⁵Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is your eye evil, because I am good? (No man has the right to make a claim on God because of merit. It must all be by Faith in Christ and the Cross [Rom. 3:20-31].)

¹⁶So the last shall be first, and the first last (the Church was chosen last, but will be first, because Israel which was chosen first, rejected the Lord): for many be called, but few chosen (many are called, but only a few choose to heed the call).

JESUS AGAIN FORETELLS HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION

¹⁷And Jesus going up to Jerusalem (when and where He would be Crucified) took the twelve Disciples apart in the way (privately), and said unto them,

¹⁸Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man shall be betrayed unto the Chief Priests and unto the Scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death,

¹⁹And shall deliver Him to the Gentiles (the Romans) to mock, and to scourge (to beat Him), and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise again (both the Jews and the Gentiles condemned Christ).

THE MOTHER OF JAMES AND JOHN

²⁰Then came to Him the mother of Zebedees children (Salome) with her sons (James and John), worshipping Him, and desiring a certain thing of Him (the fourth prediction of the Crucifixion failed like that of 17:22-23 to displace in the hearts of the Disciples self-interest and self-importance).

²¹And He said unto her, What do you want? She said unto Him, Grant that these my two sons (James and John) may sit, the one on your right hand, and the other on the left, in Your Kingdom (we see here the first signs of politics in the Church).

²²But Jesus answered and said, You know not what you ask (unless the Holy Spirit enlightens the heart, the clearest spiritual teaching has neither meaning nor power; this fact humbles mans pride). Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of (the cup of suffering), and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? (This is the baptism thats of suffering. The Cross will illicit opposition from both the Church and the world, but more so from the Church.) They say unto Him, We are able (they did not know what they were saying; they were thinking of thrones in glory, and definitely not of suffering).

²³And He said unto them, you shall drink indeed of My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with (every true Christian will suffer the indignities of the Cross; if not, they arent living and preaching the Cross, which means they are not living and preaching the Gospel): but to sit on My right hand, and on My left, is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of My Father (positions in the Kingdom of the Son were planned by the Father, and the Son, and the Unity of the Godhead, would only give such positions to those to whom the Father had determined to grant them).

²⁴And when the ten (remaining Disciples) heard it (heard what was requested by Salome), they were moved with indignation (they wanted the positions themselves) against the two brethren (James and John).

²⁵But Jesus called them (all twelve) unto Him, and said, you know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they who are great exercise authority upon them (worldly greatness, which is the opposite of spiritual greatness).

²⁶But it shall not be so among you (the Believer is not to aspire to worldly greatness): but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister (servant);

²⁷And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant (one giving himself wholly to anothers will, at least that which is scriptural):

²⁸Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto (not to have servants wait on him), but to minister (to serve others), and to give His life a ransom for many (which He did on the Cross).

JESUS HEALS TWO BLIND MEN

²⁹And as they departed from Jericho (the only time He went to Jericho of which we are aware), a great multitude followed Him (Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem).

³⁰And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou Son of David (Bartimaeus was one of these men; both were healed).

³¹And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace (demanded that they be quiet): but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou Son of David (this designation recognized Christ as the Messiah).

³²And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will you that I shall do unto you?

³³They say unto Him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

³⁴So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him (two blind men are mentioned by Matthew in keeping with his Gospel; they represent the Hebrew nation in its two divisions of Israel and Judah; and their receiving sight illustrates and predicts the light that will shine upon the nation in the future day, when the Son of David will make His grand entrance into Jerusalem at the Second Coming).