Mateus 20
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 20
Spurgeon - The kingdom of heaven, is all of grace, and so is the service connected with it. Let it be remembered in the exposition of this parable. The call to work, the ability, and the reward, are all on the principle of grace, and not upon that of merit. This was no common man that is a householder, and his going out to hire laborers into his vineyards was not after the usual manner of men, for they will have a full day’s work for a full day’s wage. This householder considered the laborers rather than himself. He was up before the dew was gone from the grass, and found laborers, and sent them into his vineyard. It was a choice privilege to be allowed to begin holy service so early in the morning. They agreed with the householder, and went to work on his terms. They might well be content, since they were promised a full day’s hire, and were sure to get it: a penny a day represented the usual and accepted wage. The householder and the laborers agreed upon the amount; and this is the point which has to be noted further on. Young believers have a blessed prospect: they may well be happy to do good work, in a good place, for good Master, and on good terms. Matthew Henry Concise - Mt 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. The parable may also be applied more generally, and shows, 1. That God is debtor to no man. 2. That many who begin last, and promise little in religion, sometimes, by the blessing of God, arrive at a great deal of knowledge, grace, and usefulness. 3. That the recompense of reward will be given to the saints, but not according to the time of their conversion. It describes the state of the visible church, and explains the declaration that the last shall be first, and the first last, in its various references. Till we are hired into the service of God, we are standing all the day idle: a sinful state, though a state of drudgery to Satan, may be called a state of idleness. The market-place is the world, and from that we are called by the gospel. Come, come from this market-place. Work for God will not admit of trifling. A man may go idle to hell, but he that will go to heaven, must be diligent. The Roman penny was sevenpence halfpenny in our money, wages then enough for the day's support. This does not prove that the reward of our obedience to God is of works, or of debt; when we have done all, we are unprofitable servants; but it signifies that there is a reward set before us, yet let none, upon this presumption, put off repentance till they are old. Some were sent into the vineyard at the eleventh hour; but nobody had hired them before. The Gentiles came in at the eleventh hour; the gospel had not been before preached to them. Those that have had gospel offers made them at the third or sixth hour, and have refused them, will not have to say at the eleventh hour, as these had, No man has hired us. Therefore, not to discourage any, but to awaken all, be it remembered, that now is the accepted time. The riches of Divine grace are loudly murmured at, among proud Pharisees and nominal Christians. There is great proneness in us to think that we have too little, and others too much of the tokens of God's favour; and that we do too much, and others too little in the work of God. But if God gives grace to others, it is kindness to them, and no injustice to us. Carnal worldlings agree with God for their penny in this world; and choose their portion in this life. Obedient believers agree with God for their penny in the other world, and must remember they have so agreed. Didst not thou agree to take up with heaven as thy portion, thy all; wilt thou seek for happiness in the creature? God punishes none more than they deserve, and recompenses every service done for him; he therefore does no wrong to any, by showing extraordinary grace to some. See here the nature of envy. It is an evil eye, which is displeased at the good of others, and desires their hurt. It is a grief to ourselves, displeasing to God, and hurtful to our neighbours: it is a sin that has neither pleasure, profit, nor honour. Let us forego every proud claim, and seek for salvation as a free gift. Let us never envy or grudge, but rejoice and praise God for his mercy to others as well as to ourselves. CHRIST’S CALL TO SERVICE Matthew 20:1–16 Croft Pentz Nothing hurts God’s work more than complaining people. It’s alarming to see many Christian people complaining. The most happy people are contented people. Whatever you do, be faithful, doing it with all your might, and He will reward you for it. 1. THE CALL—vv. 1–7 2. THE COMPENSATION—vv. 8–10 3. THE COMPLAINT—vv. 11–16 God calls all men to work for Him. Some are called to be pastors, missionaries or Bible college teachers. Others are called to be Sunday school teachers, or church leaders. All are called to pray and witness. Posts from John MacArthur related to the Parable of the Vineyard Is Grace Fair? - excerpt. We all love to be on the receiving end of a good deal—at least until someone else finds a better one. The perception of inequality and unfairness fosters bitterness, envy, and resentment—attitudes that the flesh thrives on, even among believers. And one of Christ’s parables plays to the heart of that inclination. The parable of the vineyard (Matthew 20:1–15) defies most popular concepts of justice and fairness. Christ’s story introduces us to a “landowner” who refused to pay his workers proportionately for the labor they had performed on his farm. The Point of the Parable of the Vineyard - excerpt The proverb is also something of a riddle. What does it mean? It’s not saying precisely the same thing as Mark 9:35: “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Or Mark 10:43–44: “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.” Those verses elevate humility and self-sacrifice. Those are imperatives: commands instructing us to be humble servants rather than seeking prominence and power. But the proverb that goes with this parable is an indicative, a simple statement of fact: “The last shall be first, and the first last.” What does that mean, and how would it work? In a foot race, for example, the only way for the last to be first and the first to be last is for everyone to finish simultaneously. If everyone crosses the finish line at exactly the same instant, the first are last and the last are first. Everyone ends in a dead heat. That, of course, is precisely the point Jesus was making in the parable. Those hired first and those hired last all got exactly the same pay. All of them, from the first to the last, got the full benefit of the landowner’s generosity, in equal shares. What spiritual lesson is woven into that story? The lesson is actually quite simple: the story is a precise picture of God’s sovereign, saving grace. Since sinners are all unworthy, and the riches of God’s grace are inexhaustible, all believers receive an infinite and eternal share of His mercy and kindness, though no one really deserves it. The Purpose of the Parable of the Vineyard - excerpt Christ’s parables were never delivered in a vacuum. They were always provoked by the circumstances, discussions, and debates that surrounded Him. That kind of contextual background information is especially critical concerning the parable of the vineyard (Matthew 20:1–15). While the story itself delivers a profound lesson about the grace of God, we don’t feel the full weight of Christ’s words until we consider their immediate context. The Principles of the Parable of the Vineyard - excerpt The parable teaches, first of all, that salvation is not earned. Eternal life is a gift that God gives purely by grace according to His sovereign will. But the parable’s most obvious lesson is that God gives the same abundant grace to everyone who follows Christ. Tax collectors, harlots, beggars, and blind people will share in the same eternal life as those who have served God all their lives; those who have preached the gospel to thousands; and those who were martyred for Christ. Thankfully, He does not give any believer what we truly deserve. Norman Geisler - - When Critics Ask MATTHEW 20:1ff—Are rewards the same for all, or do they differ in degree? PROBLEM: Jesus told a parable of His kingdom in which each servant got the same pay even though each had worked a different number of hours. Yet in other places, the Bible speaks of different degrees of reward for working in God’s kingdom (cf. 1 Cor. 3:11–15; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 22:12). SOLUTION: There are different degrees of reward in heaven, depending on our faithfulness to Christ on earth. Jesus said, “I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Rev. 22:12+). Paul said each believer’s work will be tried by fire and “if anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward” (1 Cor. 3:14). In 2 Corinthians 5, he says we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ “that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (v. 10, emphasis added). The point of the parable in Matthew 20 is not that all rewards will be the same, but that all rewards are by grace. It is to show that God rewards on the basis of opportunity, not simply on accomplishment. Not all the servants had the opportunity to work for the master the same amount of time, but all, nevertheless, were given the same pay. God looks at our disposition as well as our actions and judges accordingly. Norman Geisler - When Cultists Ask - MATTHEW 20:1–16—Are rewards the same for all, or do they differ in degree? MISINTERPRETATION: Jesus told a parable of his kingdom in which each servant got the same pay even though each had worked a different number of hours. Yet in other places, the Bible speaks of different degrees of reward for working in God’s kingdom (cf. 1 Cor. 3:11–15; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 22:12). Mormons sometimes set up a straw man to knock down, alleging that Christians wrongly believe that “all who go to heaven share and share alike” (Richards, 1978, 253). Does Christianity teach that in the afterlife there will be different degrees of reward? CORRECTING THE MISINTERPRETATION: There are different degrees of reward in heaven, depending on our faithfulness to Christ on earth. Jesus said, “I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done” (Rev. 22:12 NASB). Paul said each believer’s work will be tried by fire and “if anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward” (1 Cor. 3:14). In 2 Corinthians 5:10, he says we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ “that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (NASB). The point of the parable in Matthew 20 is not that all rewards will be the same, but that all rewards are by grace. It is to show that God rewards on the basis of opportunity, not simply on accomplishment. Not all the servants had the opportunity to work for the master the same amount of time, but all, nevertheless, were given the same pay. God looks at our disposition as well as our actions and judges accordingly James Smith - THE LABOURERS; OR, LESSONS FOR CHRISTIAN WORKERS Matthew 20:1–16 Those who leave all for Jesus will find their all in Jesus (chap. 19:27). Peter said, “What shall we have therefore? Seeing we have left so much, how much shall we get?” This savours too much of the language of the mere hireling. To labour only for reward is a mean motive for serving Christ. To correct this grovelling spirit, and to enlighten the darkness that fosters it, this parable seems to have been given. Notice— I. Some Things about the Labourers. The— 1. PLACE OF LABOUR. “His vineyard” (v. 1). This is the place where much patient labour is urgently needed, or much fruit will be lost. Those who labour among the trailing vines must be careful about their walk. The tender grapes must be gently handled. To gather fruit for Christ the gentleness of Jesus is needed. Note, further, that every labourer in the vineyard must have the Master’s call. 2. HIRING OF THE LABOURERS. This was done at five different times. Look at it dispensationally, “early in the morning” (v. 1) may represent from Adam to Noah, the third hour from Noah to Moses, the sixth hour from Moses to David, the ninth hour from David to Christ, the eleventh the present, till He comes again. Or it may suggest the various stages of life from youth to old age. How few are found at the eleventh hour, but even then the full reward of eternal life is given to all who believe and obey. 3. REWARDING OF THE LABOURERS. “Call and give them their hire.” Every one called to labour shall be called to their reward, “beginning at the last.” The most hopeless at the eleventh hour becomes the most hopeful in the evening. Here grace reigns. Labour on. Idlers in the market-place are less responsible than idlers in the vineyard. 4. DISSATISFACTION OF THE LABOURERS. “The first supposed that they should have received more.” These find their counterpart in the “elder brother” mentioned in Luke 15; those hired at the eleventh hour in the prodigal son. We cannot anticipate disappointment in Heaven; but are there not many on earth who grudge the chief of sinners an equal share of the grace of God with themselves? II. Some Things about the Master. Here observe His— 1. JUSTICE. “Friend, I do thee no wrong” (v. 13). The selfish servant cannot understand the grace of Christ. Those who labour only for wages cannot enjoy the favour of God. If we knew Him better, we would murmur less at His doings. “I have not the gifts of So-and-so.” “Friend, I do thee no wrong.” 2. FAITHFULNESS. “Didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take that is thine” (v. 14). He gave all that He promised. The penny seems to have been their own terms; the others went on His terms, “Whatsoever is right I will give you,” and had no desire to grumble. Trust His grace, and you will have good cause to praise and rejoice. 3. SOVEREIGNTY. “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own?” (v. 15). What unhallowed feelings arise in our hearts when we see a brother or a sister, with scarcely any experience—just an hour in the vineyard—being more honoured of the Master than we are, who have borne the burden and heat of the scorching drought. So it seemeth good in Thy sight. 4. JUDGMENT. “Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” (v. 15). The evil eye can see but little good in the grace of Christ. “An evil eye makes a darkened body” (Matt. 6:23). It contrasts badly with the unmerited goodness of the Master. Our thoughts at the best come far short of the exceeding riches of His grace. Lord, give us the single eye to Thy glory. The last will be first, and the first will be last. - Matthew 20:16 TODAY IN THE WORD Today’s parable is a difficult one. We live in a society where this landowner’s behavior would make headlines: “Workers Vow to Fight Unjust Hiring Practices.” The first group of workers might get together and picket the vineyard. They might try to negotiate a better package of pay and benefits for themselves. After all, they have “rights”! Something strikes us as not quite equitable about the wage scale in this vineyard. How can it be “fair” to pay the Johnny-come-latelies as much as those who’ve toiled all day? What does Jesus mean by telling this strange story? A question to start with is: What does He not mean? Answering this question is also a key issue in interpretation. This parable is not about economic justice, or even about spiritual rewards. Instead, its main point is the sovereignty of God. This is as important as His love, which we’ve seen highlighted these past few days. Just as the vineyard owner has every right to pay every worker a full day’s wages if he wishes, so God has every right to run His kingdom as He pleases, to carry out His plan of salvation as He sees fit. God is the ruler of the universe, and there are no constraints on His actions. We have no right to question Him (cf. Isa. 45:5-11). But God’s grace and generosity are still an important part of this parable. No worker is treated unjustly. The owner keeps all the promises he’s made. The “inequity” is that most of the workers get more than they deserve! Indeed, the last wave seems to get hired not because the owner needs more workers, but just to give them employment. The first workers are self-centered and envious. They demand what they perceive as their “just reward,” though their understanding of justice is inaccurate. In both the older brother in yesterday’s parable and these workers today, Jesus probably symbolized the Jewish religious leaders who opposed Him. TODAY ALONG THE WAY As you probably know, we occasionally like to suggest topics for additional Bible study, in hopes that Today in the Word can be a springboard for you. Today, we’re proposing “eternal rewards” as an excellent choice for such a study. What rewards does Scripture mention? How are they earned? What are godly motivations regarding rewards Theocratic Kingdom—The phrases “Kingdom of Heaven,” “Kingdom of God,” “Kingdom of Christ,” etc., denote the same Kingdom It has already been shown (Props. 20–23, etc.) how the Jews understood and employed these phrases, and how the first preachers adopted them. Obs. 1. Now attention is called to the fact that they are used as synonymous in the New Testament What Matthew pronounces “the Kingdom of heaven,” is said by Mark, Luke, and John to be “the Kingdom of God,” as e.g. comp. Matthew 5:3, with Luke 6:20, and Matthew 13:11 with Mark 4:11. So also “the Kingdom of God” is designated Christ’s Kingdom, as e.g. comp. Matthew 16:28 with Luke 9:27, Mark 9:1, etc. So also “the Father’s Kingdom” and Christ’s are represented as identical. Comp. e.g. Matthew 13:41–43 with Ephesians 5:5, and Matthew 26:29 with II Peter 1:11, etc., and Prop. 83. In reference to the usage of those phrases, comp. Props. 22 and 23, and the note by Dr. Craven in Lange’s Com. Revelation, p. 93. Obs. 2. These phrases thus interchangeably employed to denote the one Kingdom (Prop. 35) were understood to mean the Davidic Kingdom restored, as e.g. Acts 1:6, Matthew 20:21, Acts 15:16, Luke 1:32, etc. (comp. Props. 19–23). This has been so frankly admitted by our opponents (as e.g. Dr. Campbell, Knapp, Neander, etc.) that more need not be added, leaving our argument to bring in the additional proof. On every side do we find this testimony, given, too, without any thought of its bearing on the subject. Thus e.g. Farrar (Life of Christ, vol. 1, p. 22) informs us that “waiting for the Consolation of Israel “is equivalent to Mark 15:43, “waiting for the Kingdom of God,” and that among the Jews a prayer for the coming of the Messiah was, “may I see the Consolation of Israel.” The Messiah and the Kingdom were united. We merely suggest that in addition to the meanings and derivation usually given to the phrase used by Matthew, “the Kingdom of heaven” (viz.: that the God of heaven gives it to the Christ, that through it the Father’s will is manifested, that heavenly principles, etc., are exhibited, etc.), may there not, in the employment of the plural form, “heavenlies,” be an allusion to the peculiar form of government (Theocratical) under chosen. heavenly rulers (comp. Prop. 154). Dr. Meyer (Com. on Matthew 3:2) says: “It is called the Messianic Kingdom, not because the words ‘of the heavens’ express God, but because this Kingdom is conceived as descending from heaven and entering the world, Galatians 4:26.” This idea may (comp. Revelation 19:11–16 and 21:2, etc.) indeed be included, but it does not exclude the old Jewish notion derived from Daniel, or the one just stated. It may include them all, making it the more expressive. Obs. 3. In addition to the abundant testimony already adduced, that they were regarded as denoting the same Kingdom, and that the restored Theocracy, as existing under David, we add a few more. Nast (Com. on Matthew 11:1–6), allowing the Church-Kingdom theory as correct, frankly says: “Though John the Baptist, Zecharias, and those other Israelites who waited for ‘the Consolation of Israel,’ expected the Messiah to establish a spiritual Kingdom, a reign of righteousness, they connected, nevertheless, with it, the idea of a visible, terrestrial Kingdom, that he would literally sit on David’s throne, and extend His reign from the river to the ends of the earth.” Doddrige (Com. Matthew 3:2), cordially adopting the Church-Kingdom idea as intended by the phrase, says: “It is plain that the Jews understood it of a temporal monarchy, which God would erect; the Beat of which, they supposed, would be Jerusalem, which would become, instead of Rome, the capital of the world. And the expected Sovereign of this Kingdom they learned from Daniel to call ‘the Son of Man’” (Were the Jews mistaken? Comp. Props. 19–23 and 31–35). Fairbairn (Herm. Manual, p. 41–43) tells us that the phrase, “points back to those prophecies of the Old Testament, in which promise was made of a King and Kingdom, that should unite heaven and earth in another way than could be done by a merely human administration,” etc., which we cordially receive as true, remarking, however, that the plain Theocratical meaning contained in the grammatical sense (which he carefully avoids), as held by the Jews, by the disciples and apostles, introduces just such a union of heaven and earth (as e.g. God in Jesus condescending to reign as earthly Ruler, etc.) as he advocates. Our entire argument thus far conclusively proves that all these phrases do not denote separate things (as e.g. intimated by Lange, Com. Matthew, p. 73), or are given (so Fleck, quoted by Lange) “in order to distinguish the Christian Kingdom of God more fully from the Jewish Theocracy,” but the restored Theocracy, as covenanted and predicted under the Messiah. They were applied to a definite, well-known Kingdom, viz.: the Theocratic-Davidic. But able writers, wedded to the spiritual Church-Kingdom theory, can see nothing in the phrase but another and differing Kingdom, viz.: the Church regarded as militant and triumphant. Thus, to illustrate how confidently they appeal to its simplicity in their teaching, we refer to Gregory (Four Gospels, p. 146), who, speaking of “the Kingdom of heaven,” and that Matthew by its use intended to correct false Jewish views (when Acts 1:6, he still held them), confidently asserts: “The phrase clearly expresses the idea that it is a Kingdom distinct from all these kingdoms of this world after which the Jew had fashioned his idea of the Messiah’s dominion. Its origin is in the heavens, where God dwells; its throne, the seat of the King, is there; its highest present and prospective glories are there. This simple phrase taught that the Kingdom of the Messiah was to be a spiritual and heavenly Kingdom, unlike the old Theocracy with its temple and throne in Jerusalem; unlike the magnificent empire patterned after Rome, which the worldly Jew was dreaming of; wholly unlike the temporal empire of the Papacy long after established.” Here is a tissue of assumptions: (1) It ignores the fact that it was a Jewish phrase, adopted without explanation by Matthew, and that it could not possibly convey the idea assumed, being definitely used to designate the restored Davidic Kingdom and its extent, etc., as given by Daniel; (2) it engrafts upon it a modern notion, which the Jews never entertained, being bound by the plain covenant and prophetical language which locates the Kingdom, not in heaven but on the earth; (3) he assumes that the phrase is so clearly full of his doctrine that it ought to have taught the Jew such a view, when the facts are just the reverse, viz.: that its usage fortified them and the disciples (including Matthew) in believing that it unmistakably taught the restoration of the downfallen Theocracy, which was—as we have shown—a Kingdom of God and of heaven; (4) its simplicity of teaching established and confirmed the almost universal Pre-Millenarianism of the early Church and its connected doctrine of the Kingdom—a position just directly opposite to that which Gregory finds in the “simple phrase,” and which Shedd (His. of Doc, p. 291) calls a peculiarity of the Jewish-Christian.” QUESTION - What is the meaning of the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard? ANSWER - This lengthy parable is found only in the gospel of Matthew. Jesus tells the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) in response to Peter’s question in Matthew 19:27: "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Peter wanted to know what reward would be given to those who give up everything to follow Jesus. In response, Jesus explains this truth about the kingdom of heaven. Planting, maintaining and harvesting vineyards in first-century Israel was strenuous work requiring hard physical labor in the heat of summer. Often, additional laborers were required to get all the work done. The owner of this particular vineyard went to the marketplace at the first hour of the morning (6:00 a.m.) to find workers for the day. His offered wage of one denarius, a Roman’s soldier’s pay for a day, was generous indeed. The workers in the first group were more than happy to work for the generous wage. As the day progressed and more workers were hired, the specific wage was not mentioned, but the landowner promised to pay “whatever is right.” Apparently, the workers were sufficiently confident of the landowner’s character that they trusted him at his word. Altogether, four groups of workers were hired, the last group just one hour before the end of the day. When the time came for the wages to be paid, the first group of workers saw the last group being paid a denarius and were naturally thinking they would be paid more since they had worked the longest. Their anger against the landowner spilled forth when they saw they would all be paid the same, even though they got exactly what they had agreed upon when they were hired. The landowner was forced to defend his actions to the first group, even though he had dealt with them in perfect fairness according to the contract. The landowner, whose decision to pay all the workers the same was an act of mercy—not injustice—represents God, whose grace and mercy are shed abundantly upon those of His choosing. “For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Romans 9:15-16). In the matter of salvation, His grace and mercy are given to those whose self-righteous works could never obtain it. We are all sinful and “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), but His grace is sufficient to redeem all who believe. Whether God calls someone early or late in life to partake of His grace, the glory and praise for our salvation is His and His alone and in no way amounts to unfairness. Just as the landowner has a right to do what he wishes with his own money, so does God have the right to have mercy on whom He will have mercy. The first group of workers in the vineyard resented receiving the same wage as the last group. Their attitude was similar to that of the Pharisees, who were incensed at Jesus’ teaching that others could inherit a heavenly kingdom they thought was reserved for them alone. They despised Jesus for offering the kingdom to poor, oppressed, weak sinners whom He made equal to them. In verse 15, the landowner asks, “Is your eye evil because I am good?” The “evil eye” was a Hebrew expression referring to jealousy and envy. God’s goodness and mercy produced in the self-righteous Pharisees the evil eye of envy. The rest of the workers received their wages without complaint or envy of others. In the same way, as Christians, we should rejoice when others come to the Savior, as we should rejoice in the service others render to Him. He is faithful to reward us for our service as He has promised, and how He rewards others should be of no consequence to us, nor should it affect our devotion to Him. The message in verse 16, “the last will be first, and the first last,” is that no matter how long or how hard a believer works during his lifetime, the reward of eternal life will be the same given to all—an eternity of bliss in heaven in the presence of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43), whose life of service was limited to a moment of repentance and confession of faith in Christ, received the same reward of eternal life as the apostle Paul. Of course, Scripture also teaches that there are different rewards in heaven for different services, but the ultimate reward of eternal life will be achieved by all equally. LABORERS IN THE VINEYARD Matthew 20:1–16 - Croft Pentz This parable speaks of justice versus faith. At times things happen in our lives that seem unjust. But God allows this for a reason—He is working for our good (Rom. 8:28). Don’t worry about justice; God is always fair. I. The Workers in This Parable—vv. 1–7 A. The natural truth. Five times the man went to get workers for his farm or vineyard—6:00 A.M., 9:00 A.M., 12:00 noon, 3:00 P.M., and 5:00 P.M. The Living Bible says he promised to pay them each $20. B. The spiritual truth. God needs workers in His vineyard. 1. Reason for working a) The call—John 15:16. God, Himself, is calling us to work for Him. b) The command—Mark 16:15. Jesus’ last sermon. c) The commission—Luke 14:23. Don’t give up. d) The compassion—Matt. 9:36; Exod. 32:32. 2. Rejection of working. Why people reject God’s call and refuse to witness: a) Lack of vision—Prov. 29:18; 2 Cor. 4:4. b) Lack of victory—living a defeated life. c) Lack of virtue—not bearing the fruit of God’s Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23). II. The Problem in This Parable—vv. 8–12 A. The compensation—vv. 8–9. Everyone was paid. Christians will be rewarded by God’s standards (1 Cor. 3:8; 2 Cor. 9:6; Matt. 6:20–21). B. The complaint—vv. 10–12. Those working the whole day received the same as those working part time. They agreed to these wages (see Matt. 16:27; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 22:17). III. The Wages in This Parable—vv. 13–16 A. Promise—v. 13. They agreed to a certain wage—v. 2. What other people are paid is not our concern. B. Pay—v. 14. He paid what he had promised. God will be just to: (a) the sinner—Rev. 20:11–15, (b) the Christian—2 Cor. 5:10. C. Power—v. 15. The owner could do with his money what he wanted. God’s way is different than ours—Isa. 55:8. D. Promise—v. 16. We could translate this verse to mean, “Those who are forgotten on earth will be rewarded in heaven.” Let God do the judging and rewarding. He knows better than we. He will be fair and just. The Christian has no reason to complain at his treatment. Did Jesus complain? Did Paul—or the other disciples? They suffered much, but they accepted God’s will. Complaining is the first step in backsliding. Complaining about what comes into your life is questioning God’s will for you. Charles Wood - A Strange, Soul-Searching Story Matthew 20:1–16 Introduction: Most parables are fairly simple to interpret and straightforward to apply. There are two exceptions to this, and this story is one of them. Here’s a strange story, difficult to interpret but soul-searching. I. The Strange Story A. Day laborer concept 1. This is somewhat uncommon today 2. This was routine and regular then B. Several groups were hired 1. The first and last groups are most important 2. We have little detail on the others C. A time of reckoning 1. The owner took groups in reverse order deliberately 2. He forced the first group to see what the last group got D. Remuneration 1. The last group got what the first group was promised 2. The first group got what it was promised E. Remonstrance 1. The first group was incensed by its treatment 2. They got their reward, but they effectually lost it II. The Interpretation of the Story A. Proper interpretation—go back and pick up the context 1. The story of rich young ruler 2. This precipitated Peter’s question 3. This parable is designed to answer errors in Peter’s question B. The errors of Peter 1. “This man went away; we didn’t. Aren’t we the good guys?”—this is a matter of pride 2. “This man went away; we didn’t. What’s in it for us?”—this demonstrates serving the Lord with a mercenary spirit 3. “This man went away. He doesn’t deserve anything.”—this demonstrates a tendency to look at others, etc. C. The correction of the errors 1. The ones who were there all day lose much through a bad spirit 2. The ones who served all day got what was agreed upon 3. The ones who served actually “lost their reward” in their concern with what others got (actually envy here) III. The Soul-Searching of the Story—Beware of: A. Pride 1. It isn’t how lucky He is that we serve—it is how incredible that He would allow us to serve 2. Pride always makes us think we are better than we are B. A mercenary spirit 1. Danger: don’t serve with a “what’s in it for me?” spirit 2. They got what was agreed upon 3. We get what was agreed upon—eternal life, indwelling Spirit, supply of need, tribulation, persecution, etc. C. Invidious comparisons 1. What anyone else gets is really none of your business 2. What anyone else does is also none of your business 3. We need to look to ourselves and our relationship with the Lord Conclusion: Peter watched the exchange with the rich young ruler, reflected on that exchange, and drew some wrong conclusions. Christ corrected Peter and gave us information. The basic teaching of the parable? Watch your attitude in serving the Lord. Don’t pride yourself on being better than others. The very presence of pride sullies our character. Don’t get caught in a mercenary spirit. Don’t worry about what God does with or for others. Looking at others will usually make us proud or dissatisfied. Matthew 20:2 “When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. he had: Mt 20:13 Ex 19:5,6 De 5:27-30 for a denarius Mt 18:28 22:19 Lu 10:35 Rev 6:6 he sent: 1Sa 2:18,26 3:1,21 16:11,12 1Ki 3:6-11 18:12 2Ch 34:3 Ec 12:1 Lu 1:15 2Ti 3:15 Marcus Aurelius on Denarius DAY'S WAGES FOR VINEYARD WORK When he had agreed (sumphoneo) with the laborers (ergates) for a denarius (denarion) for the day, he sent them into his vineyard - While there was no formal contract signed, the landowner agreed to pay each laborer a denarius which was generally considered to be a fair and standard wage for a full day's work (12 hour work day was common) in ancient Israel, especially given that these laborers were generally unskilled. The fact that the Roman soldiers also earned one denarius per day made it a respectable wage. And in Jesus' day a denarius had real buying power—enough to feed a small family for a day. He sent them into his vineyard probably at the beginning of the Jewish workday, which was 6 AM, also known as the first hour (this helps understand his hiring of the other 3 groups). Swindoll - at this point in the parable, nothing would sound strange to the ears of the disciples. The principles of “you get what you pay for” and “you earn what you work for” would have applied. However, the story begins to take a turn toward the unfamiliar in 20:3–7. While a real-life landowner would have known how many workers his vineyard required and the amount of labor that needed to be done, the man in the story returns to the marketplace about every three hours during the day to find more workers. (See Insights on Matthew - Page 122) Henry Morris makes an interesting observation that "this first group of workers wanted a definite contract with the householder before they would work. The later groups were willing to work simply by faith in the employer's word that "whatsoever is right I will give you" (Matthew 20:4), and he rewarded their faith abundantly. Even those hired at the eleventh hour received the same wages, for they would have been willing to work all day (Matthew 20:7) if they had known. Thus, rewards for Christian service are based more on motive and opportunity than on quantity (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)." Agreed (4856) sumphoneo from sun = together + phoneo = make a sound) literally means to sound together. Vine = "to be in accord, primarily of musical instruments." To be in harmony or unison. To fit in with or agree with (Acts 15:15, Lk 5:36). To fit together - secular use the joints of the stones fit together. To match in sound. To have common interests - be in agreement with. To come to an agreement (Mt 18:19, 20:2, Acts 5:9). Vine sumphoneo "is used in the NT of the "agreement" (a) of persons concerning a matter, Matt. 18:19; Matt. 20:2, 13; Acts 5:9; (b) of the writers of Scripture, Acts 15:15; (c) of things that are said to be congruous in their nature, Luke 5:36.Note: Cp. symphōnēsis, "concord," 2 Cor. 6:15, and symphōnia, "music," Luke 15:25." Denarius (1220) denarion from Latin origin) denoted a Roman silver coin equivalent to a laborer's average daily wage, the silver weighing about 3.9 grams. Here the specific name of the coin was retained in the translation, because not all coins in circulation in Palestine at the time carried the image of Caesar. See ROMAN COINAGE It was the practice of all new emperors to issue new coins with their own likeness stamped on the face. There is a sense in which the coin was considered to be the personal property of the king. It bore testimony to the rule of the king whose likeness it carried. The first thing that a conqueror would do would be to issue new coins with a new face. DENARIUS [ISBE] - de-na'-ri-us (denarion): A Roman silver coin, 25 of which went to the aureus, the standard gold coin of the empire in the time of Augustus, which was equal in value to about one guinea or $5,25; more exactly ?1.0,6 = $5.00, the ? = $4,866. Hence, the value of the denarius would be about 20 cents and this was the ordinary wage of a soldier and a day laborer. The word is uniformly rendered "penny" in the King James Version and "shilling" in the American Standard Revised Version, except in Mt 22:19; Mk 12:15 and Lk 20:24, where the Latin word is used, since in these passsages it refers to the coin in which tribute was paid to the Roman government. NET Glossary: a larger silver coin in use in New Testament times; most carried the likeness of the Roman emperor and one denarius constituted the accepted salary for a day's work by a common laborer
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Spurgeon applies this to us spiritually - “Why is any one of us remaining idle towards God? Has nothing yet had power to engage us to sacred service? Can we dare to say, ‘No man hath hired us?“ C H Spurgeon - Hating indolence, and grieving that he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, he hired more workers about the third hour. They would make only three-quarters of a day; but it was for their good to cease from loafing at the street-corner. (SPURGEON APPLIES THIS) These are like persons whose childhood is past, but who are not yet old. They are favored to have a good part of their day of life available for hallowed service. To these the good householder said: “Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. ” He pointed to those already in the field, and said, “Go ye also; ” and he promised them, not a definite sum, as he did those whom he first hired, but he said: “Whatsoever is right I will give you.” They went their way to their labor, for they did not wish to remain idlers; and as right-minded men, they could not quarrel with the householder’s agreement to give them whatsoever was right. Oh, that those around us, who are in their rising manhood, would at once take up their tools, and begin to serve the great Lord! C H Spurgeon - see full sermon Early and Late, or Horæ Gratiæ Matthew 20:1, 3, 5–6 Some of us in time and in eternity will have to utter a special song of thankfulness to the love which took us in our days of folly and simplicity, and conducted us into the family of God. Look at the grace which calls man at the age of twenty, when the passions are hot, when there is strong temptation to plunge into the vices and the so-called pleasures of life. To be delivered from the charms of sin, when the world’s cheek is ruddy, when it wears its best attire, and to be taught to prefer the reproach of Christ to all the riches of Egypt, this is mighty grace for which God shall have our sweetest song. To be called of the Lord at forty, in the prime of life, is a wonderful instance of divine power, for worldliness is hard to overcome, and worldliness is the sin of middle age. With a family about you, with much business, with the world eating into you as does a canker, it is a wonder that God should in his mercy have visited you then, and made you a regenerate soul. You are a miracle of grace, and you will have to feel it and to praise God for it in time and eternity. Sixty again. ‘Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.’ And yet you have learned; you have had a blessed schoolmaster who sweetly taught you, and you have learned to do well. Though your vessel had begun to rot in the waters of the Black Sea of sin, you have got a new owner, and you will run up a new flag, and you will sail round the Cape of Good Hope to the Islands of the Blessed, in the Land of the Hereafter. But what shall I say of you that are called when you are aged? You will have to love much, for you have had much forgiven. Matthew 20:4 and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went. Go: Mt 9:9 21:23-31 Lu 19:7-10 Ro 6:16-22 1Co 6:11 1Ti 1:12,13 Titus 3:8 1Pe 1:13 4:2,3 and whatsoever: Col 4:1 THIRD HOUR LABORERS WORKING and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right (dikaios - righteous, what is fully justified) I will give you.’ And so they went - These men did not negotiate with the landowner or come to an agreement on their wages but willingly accepted his offer to pay them whatever is right and willingly went into his vineyard. In other words, they trusted his word and his sense of fairness. Swindoll on right - The Greek term dikaios, when appearing in the neuter gender, as it does in 20:4, connotes “obligatory in view of certain requirements of justice.” (BDAG) Since the twelve-hour day was typically broken into four quarters (6:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.; 9:00 a.m.–noon; noon–3:00 p.m.; 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.), those hired at 9:00 would have rightly expected to receive three-fourths of a denarius for their labor. That would have been fair according to any reasonable economic principles. (See Insights on Matthew 16--28 - Page 123) Matthew 20:5 “Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. sixth: Mt 27:45 Mk 15:33,34 Lu 23:44-46 Jn 1:39 4:6 11:9 Ac 3:1 10:3,9 and did: Ge 12:1-4 Jos 24:2,3 2Ch 33:12-19 Heb 11:24-26 SIXTH & NINTH HOUR LABORERS STANDING, THEN WORKING Again he went out about the sixth (noon) and the ninth hour (3 PM), and did the same thing - The landowner finds 2 more groups of men who were willing to work in his vineyard for whatever wage he deemed to be right. They went without negotiating and without any specific expectation of what their wage would be. The simply accepted the landowner's statement that he would reward them fairly. C H Spurgeon - Had it been altogether and alone a business transaction, the householder would have waited to begin a new day, and would not have given a whole day’s wage for a fraction of a day’s work. The entire matter was alone of grace; and therefore, when half the day was gone, about the sixth hour, he called in laborers. (SPIRITUAL APPLICATION) Men of forty and fifty are bidden to enter the vineyard. (ED: I WAS 39 WHEN HE CALLED ME AND HAVE BEEN LABORING IN THE VINEYARD FOR 40 YEARS 20 OF IT ON THIS WEBSITE). Yes, and about the ninth hour men were engaged. At sixty, the Lord calls a number by his grace! (SPURGEON WAS ABOUT 57 WHEN HE FINISHED HIS LABORS IN GOD'S VINEYARD). It is wrong to assert that men are not saved after forty; we know to the contrary, and could mention instances. God in the greatness of his love calls into his service men from whom the exuberance of useful vigor has departed; he accepts the waning hours of their day. (PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!) He has work for the weak as well as for the strong. He allows none to labor for him without the reward of grace, even though they have spent their best days in sin. This is no encouragement to procrastination; but it should induce old sinners to seek the Lord at once. Matthew 20:6 “And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ the eleventh: Ec 9:10 Lu 23:40-43 Jn 9:4 Why: Pr 19:15 Eze 16:49 Ac 17:21 Heb 6:12 ELEVENTH HOUR LABORERS STANDING IDLE And about the eleventh hour (5 PM) he went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle (argos - doing nothing) all day long - Now it is late in the afternoon and the landowner is still seeking workers for his vineyard even though the normal 12 hour workday had just about come to an end. He questions them as to why they have been idle for 11 hours of the 12 hour workday? C H Spurgeon - The day was nearly over: only a single hour remained; yet about the eleventh hour he went out. The generous householder was willing to take on more workmen, and give them hire, though the sun was going down. He found a group lingering at the loafers’ corner — standing idle. He wished to clear the whole town of sluggards, and so he said to them, “Why stand ye here all the day idle? ” His question to them may be read by making each word in its turn emphatic, and then it yields a fullness of meaning. Why are ye idle? What is the good of it? Why stand ye here idle where all are busy? Why all the day idle? Will not a shorter space suffice? Why ye idle? You have need to work, you are able to do it, and you should set about it at once. Why is any one of us remaining idle towards God? Has nothing yet had power to engage us to sacred service? Can we dare to say, “No man hath hired us ”? Nearly seventy years of age, and yet unsaved! Let us bestir ourselves. It is time that we went, without delay, to kill the weeds and prune the vines, and do something for our Lord in his vineyard. (SEE REDEEM THE TIME) What but rich grace could lead him to take on the eleven o’clock lingerers? Yet he invites them as earnestly as those who came in the morning, and he will as surely give them their reward. Matthew 20:7 “They *said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He *said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ KJV Matthew 20:7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; (FOLLOWING WORDS ONLY IN TEXTUS RECEPTUS) and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. BGT Matthew 20:7 λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἡμᾶς ἐμισθώσατο. λέγει αὐτοῖς· ὑπάγετε καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα. NET Matthew 20:7 They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You go and work in the vineyard too.' CSB Matthew 20:7 " 'Because no one hired us,' they said to him. " 'You also go to my vineyard,' he told them. ESV Matthew 20:7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' NIV Matthew 20:7 " 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' NLT Matthew 20:7 "They replied, 'Because no one hired us.'"The landowner told them, 'Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.' Because: Ac 4:16 17:30,31 Ro 10:14-17 16:25 Eph 2:11,12 3:5,6 Col 1:26 Go: Mt 22:9,10 Ec 9:10 Lu 14:21-23 Jn 9:4 and: Eph 6:8 Heb 6:10 THE 11TH HOUR MEN GO TO LABOR IN VINEYARD They *said to him, ‘Because no one (oudeis - absolutely no one) hired us.’ - The point is that while they were idle, they were not lazy. Hired is misthoo (only in Mt 20:1,7) meaning to hire or engage someone in exchange for misthos (a wage). He *said to them, ‘You go (present imperative) into the vineyard too (and join the others) - This time there is no mention of pay. He commands them to go into the vineyard and while not stated (the Textus Receptus does add "whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive"), from the context clearly they obeyed his command and went. In fact given the late hour they probably ran to the vineyard to assure they could be as productive as time would allow. THOUGHT - Beloved, I realize this is a parable and we must be very careful not to make a teaching point of every word or sentence. In this case I cannot help but apply this verse to myself as almost 40 years ago at age 39 I was saved by grace through faith and called into His vineyard at the "11th hour" (See A Testimony of God's Grace). From the moment the "Landowner" called me, I began to run with a passion to rightly divide His Word and immediately began teaching men and women the Word of Truth. And then God led me to begin preceptaustin.org some 20 years ago and by His grace I will have completed in depth exposition on every verse of the New Testament by Spring, 2025 (note the Revelation Verse by Verse is from my good friend Dr Anthony Garland). The message is this -- if you are a "late bloomer" run into His Vineyard and work with all the might His Spirit gives you to Seize the Time you have remaining for His glory and honor. Beloved, do not waste your one life on temporal trinkets and babbles, but invest your short time left in eternal treasures. You will never regret your decision throughout the ages to come! Matthew 20:8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’ When evening came: Mt 13:39,40 25:19,31 Ro 2:6-10 2Co 5:10 Heb 9:28 Rev 20:11,12 the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman: Ge 15:2 39:4-6 43:19 Lu 10:7 12:42 16:1,2 1Co 4:1,2 Titus 1:7 1Pe 4:10 Related Passages: Leviticus 19:13+ (JEWISH LAW SAID LABORERS WERE TO BE PAID AT END OF WORKDAY) ‘You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning. Deuteronomy 24:14-15+ “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns. 15 “You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it; so that he will not cry against you to the LORD and it become sin in you. LAST GROUP PAID FIRST When evening came, the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last (eschatos) group to the first (protos) - Presumably evening would have been 6 PM and according to Jewish law day laborers were to be paid at the end of the work day (Dt 24:14-15+). The landowner gives his foreman the duty of paying the wages beginning with the 11th hour group. He does not tell the foreman what to give the four groups. C H Spurgeon - Days soon end, and to all the laborers even was come. This was pay-time, and the lord of the vineyard did not forget his agreements with the laborers, nor tell them to wait for their wages. Our Lord will rob no man of his reward. The householder in the parable sees to everything personally. His is the hiring, and the order for the paying. Promptly he saith unto his steward, “Call the laborers, and give them their hire. ” We shall be called each one to receive our reward when our day is over. Happy are we to have been already first called into the vineyard: thus the second call to receive the hire becomes a welcome one. The lord of the vineyard, whose transactions in hiring had been of no ordinary kind, was equally peculiar in the manner of payment. He chose to arrange it so that those who first came were last served; which is not often the manner of men. It was not a transaction of a mercenary sort, but a display of free favor; and so the great quality of sovereignty comes in as to the very order of payment — “beginning from the last unto the first. ” The Lord will take care that, in the transactions of his grace, his sovereignty as well as his goodness shall be conspicuous. Working by Faith - Henry Morris "So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first" (Matt. 20:8). This parable has long caused perplexity, not only among the workers in the parable, but also among readers ever since. Why would the Lord teach that wages paid for a given type of work should be the same for 1 hour's work as for 12? His only explanation was that it was the owner's right to do what he wanted with his own money, and that "the last shall be first, and the first last" (Matt. 20:16). He also reminded the complaining workmen that he had fulfilled his contract with them. Early in the morning, this group had negotiated their own terms with him, and "he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day" (Matt. 20:2). Those he hired later had said nothing about pay, being glad to work, and willing to trust the lord of the vineyard to treat them fairly. This probably means that the owner had first approached the early morning workers on the same basis, but they were unwilling to work without a contract, negotiating their own terms. This is the difference. The first group insisted on a firm contract, and the owner therefore insisted on honoring it. The others worked by faith, trusting in the lord of the vineyard, knowing him to be a man of integrity and justice. Furthermore, they would have been willing to work all day long on this same basis, but they had no opportunity. They needed the job, and the owner, knowing their needs and their willing hearts, decided to pay them on the basis of what they would have done, had they had the opportunity. In any case, the parable surely teaches us that our heavenly rewards are not based on quantity of services rendered, but on quality, with full account taken of opportunities, motivation, and trust in the Lord. Matthew 20:9 “When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. received: Mt 20:2,6,7 Lu 23:40-43 Ro 4:3-6 5:20,21 Eph 1:6-8 2:8-10 1Ti 1:14-16 LAST GROUP PAID SAME AS THE FIRST GROUP When those hired about the eleventh hour (5 PM) came, each one received a denarius (denarion) - The last group had barely broken a sweat and yet they received the same wage as the landowner had agreed to pay the first group that had been sweating all day since about 6 AM, 11 hours longer than the last group of workers. Now if you are in the first group and see the last get a denarius, you are probably thinking your get about 12x as much since you worked that much longer! There would nothing greedy or unnatural in this way of thinking. Swindoll writes that "it would have been entirely reasonable for each group to expect their pay to be prorated according to the number of hours they worked. But the point of Jesus’ surprising parable isn’t that people get what they deserve or that people should work hard for their wages. It is about God’s grace, illustrated in the overwhelming mercy, generosity, and goodness of the landowner. To underscore the great benevolence of this employer, Jesus noted that regardless of when they showed up on the jobsite and how long they worked—even if it was just one hour—each laborer received a denarius." (See Insights on Matthew 16--28 - Page 125) He paid on the scale of grace, nd not at the rate of merit.... Oh, the riches of the grace of God! C H Spurgeon - Our Lord’s pay is not a hire of deservings, but a gift of bounty. He paid on the scale of grace, and not at the rate of merit. He commenced in superb style, and to those who began to work at the eleventh hour, he gave every man a penny: here was a full day’s pay for one hour’s work. Herein was displayed the boundless bounty of the lord of the vineyard. That some, who have served the Lord but a very brief time, have equaled and even excelled those who have been for many years believers, is clear, for many short but blessed lives attest it. Converted late in life, they have been singularly diligent, specially consecrated, and memorably holy, and thus they have obtained the full result of grace at a speedy rate. God will place in heavenly glory those who turn to Christ even at the last. Did not our Lord say even to the dying thief, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise”? To what better place could any venerable saint have been taken? Oh, the riches of the grace of God! Matthew 20:10 “When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. KJV Matthew 20:10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. BGT Matthew 20:10 καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ πρῶτοι ἐνόμισαν ὅτι πλεῖον λήμψονται· καὶ ἔλαβον [τὸ] ἀνὰ δηνάριον καὶ αὐτοί. NET Matthew 20:10 And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each one also received the standard wage. CSB Matthew 20:10 So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each. ESV Matthew 20:10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. NIV Matthew 20:10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. NLT Matthew 20:10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day's wage. FALSE ASSUMPTION LEADS TO INFLATED EXPECTATION When those hired first (protos) came - This group had begun work about 6 AM and had agreed to a denarius for their day's wage. they thought (assumed, expected) that they would receive more - This statement presupposes that they knew that the 11th hour group had received a denarius. This is what natural human thinking would expect. but each of them also received a denarius (denarion) - Contrary to their expectation, the first group received the same wage as the last group. This is a parable and Jesus is not describing the approach of men to this situation but the gracious, generous approach of God. They received what they were promised and the wage was fair. C H Spurgeon - Possibly the first felt their vanity wounded by being paid after the others. They used their waiting time in considering their own superiority to the late-comers. Filled with legal principles, they kicked at the sovereignty of grace, and virtually in this matter rebelled against justice also. Those who are not friends to any one attribute of God are not in love with the others. Sooner or later, those who rage at sovereignty resist justice also. Sooner or later, those who rage at sovereignty resist justice also. They had what was promised them: what more would they have a fair wage was given: they received every man a penny. What more could they expect? God will not be bound by our supposings; and we do but deceive ourselves if we think He will. But they supposed — there was the difficulty: they had a theory to support, a supposition to justify; and so they were aggrieved because their supposition did not develop into a fact. God will not be bound by our supposings; and we do but deceive ourselves if we think He will. Matthew 20:11 “When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, they grumbled: Lu 5:30 15:2,28-30 19:7 Ac 11:2,3 13:45 22:21,22 1Th 2:16 Jude 1:16 GRUMBLING OVER THEIR JUST PAY When they received it, they grumbled (gogguzo) at the landowner - Grumbled is in the imperfect tense depicting them as murmuring over and over. Clearly they are grumbling because they feel slighted when they saw what the 11th hour group received the same as they received. Read their grumbling words in Mt 20:12. John
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Spurgeon - As soon as the penny was in their hand, a murmur was in their mouth. It was a fair wage, and what they agreed to take; but yet, when they had received, it, they murmured against the goodman of the house. His only supposable fault was that, as a good man, he was too good to the short-timers. The Lord does often greatly bless men whose working lives are short, and even those who are saved late in life. He does not measure up work as we do, by the rod, or by the hour. He has his own gracious ways of estimating service, and the reckonings of grace are not like those of law. At the sight of great grace envious hearts grow sour. The murmurers said, not that the generous Lord had lowered them, but that he had advanced others who had wrought but one hour . Their complaint was, “Thou hast made them equal unto us. ” In this he had used his own money as he pleased, even as God dispenses grace as he wills. He is never unjust to any; but in gifts of bounty he will not be bound by our ideas of equity. Had they been of the right sort, they would have rejoiced that they had been able to give to him a fair day’s work, since they had borne the burden and heat of the day. At any rate, it is a great privilege to be serving the Lord throughout a long life, and those who have enjoyed this high favor are deeply indebted to the grace of God. Blessed be our heavenly Father, some of us have been his servants from our youth, and have endured no little labor for his name’s sake; but in this we rejoice greatly, and magnify his love. Matthew 20:12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’ equal: Lu 14:10,11 Ro 3:22-24,30 Eph 3:6 borne: Isa 58:2,3 Zec 7:3-5 Mal 1:13 3:14 Lu 15:29,30 18:11,12 Ro 3:27 9:30-32 10:1-3 11:5,6 1Co 4:11 2Co 11:23-28 THEY JUSTIFY THEIR GRUMBLING saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden (baros) and the scorching heat (kauson) of the day - NLT - "'Those people worked only one hour, and yet you've paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.' The first group justifies their grumbling and even throws in words like borne the burden and the scorching heart of the day in an attempt to buttress their complaint. Burden (weight)(922) baros English - barometer from baros + metron) literally refers to a weight (a heavy weight), burden, trouble, load. In Classic Greek baros refers to a weight or heaviness and then a burden. In the NT baros is used only figuratively meaning something pressing on one physically or emotionally either in a bad or good sense. The burden of a thing (hardship, daily toil - Mt 20:12) or that which a person bears (Gal 6:2 - oppressive suffering), imposition of religious requirement (Acts 15:28+, difficult duty in Rev 2:24+), weight as equivalent to authority (wield authority, insist on one's own importance - 1Th 2:7 and secular Greek writings). Baros was used in some Greek secular writings in a metaphorical sense to describe grief or misery. Paul's use in 2Co 4:17 is metaphorical where it pictures a believer's future glory, which is a "weight" every believer should desire and by grace seek after. Scorching heat (2742)(kauson from kaio - to burn, kindle) means burning heat. Burning sun. Of intense heat as from the sun or a scorching east wind that would parch the lips and crack the skin. Only in Matt. 20:12; Lk 12:55+; Jas. 1:11+ Complete Biblical Library - This word appears first in classical Greek around 300 B.C., usually referring to the sun’s “heat.” In at least one other source it is used as a medical term meaning “heartburn” or “heat in the stomach” (cf. Moulton-Milligan). As used in the Septuagint, this rather late word has two meanings. In Genesis 31:40 Jacob reminded his angry father-in-law Laban that the “heat” (kausōn) consumed him by day and the cold by night. Otherwise kausōn in the Septuagint refers to the “destructive, scorching wind” which sometimes blows off the desert areas. It is usually translated “east wind” and is also known as the dreaded sirocco. Kausōn is used in James 1:11. In Jas 1:10 James reminded his readers that faith in Christ expresses itself in humility. The use of kausōn in Jas 1:11 is best translated as “scorching heat” in the graphic language of James rather than as a reference to the sirocco (“scorching wind”). This best fits into the analogy which James used in verses 9-11. In summer, Palestine experiences scorching heat. The same use of kausōn is reflected in Matthew 20:12 and probably also in Luke 12:55, though some do believe the term means the “scorching wind” of the sirocco. KAUSON IN SEPTUAGINT - Isa. 49:10; Jer. 18:17; Jer. 51:1; Ezek. 17:10; Ezek. 19:12; Hos. 12:1; Hos. 13:15; Jon. 4:8 Warding Off Jealousy Once when Calvin was sending a letter to his close friend Pierre Viret by one of a pair of students, he noticed that the other was a little jealous at not being the messenger. Calvin quickly dashed off another letter to Viret. The letter contained only the request that Viret pretend it was a valuable letter. —"John Calvin," Christian History, no. 12. Matthew 20:13 “But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Friend: Mt 22:12 26:50 I am doing you no wrong: Ge 18:25 Job 34:8-12,17,18 35:2 40:8 Ro 9:14,15,20 LANDOWNER JUSTIFIES HIS WAGES TO FIRST GROUP But - Term of contrast. In contrast to the grumbling of the men we here see the goodness of the landowner. He answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend (hetairos - a gentle rebuke, cf Mt 22:12), I am doing you no wrong (adikeo) - The landowner was correct for a denarius was the amount they agreed on. In short, they could not accuse the landowner of unjust treatment, for they received what they deserved. did you not agree (sumphoneo) with me for a denarius (denarion) - By asking a question, the landowner reminds the first group of their agreement to work for one denarius, emphasizing that he had done no wrong to them. And recall his standard for the other 4 groups was whatever is right I will give you. Believer's Study Bible - Mt 20:13-16 "Denarius" is a lawful day's wage. The goodness of the householder is in his willingness to pay the equivalent of a day's wage to those who labored for only one hour. No offense can be charged to him since he agreed with each group to pay what was right. His sovereignty guaranteed him the right to pay more generously if he so desired. Also, the story may have Jewish-Gentile overtones, with the Gentiles' coming belatedly into the great plan of God. Whatever the case, the lesson in the parable is surely that God is both fair and generous with His servants. C H Spurgeon - He did not fall into a dispute with the whole company; but he answered one of them, which was quite enough. They had been individually hired, and individually he argues with them. It is a calm and reasonable reply: “Friend, I do thee no wrong. ” If the Lord rewards us graciously for what we do, we are not wronged because another who has done less has a like recompense. The quiet personal question is one to which there is no answer: “Didst not thou agree with me for a penny? ” Yet the legal spirit will come in even concerning work which is all of grace. Even among the Father’s true sons, the elder brother gets touched with this alien spirit. None of us are quite free from it: it seems bred in the bone of our proud nature, yet nothing is more unlovely or unreasonable. God's Way of Justice Our desire for justice for ourselves and for others often complicates the issues, builds up factions and quarrels. Worldly justice and unworldly justice are quite different things. The supernatural approach, when understood, is to turn the other cheek, to give up what one has, willingly, gladly, with no spirit of martyrdom, to rejoice in being the least, to being unrecognized, the slightest. —Dorothy Day, "Reflections," Christianity Today, Vol. 44, no. 10. Matthew 20:14 ‘Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Take what is yours and go: Mt 6:2,6,16 2Ki 10:16,30,31 Eze 29:18-20 Lu 15:31 16:25 Ro 3:4,19 I wish: Jn 17:2 THE OWNER GIVES JUSTLY AND JUSTIFIES HIS GIVING Take (aorist imperative = "Just Do It!") what is yours and go (present imperative) - The owner commands the first group to accept what they agreed upon. The owner was guilty of no cheating or wrongdoing. So take what’s yours, and freely so, And trust My ways, though you don’t know. For grace is not a wage you earn— It’s love divine at every turn.” but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you - Here the owner justifies his wage to the last man as his sovereign right to dispense as he wills. Clearly the last received more that his hour of work justified. The point is that the landowner's wage of a denarius was a reflection of his generosity and his grace (unmerited favor). This points to God’s grace for He gives not according to time or effort, but out of mercy and generosity. “I wish to give…” shows that God has the right and authority to bless as He sees fit. Swindoll - Yet the owner was not only just, he was also generous. Knowing that those who had only worked an hour … or three … or six … wouldn’t have enough money to support their families if he prorated their pay, he decided to treat them with grace and generosity by giving them not what they deserved but what they needed—a full day’s wage. (See Insights on Matthew 16--28 - Page 125) Ryrie - This is the point of the parable: God's grace and generosity know no bounds, and man's ideas of merit and earned rewards are irrelevant. Ray Fowler: In the parable the earlier workers boasted in their works. They said, “We bore the burden of the work and the heat of the day!” But that’s the problem. Those who trust in their works receive God’s justice, but they forfeit God’s mercy and grace. If you want justice, you will get justice. I don’t recommend it, because we are all on the wrong side of God’s law. If you want justice, you will get justice, but if you want mercy and grace, then you need to put your faith in Jesus. We can also apply this to heaven and eternal rewards. On the one hand we all receive differing rewards depending on what we have done for Christ. But on the other hand, we all get the same reward, in that we all inherit eternal life with God forever. Because once you have eternal life, what do all the other rewards really matter? C H Spurgeon - The good man stands to his determination of bounty. He will not be driven from liberality by envious tongues. What he gives is his own, and he maintains his right to do as he pleases with it. This is a fine illustration of the sovereignty of divine grace. Each man shall have all he can claim. “Take that thine is; ” and having it, let him rest content: “Go thy way .” The Lord will not be ruled by our regulations, but declares, “I will give unto this last, even as unto thee .” It is condescending on his part to say a word in defense of his most fit and fair position: “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will saith my own? ” If mercy be the Lord’s own, he may give it as he pleases; and if the reward of service be wholly of grace, the Lord may render it according to his own pleasure. Be ye sure that he will do so. In words of thunder he says, both under the law and under the gospel, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” Matthew 20:15 ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ KJV Matthew 20:15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? BGT Matthew 20:15 [ἢ] οὐκ ἔξεστίν μοι ὃ θέλω ποιῆσαι ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς; ἢ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου πονηρός ἐστιν ὅτι ἐγὼ ἀγαθός εἰμι; NET Matthew 20:15 Am I not permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' CSB Matthew 20:15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my business? Are you jealous because I'm generous? ' ESV Matthew 20:15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' NIV Matthew 20:15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' NLT Matthew 20:15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?' Is it not lawful: Mt 11:25 Ex 33:19 De 7:6-8 1Ch 28:4,5 Jer 27:5-7 Jn 17:2 Ro 9:15-24 11:5,6 1Co 4:7 Eph 1:11 2:1,5 Jas 1:18 is your eye envious: Mt 6:23 De 15:9 28:54 Pr 23:6 28:22 Mk 7:22 Jas 5:9 because I am generous: Jon 4:1-4 Ac 13:45 Related Passages: Deuteronomy 15:9 “Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you. Jonah 4:1-4 But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD and said, “Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. 3 “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” 4 The LORD said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?” Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. SURPRISING GRACE AND GENEROSITY Is it not lawful (exesti - permitted, allowed, have the right) for me to do what I wish with what is my own (money)? - In the form of a question (calling for a "Yes" response) the landowner appeals to his right to do what he wishes with that which belongs to him. Swindoll - Because the money belonged to him to do with as he chose, the landowner had the freedom to give it to anybody at any time under any conditions (20:15). How natural it is for worldly-minded people to become envious when a generous person demonstrates such grace! (See Insights on Matthew 16--28 - Page 126) Or is your eye envious (poneros) because I am generous (agathos) - KJV = "Is thine eye evil?" An evil eye referred to one who was jealous, envious, covetous. ESV = "Or do you begrudge my generosity? Literally this describes polar opposites evil versus good -- “Is your eye evil because I am good?” The evil eye resents what someone else has. Jealousy is a part of our fallen nature. With his second question, the landowner calls the man to search his own heart. The early workers' complaint wasn’t about injustice but was about comparison and envy. This is a warning against resenting grace when others receive what we believe they “don’t deserve.” John
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Spurgeon - That was a home question for each of the grumblers to answer, — Is thine eye evil, because I am good? ” Does it make you jealous to see others enjoy my bounty? Because I am good to these who deserved so little, does this deprive you of the good which I have granted to you? Let us never envy late converts their joy or their usefulness; but applaud the sovereignty which blesses them so largely. We share the mercy with them; let us give them an equal portion of our Joy. Envious (wicked, bad) (4190) poneros from poneo = work or toil,
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Spurgeon says "precedence in the kingdom of heaven is according to the order of grace." John
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Spurgeon - Here our Lord repeats his famous saying, which we noted in Mt 19:30, and lets us know that precedence in the kingdom of heaven is according to the order of grace. The King will rule in his own courts; and who shall question his will? As he is King, it is his right to rule. Loyal subjects are ever ready to support their sovereign. Our King reigns by right divine, and cannot do wrong. It was said of David, “Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.” Let this be true of David’s Son and his people. Jesus tells us that, while many men are called to service, few reach the standard of choice men. Some of the last shall be first, for abounding grace is seen in their brief hour of work; but some of the first shall be last, for they are not always diligent throughout their longer day, and so fall back in the race, or their legal notions put them far behind those who were called later in life, but who are better instructed in the principles of divine grace. J Ligon Duncan - This parable also reminds us that God’s reward are not according to human and earthly measure. The human and earthly measure would expect those who worked longer in the day in the parable of the landowner to get more than those that had only worked an hour. But human measurements don’t apply in the kingdom of heaven. God is sovereign, all His gifts are gifts of grace, and therefore we need to bow before that and acknowledge that. And so it’s important for us as we serve in the kingdom not to serve with the spirit of wanting to get more honor and more recognition and more authority given to us than to our brethren. John MacArthur excerpt from his sermon - full sermon Equality in the Kingdom (Mt 19:30 – 20:16) (See also his study guide on the parable) Now when it comes then to the blessings of salvation, God give to all equally, equally. All of us who come to the Lord Jesus Christ receive the same salvation. No matter what the circumstances of our coming, no matter how diligent or faithful our service, it is God’s pleasure to give us the same glorious salvation. 1) The Proverb (19:30; 20:16) Everybody’s the same. 2) The Parable You see, they weren’t in a negotiating position; they had no choice. If they didn’t work, they didn’t eat, they’d have to take whatever they could get. Consequently, they were often taken advantage of. But apparently they trusted this man. And so without negotiating any price, they went their way. . . The issue here is not whether the householder is fair, the issue is the jealousy of the people who worked the longest, right? Don’t impugn God, impugn them. They got what was right and fair. But they were filled with envy, and they griped. And they give this little speech, “You made them equal unto us. And we borne the burden and heat of the day.” And they get real, you know, kind of expressive here. The word they used for “heat” is the word for “burner.” It’s the word that’s often used of the scorching east wind that parches the lips and cracks the skin when that hot east wind blows. I mean they were really dramatizing their plight. . .Jealousy is a part of our fallenness, isn’t it? You see, it wasn’t that they didn’t get a fair wage. They got a very fair wage, a generous wage. It’s that they couldn’t stand somebody else getting the same thing without working as hard as they did. Instead of saying to themselves, “Isn’t it wonderful that he’s so generous to those who have the same need we have, but weren’t hired early. Isn’t it wonderful that even though they had to wait all day to be hired, their need wasn’t any less; and he gave them according to their need, not according to their effort, not according to their work.” Instead of saying that – that’s what the magnanimous heart says: “I rejoice that you received as much as I did, because that’s what you needed, even though you didn’t work as hard as I worked.” That’s the magnanimous heart. Well, that’s the parable. And he says, “I have the right to give whatever I want. Are you going to be jealous if I give it?” 3) The Point of the Parable The man is God, the householder. The vineyard is the kingdom, the sphere of God’s rule. It is the kingdom of grace, the kingdom of salvation. The laborers are those who come into salvation; they come into the kingdom; they come into the service of the king, the service of God. The day, the day of work is lifetime. The evening is eternity. The denarius is eternal life. And maybe you could even say the steward Jesus Christ, to whom has been committed all judgment. So what’s it saying? It’s saying this: No matter how long you worked in the kingdom, no matter how hard or how easy your circumstances were, no matter how difficult the task, when you get to the end, you’re all going to receive the same eternal life. Isn’t that a great truth? That’s really what He’s teaching. . . So you see, it was this selfish, indulgent, envious, confused perception of the disciples that I think our Lord was dealing with. And all He’s saying in this wonderful parable is, “Look, salvation and eternal life isn’t something that you earn, it’s a gift that I give according to My sovereign will.” And it is not a question of when you came in, and it is not a question of how long you worked, or how hot the day was, or how hard you worked. There’s nothing in that parable about how hard anybody worked, nothing; because eternal is not something you – what? – you earn. “And I’m going to give everyone the same reward.” You say, “Well, now wait a minute, John. Doesn’t the Epistles tell us something about rewards for service and crowns for service?” Yeah, that’s a different issue. You get to that a little later in the Scripture. That’s not the issue here. There will be differing rewards the Lord is pleased to give His children. That’s not the issue here. The issue here is the equality of eternal life. 4) The Principles 1. God initiates salvation sovereignly. 2. God establishes the terms. 3. God continues to call men into His kingdom. 4. God is redeeming those who are willing. 5. God is compassionate to those who have no resources. 6. All who come into the vineyard worked. 7. God has the sovereign authority ability to keep His promise. 8. While He always gives what He promised, He also always gives more than we deserve. 9. Humility is the only right attitude. 10. All that we receive from God is a matter of His grace. Warren
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Spurgeon - Marching up, towards the guilty capital, with resolute and vigorous step, Jesus outwalked the trembling disciples, who forsaw some dire tragedy would transpire. They went with him, and that was something; and showed that, if timid, they were sincere. His words were true and significant: “Behold (idou), we go up to Jerusalem. ” He thought it wise to tell them yet again of the dark future which was now drawing very near, so he took the twelve disciples apart in the way. That is the best communion when Jesus himself takes us apart. He knows the fittest seasons for fullest revelations. Possibly, in this, his human soul was seeking fellowship; but how little of it he found among his feeble followers! Lord, when thou cost take me apart, prepare me for full communion, lest I miss a golden opportunity! Grant Osborne points out that "This is the first time the disciples are called “the Twelve” (cf. Mt 26:14, 20, 47) (ED: MATTHEW DESIGNATES THEM AS "12" IN Mt 10:2 and Mt 19:28), and apparently they are traveling with a larger group, because Jesus “takes [them] aside privately” to give them his third passion prediction (a brief fourth prediction occurs in Mt 26:2). Believer's Study Bible - Mt 20:17-19 On numerous occasions, after Peter's Caesarea Philippi confession (Matt. 16:16), Jesus predicts with great specificity the events leading to His death, burial and resurrection (cf. also Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-33). The great accuracy with which Jesus foretells these future happenings is another clear evidence of His deity. Matthew Henry Concise - Mt 20:17-19. Christ is more particular here in foretelling his sufferings than before. And here, as before, he adds the mention of his resurrection and his glory, to that of his death and sufferings, to encourage his disciples, and comfort them. A believing view of our once crucified and now glorified Redeemer, is good to humble a proud, self-justifying disposition. When we consider the need of the humiliation and sufferings of the Son of God, in order to the salvation of perishing sinners, surely we must be aware of the freeness and richness of Divine grace in our salvation. QUESTION - How many times did Jesus predict His death? ANSWER - Jesus’ death was the final sacrifice that paid the debt of sin for all (Hebrews 9:28). His death was the ultimate purpose of His ministry. In fact, Jesus predicted His death at least three times in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and the book of John offers even more predictions. The first time Jesus predicted His death is detailed in Matthew 16:21–23, Mark 8:31–32, and Luke 9:21–22. Jesus had just fed the multitudes, and He said that the “Son of Man must suffer many things” (Mark 8:31); be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes; be killed; and be raised again. Peter then rashly began to rebuke Jesus, and Christ responded, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:33; Mark 8:33). Jesus knew that His death must happen. It was necessary in God’s plan to save the world. Jesus predicted His death a second time in Matthew 17:22–23, Mark 9:30–32, and Luke 9:43–45. This occurred shortly after the Transfiguration, when Peter, James, and John saw Christ in His heavenly glory. Perhaps this was the reason the disciples were so confused by Jesus telling them He was going to die. At this point, they believed His kingdom was just around the corner. Despite their lack of understanding, they were “afraid to ask” for clarification (Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45). Matthew 20:17–19, Mark 10:32–34, and Luke 18:31–34 describe the third time Jesus predicted His death. He spoke to His disciples as they were heading up toward Jerusalem for Passover, and He told them how He would be mocked, scourged, crucified, and then rise again. On this occasion also, the disciples did not understand Jesus’ saying because the meaning was hidden from them. They would soon learn what Jesus meant in the events of Good Friday and following. The Gospel of John gives a few more predictions of Jesus’s death, but they are slightly more subtle. For instance, when Mary anointed Jesus with the costly perfume, and Judas asked if she should have sold it for the poor, Christ said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me” (John 12:7–8). While not an explicit prediction like the previous three, this statement of Jesus clearly pointed to His coming death and burial. Again, in John 13:33, Jesus hinted that His time was short as He told the disciples, “Where I am going you cannot come.” Finally, in John 14:25, Jesus talked about giving the Holy Spirit in His absence, which hinted at His death as well as the future of the church. Jesus intentionally came to earth to die for our sins. Jesus gave His disciples predictions about His death and the events that followed “so that when it does take place you may believe” (John 14:29). Matthew 20:18 “Behold (idou), we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and the Son of Man will be delivered: Mt 16:21 Mt 17:22,23 26:2 Ps 2:1-3 22:1-31 69:1-36 Isa 53:1-12 Da 9:24-27 Ac 2:23 4:27,28 they: Mt 26:66 27:1 Mk 14:64,65 Lu 22:71 Related Passages: Matthew 16:21+ (JESUS' FIRST FORMAL PREDICTION OF HIS DEATH) From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Matthew 17:22-23+ (JESUS' SECOND FORMAL PREDICTION OF HIS DEATH)And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; 23 and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved. Mark 10:32-34+ They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed ( thambeo = bewilderment), and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, 33 saying, “Behold (idou), we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. 34 “They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” Luke 18:31-34+ Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold (idou), we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 “For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.” 34 But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said. JESUS CLEAR PROPHECY OF COMING CRUCIFIXION Behold (idou) we are going up to Jerusalem - First, note the "behold" (idou) indicates Jesus really wants their full attention regarding what follows. And again He emphasizes that they are going up in altitude to Jerusalem. Spurgeon asks "This he said in the hearing of the disciple who would act the traitor: did no compunction visit his base heart?” And the Son of Man will be delivered (paradidomi - betrayed) to the chief priests (archiereus) and scribes (grammateus), and they will condemn (sentence- katakrino) Him to death (thanatos) - Son of Man (cf Daniel 7:13) is used 88x/84v mostly by Jesus Himself, with Son emphasizing His divinity and Man His humanity. In this third prophecy of His death He adds details not given in the first two predictions. Yes, He would be delivered over into the hands and power of evil men but Peter uses the same verb (paradidomi) which in effect counters these evil men, Peter writing "while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting (paradidomi - present tense = His continual practice) Himself to Him who judges righteously." (1 Peter 2:23+) 🙏 THOUGHT - Jesus kept handing Himself over to God at each episode of His unjust suffering. This pattern climaxed when Jesus was on the cross. What an example for believers to emulate when we are unjustly suffered. Christ gave Himself over to God, even in death, because He knew that the Father would evaluate fairly all His unjust suffering. If we are to imitate Him (which we are called to do), when we are persecuted unjustly at our jobs, in our families, or in our social contacts, we need to follow His example and accept the persecution without retaliating. It is crucial that we resist [by God’s grace and power of His Spirit] the urge to strike back or seek revenge in the midst of unjust persecution [Ro 12:17-21 - see Ro 12:17; 18-21]. We need to entrust our souls continuously, by faith, to the care of the Holy One Who will pronounce a righteous verdict, Who will avenge unjust treatment now or later and Who as Paul confidently said will bring us "safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." (2Ti 4:18+) to eternal glory. John
Mateus 20
Spurgeon adds that "Behold is a word of wonder; it is intended to excite admiration. Wherever you see it hung out in Scripture, it is like an ancient sign-board, signifying that there are rich wares within, or like the hands which solid readers have observed in the margin of the older Puritanic books, drawing attention to something particularly worthy of observation." I would add, behold is like a divine highlighter, a divine underlining of an especially striking or important text. It says in effect "Listen up, all ye who would be wise in the ways of Jehovah!" BEHOLD (HEBREW & GREEK) - OCCURS 1326X IN NASB95 - Gen. 1:29,31; 3:22; 4:14; 6:12-13,17; 8:13; 9:9; 11:6; 12:11,19; 15:3-4,17; 16:2,6,11,14; 17:4,20; 18:9,27,31; 19:2,8,19-20,34; 20:3,15-16; 22:1,7,13,20; 24:13,15,30,43,45,51,63; 25:24,32; 26:8-9; 27:1-2,6,11,36-37,39,42; 28:12-13,15; 29:2,6,25; 30:3,34; 31:2,10,51; 32:18,20; 33:1; 34:21; 37:7,9,15,19,25,29; 38:13,23-24,27,29; 39:8; 40:6,9,16; 41:1-3,5-7,17-19,22-23,29; 42:2,13,22,27,35; 43:21; 44:8,16; 45:12; 47:1,23; 48:1-2,4,21; 50:18; Exod. 1:9; 2:6,13; 3:2,9,13; 4:1,6-7,14,23; 5:5,16; 6:12,30; 7:16-17; 8:2,21,29; 9:3,7,18; 10:4; 14:10,17; 16:4,10,14; 17:6; 23:20; 24:8,14; 31:6; 32:9,34; 33:21; 34:10-11,30; 39:43; Lev. 10:16,18-19; 13:5-6,8,10,13,17,20-21,25-26,30-32,34,36,39,43,53,55-56; 14:3,37,39,44,48; 25:20; Num. 3:12; 12:8,10; 16:42,47; 17:8,12; 18:6,8,21; 20:16; 22:5,11,32; 23:9,11,17,20,24; 24:10,14,17; 25:6,12; 31:16; 32:1,14,23; Deut. 1:8,10,21; 2:24,31; 3:11,27; 4:5; 5:24; 9:13,16; 10:14; 11:26; 13:14; 17:4; 19:18; 26:10; 31:14,16,27; 32:49; Jos. 2:2,18; 3:11; 5:13; 7:21-22; 8:4,20; 9:12-13,25; 14:10; 22:11,28; 23:4,14; 24:27; Jdg. 1:2; 3:24-25; 4:22; 6:15,28,37; 7:13,17; 8:15; 9:31,33,36,43; 11:34; 13:3,7,10; 14:5,8,16; 16:10; 17:2; 18:9,12; 19:9,16,22,24,27; 20:7,40; 21:8-9,19,21; Ruth 1:15; 2:4; 3:2,8; 4:1; 1 Sam. 2:31; 3:11; 5:3-4; 8:5; 9:6-8,12,14,17,24; 10:8,10-11,22; 11:5; 12:1-3,13; 13:10; 14:7-8,11,16-17,20,26,33; 15:12,22; 16:11,15,18; 17:23; 18:17,22; 19:16,19,22; 20:2,5,12,21-23; 21:9; 23:1,3; 24:1,4,9-10,20; 25:14,19-20,36,41; 26:7,21-22,24; 28:7,9,21; 30:3,16,26; 2 Sam. 1:2,6,18; 3:12,22,24; 4:8,10; 5:1; 9:4,6; 12:11,18; 13:24,34-36; 14:7,21,32; 15:15,26,32,36; 16:1,3-5,8,11; 17:9; 18:10-11,24,26,31; 19:1,8,20,37,41; 20:21; 24:22; 1 Ki. 1:14,18,23,25,42,51; 2:8,29,39; 3:12,15,21; 5:5; 8:27; 10:7; 11:22,31; 12:28; 13:1-3,25; 14:2,5,10,19; 15:19; 16:3; 17:9-10,12; 18:7-8,11,14,44; 19:5-6,9,11,13; 20:13,31,36,39; 21:18,21; 22:13,23,25; 2 Ki. 1:9,14; 2:11,16,19; 3:20; 4:9,13,25,32; 5:6,11,15,20,22; 6:1,13,15,17,20,25,30,33; 7:2,5,10,13,19; 8:5; 9:5; 10:4,9; 11:14; 13:21; 15:11,15,26,31; 17:26; 18:21; 19:7,9,11,35; 20:5,17; 21:12; 22:16,20; 1 Chr. 9:1; 11:1,25; 22:9,14; 28:21; 29:29; 2 Chr. 2:4,8,10; 6:18; 9:6; 13:12,14; 16:3,11; 18:12,22,24; 19:11; 20:2,10-11,16,24,34; 21:14; 23:3,13; 24:27; 25:26; 26:20; 28:9,26; 29:19; 32:32; 33:18-19; 34:24,28; 35:25,27; 36:8; Ezr. 9:15; Neh. 9:36; Est. 6:5; 7:9; 8:7; Job 1:12,19; 2:6; 4:3,18; 5:17; 8:19-20; 9:12; 12:14-15; 13:18; 15:15; 16:19; 19:7,27; 20:9; 21:27; 22:12; 23:8-9; 24:5; 25:5; 27:12; 28:28; 31:35; 32:11-12,19; 33:2,6-7,10,12; 34:29; 35:5; 36:5,22,24-26,30; 39:29; 40:4,11,15,23; 41:9; Ps. 7:14; 11:4,7; 17:2,15; 27:4; 33:18; 37:37; 39:5; 46:8; 51:5-6; 54:4; 59:4,7; 66:7; 73:12,15; 78:20; 80:14; 84:9; 87:4; 91:8; 102:19; 113:6; 119:18,40; 121:4; 123:2; 128:4; 133:1; 134:1; 139:8; Prov. 1:23; 7:10; 11:31; 23:33; 24:12; Eccl. 1:14; 2:1,11-12; 4:1; 5:18; 7:27; 11:7; Cant. 1:15-16; 2:8-9; 3:7,11; 4:1; Isa. 3:1; 5:7,26,30; 7:14; 8:7,18,22; 10:33; 12:2; 13:9,17; 17:1,14; 19:1; 20:6; 21:9; 22:13,17; 23:13; 24:1; 26:10,21; 28:2,16; 29:8,14; 30:27; 32:1; 33:7,17; 34:5; 35:4; 37:7,11,36; 38:5,8,11,17; 39:6; 40:9-10,15,26; 41:11,15,23-24,27,29; 42:1,9; 43:19; 44:11; 47:14; 48:7,10; 49:12,16,18,21-22; 50:1-2,9,11; 51:22; 52:6,13; 54:11,15-16; 55:4-5; 56:3; 58:3-4; 59:1,9; 60:2; 62:11; 63:15; 64:5,9; 65:1,6,13-14,17-18; 66:12,15; Jer. 1:6,9,18; 2:35; 3:5,22; 4:13,16; 5:14; 6:10,19,21-22; 7:8,11,20,32; 8:15,17,19; 9:7,15,25; 10:18,22; 11:11,22; 12:14; 13:7,13,20; 14:13,18-19; 16:9,12,14,16,21; 17:15; 18:3,6,11; 19:3,6,15; 20:4; 21:4,8,13; 23:2,5,7,15,19,30-32,39; 24:1; 25:9,32; 26:14; 27:16; 28:16; 29:17,21,32; 30:18,23; 31:8,27,31,38; 32:3-4,7,17,24,27-28,37; 33:6,14; 34:2-3,17,22; 35:17; 37:7; 38:5,22; 39:16; 40:4,10; 42:2,4; 43:10; 44:2,11,26-27,30; 45:4-5; 46:25,27; 47:2; 48:12,40; 49:2,5,12,19,22,35; 50:12,18,31,41,44; 51:1,25,36,47,52; Lam. 1:9,12,18,20; 2:20; 3:50,63; 5:1; Ezek. 1:4,15; 2:9; 3:8,23,25; 4:8,14,16; 5:8; 6:3; 7:5-6,10; 8:4-5,7-10,14,16; 9:2,11; 10:1,9; 11:1; 12:27; 13:8,20; 14:22; 15:4-5; 16:8,27,37,43-44,49; 17:7,10,12; 18:4; 20:47; 21:3,7; 22:6,13,19; 23:22,28; 24:16,21; 25:4,7-9,16; 26:3,7; 28:3,7,17-18,22; 29:3,8,10,19; 30:22; 31:3; 34:10-11,17,20; 35:3; 36:6,9; 37:2,5,7,11-12,19,21; 38:3; 39:1,8; 40:3-5,24; 43:2,5,12; 44:4-5; 46:19,21; 47:1-2,7; Dan. 2:31; 4:10,13; 7:2,5,7-8,13; 8:3,5,15,19; 9:18; 10:5,10,16; 11:2; 12:5; Hos. 2:6,14; Joel 2:19; 3:1,7; Amos 2:13; 3:9; 6:11,14; 7:1,4,7-8; 8:1,11; 9:8,13; Obad. 1:2; Mic. 1:3; 2:3; 7:9-10; Nah. 1:15; 2:13; 3:5,13; Hab. 1:3,5,13; 2:4,13,19; Zeph. 3:19; Zech. 1:8,11,18; 2:1,3,9; 3:4,8-9; 4:2; 5:1,7,9; 6:1,8,12; 8:7; 9:4,9; 12:2; 14:1; Mal. 1:13; 2:3; 3:1; 4:1,5; Matt. 1:20,23; 2:1,13,19; 4:11; 6:26; 7:4; 8:2,24,29,32,34; 9:2-3,10,18,20,32; 10:16; 11:8,10,19; 12:2,10,18,41-42,46-47,49; 13:3; 15:22; 17:3,5; 18:10; 19:16,27; 20:18,30; 21:5; 22:4; 23:34,38; 24:25-26; 25:6,20,22; 26:45-46,51,65; 27:51; 28:2,7,9,11; Mk. 1:2; 2:24; 3:32,34; 4:3; 5:22; 10:33; 11:21; 13:23; 14:41; 15:4,35; 16:6; Lk. 1:20,31,36,38,48; 2:10,25,34,48; 5:12,18; 6:23; 7:12,25,27,34,37; 8:41; 9:30,38; 10:3,19,25; 11:31-32,41; 13:7,11,30,32,35; 14:2,29; 17:21; 18:31; 19:2,8,20; 21:6,29; 22:10,21,31,38,47; 23:14,29,50; 24:4,13,39,49; Jn. 1:29,36,47; 3:26; 4:35; 5:14; 11:3,36; 12:15,19; 16:32; 17:24; 18:21; 19:4-5,14,26-27; 20:27; Acts 1:10; 2:7; 4:29; 5:9,25,28; 7:31-32,56; 8:27; 9:10-11; 10:17,19,21,30; 11:11; 12:7; 13:11,25,41; 16:1; 20:22,25; Rom. 2:17; 9:33; 11:22; 1 Co. 10:18; 15:51; 2 Co. 3:7; 5:17; 6:2,9; 7:11; 12:14; Gal. 1:20; 5:2; Heb. 2:13; 8:8; Jas. 3:3-5; 5:4,7,9,11; 1 Pet. 2:6,12; 3:2; 1 Jn. 3:1; Jude 1:14; Rev. 1:7,18; 2:10,22; 3:8-9,11,20; 4:1-2; 5:5; 6:2,8; 9:12; 11:14; 12:3; 14:14; 15:5; 16:15; 17:8; 19:11; 21:3,5; 22:7,12 Spurgeon - The heart of Jesus was full of his sacrifice. Mark how he dwells on the details from the beginning to the end of his sufferings, death, and resurrection. He uses very much the same terms as when they abode in Galilee. We noticed that statement while reading in chapter 17:22, and this is very like a repetition of it. It was a subject too grave to be set forth with variety of expressions. He calls their attention to the fact that they were going up to Jerusalem, the place of sacrifice: the journey of his utmost grief was now beginning: the end was hastening on. What a pang shot through his heart as he said, “The Son of man shall be betrayed ”! This he said in the hearing of the disciple who would act as the traitor: did no compunction visit his base heart? The twelve knew that Jesus had no more cruel foes than “the chief priests and scribes ”, the men of the Sanhedrin: these, by a mock trial, would “condemn him to death ”, but as they could not carry out the sentence themselves, they would “deliver him to the Gentiles. ” How accurately the Lord traces the line of action! He omits none of the shameful details. He says that they would deliver him to the Romans, “to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him .” Here were three sharp swords: one scarcely knows which had the keenest edge Our hearts ought to melt as we think of this threefold sorrow: scorn, cruelty, death. Our blessed Master, however, added a word which overpowered the bitterness of the death - draught. Here was the bright lining of the black cloud: “The third day he shall rise again. ” This poured a flood of light on what else had been a sevenfold midnight. Did our Lord thus dwell on his passion, and should not we? Yes, it should be our life-long theme. They say, in this hour of defection: “Think of his life rather than of his death; “but we are not to be duped by them. “We preach Christ crucified.” “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Delivered (betrayed, handed over) (3860) paradidomi from para = alongside, beside, to the side of, over to + didomi = to give) conveys the basic meaning of to give over from one's hand to someone or something, especially to give over to the power of another. Paradidomi conveys the idea of handing over to or of conveying something to someone, particularly a right or an authority (Matthew 11:27+ ; Luke 4:6+) Paradidomi can mean to entrust for care or preservation as when one gives over, commends or commits. (Acts 14:26+) Paradidomi is used in legal parlance to describe handing someone into the custody of the police, authorities, etc. To deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death. (Matthew 10:17+; Mark 15:1+) And closely related Paradidomi can describe the "illegal", treacherous or unjustified handing of someone over to someone as in a betrayal. Thus it describes the delivering over of an individual to an enemy who will presumably take undue advantage of the victim (Mt 20:18, Mt 26:16, Mt 26:21). PARADIDOMI IN THE GOSPELS - Matt. 4:12; Matt. 5:25; Matt. 10:4; Matt. 10:17; Matt. 10:19; Matt. 10:21; Matt. 11:27; Matt. 17:22; Matt. 18:34; Matt. 20:18; Matt. 20:19; Matt. 24:9; Matt. 24:10; Matt. 25:14; Matt. 25:20; Matt. 25:22; Matt. 26:2; Matt. 26:15; Matt. 26:16; Matt. 26:21; Matt. 26:23; Matt. 26:24; Matt. 26:25; Matt. 26:45; Matt. 26:46; Matt. 26:48; Matt. 27:2; Matt. 27:3; Matt. 27:4; Matt. 27:18; Matt. 27:26; Mk. 1:14; Mk. 3:19; Mk. 4:29; Mk. 7:13; Mk. 9:31; Mk. 10:33; Mk. 13:9; Mk. 13:11; Mk. 13:12; Mk. 14:10; Mk. 14:11; Mk. 14:18; Mk. 14:21; Mk. 14:41; Mk. 14:42; Mk. 14:44; Mk. 15:1; Mk. 15:10; Mk. 15:15; Lk. 1:2; Lk. 4:6; Lk. 9:44; Lk. 10:22; Lk. 12:58; Lk. 18:32; Lk. 20:20; Lk. 21:12; Lk. 21:16; Lk. 22:4; Lk. 22:6; Lk. 22:21; Lk. 22:22; Lk. 22:48; Lk. 23:25; Lk. 24:7; Lk. 24:20; Jn. 6:64; Jn. 6:71; Jn. 12:4; Jn. 13:2; Jn. 13:11; Jn. 13:21; Jn. 18:2; Jn. 18:5; Jn. 18:30; Jn. 18:35; Jn. 18:36; Jn. 19:11; Jn. 19:16; Jn. 19:30; Jn. 21:20; Condemn (2632) katakrino from kata = down, against + krino = to assess, then to separate or distinguish, then to give an opinion upon, judge, then to decide or determine and finally to judge (to judge one down [kata = down]), pronounce judgment or to condemn) means to give judgment against, pass sentence upon, pass judgment against and hence to condemn, this latter action implying there has been a crime. It means to pronounce sentence against or to adjudge guilty and always denotes an adverse sentence (to sentence to punishment). Katakrino in secular Greek was a legal technical term for pronouncing a sentence after reaching a verdict or decision against someone. To declare an evildoer guilty. KATAKRINO - 18V - Matt. 12:41; Matt. 12:42; Matt. 20:18; Matt. 27:3; Mk. 10:33; Mk. 14:64; Mk. 16:16; Lk. 11:31; Lk. 11:32; Jn. 8:10; Jn. 8:11; Rom. 2:1; Rom. 8:3; Rom. 8:34; Rom. 14:23; 1 Co. 11:32; Heb. 11:7; 2 Pet. 2:6 Matthew 20:19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” KJV Matthew 20:19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. BGT Matthew 20:19 καὶ παραδώσουσιν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εἰς τὸ ἐμπαῖξαι καὶ μαστιγῶσαι καὶ σταυρῶσαι, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθήσεται. NET Matthew 20:19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely and crucified. Yet on the third day, he will be raised." CSB Matthew 20:19 Then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, flogged, and crucified, and He will be resurrected on the third day." ESV Matthew 20:19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day." NIV Matthew 20:19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" NLT Matthew 20:19 Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead." will hand Him over Mt 27:2-10 Mk 15:1,16-20 Lu 23:1-5 Jn 18:28-38 Ac 3:13-16 1Co 15:3-7 to mock: Mt 26:67-68 Mt 27:27-31 Ps 22:7-8 Ps 35:16 Isa 53:3 Mk 14:65 Mk 15:16-20,29-31 Lu 23:11 Jn 19:1-4 the third day He will be raised up: Mt 12:40 16:21 Isa 26:19 Ho 6:2 Lu 24:46 1Co 15:4 Related Passages: Mark 10:33-34+ saying, “Behold (idou), we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. 34 “They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” Luke 18:32-34+ “For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.” 34 But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said. Matthew 27:26-30+ Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. 28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. Preview of Coming Suffering DELIVERED FROM THE JEWS AND THEN TO THE GENTILES And will hand Him over (paradidomi - deliver) to the Gentiles (ethnos) to mock (empaizo) and scourge (mastigoo) and crucify (stauroo) Him - To hand over or deliver meant to give Jesus over to their power and authority, something He willingly did for sinful men! Jesus knew the Jews did not have the authority to put Him to death and therefore had to hand Him over to the Gentiles to carry out the death sentence. He was willing to be the sacrificial lamb for He knew that was the only way to take away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29+). And so Jesus gives details not given to the 12 before of how His enemies would torture Him and then specifically how they would put Him to death (crucifixion, a shameful and humiliating way to die). One can only imagine the 11 disciples cringing upon hearing these words from the One they had grown to dearly love. Mark and Luke add details to Jesus' suffering - Mark 10:34+ "spit on Him" (Roman soldiers spitting on Jesus - Mk 14:65+, Mk 15:16–20+, Mt 27:30+) and Lk 18:32+ "mistreated and spit upon", spitting upon someone in the OT was a sign of contempt (cf. Nu. 12:14; Dt. 25:9; Job 17:6; 30:10; Isa. 50:6). (See also Isa. 53:1-12+) John
Mateus 20
Spurgeon - While the mind of Jesus was occupied with his humiliation and death, his followers were thinking of their own honor and ease. Alas, poor human nature! The mother of Zebedee’s children only spoke as others felt. She, with a mother’s love, sought eminence, and even pre-eminence, for her sons; but the fact that the other disciples were displeased showed that they were ambitious also. Doubtless, they wanted to fill the positions, that the mother of James and John craved for them. She approached the Savior reverently, worshipping him. Yet there was too much familiarity in her request to be granted an unnamed thing: desiring a certain thing of him. Matthew Henry Concise - Mt 20:20-28. The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be drunk of; a cup of trembling, but not the cup of the wicked. It is but a cup, it is but a draught, bitter perhaps, but soon emptied; it is a cup in the hand of a Father, John 8:11. Baptism is an ordinance by which we are joined to the Lord in covenant and communion; and so is suffering for Christ, Ezekiel 20:37; Isaiah 48:10. Baptism is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace; and so is suffering for Christ, for unto us it is given, Philippians 1:29. But they knew not what Christ's cup was, nor what his baptism. Those are commonly most confident, who are least acquainted with the cross. Nothing makes more mischief among brethren, than desire of greatness. And we never find Christ's disciples quarrelling, but something of this was at the bottom of it. That man who labours most diligently, and suffers most patiently, seeking to do good to his brethren, and to promote the salvation of souls, most resembles Christ, and will be most honoured by him to all eternity. Our Lord speaks of his death in the terms applied to the sacrifices of old. It is a sacrifice for the sins of men, and is that true and substantial sacrifice, which those of the law faintly and imperfectly represented. It was a ransom for many, enough for all, working upon many; and, if for many, then the poor trembling soul may say, Why not for me? Bowing down (worship) (4352) proskuneo from pros = before + kuneo = kiss or adore) means to prostrate oneself in homage before another in the full sense of worship, not mere reverence or courtesy. When Jesus Christ was born into this world, He was attended and worshipped by angels. (Lu 2:13f). Proskuneo represents the most common Near Eastern act of adoration and reverence and also carries the idea of profound awe and respect. Some believe that the root word kuneo may be related to kuon which is the Greek word for dog and which then could be picturing a dog licking his master's hand. The word proskuneo literally means to kiss toward someone, to throw a kiss in token of respect or homage, to prostrate oneself in homage, to do reverence to, to adore and so to worship and show respect. In the ancient Oriental (especially Persia) the mode of salutation between persons of equal rank was to kiss each other on the lips. When the difference of rank was slight, they kissed each other on the cheek. When one was much inferior, he fell upon his knees touched his forehead to the ground or prostrated himself, and as he was bowing down he would be throwing kisses toward the superior. It is this latter mode of salutation that is intended by the Greek writers in the use of the verb proskuneo . PROSKUNEO 54V - bow down(1), bow down before(1), bowed down(1), bowed down before(2), bowing before(1), bowing down(1), prostrated himself before(1), worship(32), worshiped(17), worshipers(1), worshiping(1), worships(1). Matt. 2:2; Matt. 2:8; Matt. 2:11; Matt. 4:9; Matt. 4:10; Matt. 8:2; Matt. 9:18; Matt. 14:33; Matt. 15:25; Matt. 18:26; Matt. 20:20; Matt. 28:9; Matt. 28:17; Mk. 5:6; Mk. 15:19; Lk. 4:7; Lk. 4:8; Lk. 24:52; Jn. 4:20; Jn. 4:21; Jn. 4:22; Jn. 4:23; Jn. 4:24; Jn. 9:38; Jn. 12:20; Acts 7:43; Acts 8:27; Acts 10:25; Acts 24:11; 1 Co. 14:25; Heb. 1:6; Heb. 11:21; Rev. 3:9; Rev. 4:10; Rev. 5:14; Rev. 7:11; Rev. 9:20; Rev. 11:1; Rev. 11:16; Rev. 13:4; Rev. 13:8; Rev. 13:12; Rev. 13:15; Rev. 14:7; Rev. 14:9; Rev. 14:11; Rev. 15:4; Rev. 16:2; Rev. 19:4; Rev. 19:10; Rev. 19:20; Rev. 20:4; Rev. 22:8; Rev. 22:9 Request (154)(aiteo) means to ask for something or make petition. It can mean to ask with a sense of urgency and even to the point of demanding. For example, Thayer notes that the use of aiteo in 1Cor 1:22 conveys a stronger sense of demand. One gets that same sense of aiteo in Mt 27:20 (in fact NJB translates it "demand.") Aiteo is sometimes combined with other prayer words like proseuchomai (Mt 21:22, Col 1:9), so the idea of aiteo is to be asking for something while praying (proseuchomai). Of children of God asking their Father (Mt 6:8). In Mt 7:8-11 three of the uses (Mt 7:8-9, 11) of aiteo are in the present tense picturing continued asking. Of the sons of Zebedee making request (present tense) of Jesus (Mt 20:20) In Mt 5:42 commands His readers to be generous with those asking (may allude to begging; giving alms was viewed highly in the ancient world). The derivative noun aitema (155) is used in Php 4:6 and 1Jn 5:15 of requests, in the sense of a petition of men to God, both NT uses in the plural. In Lk 23:24 aitema is used more in the sense of a demand by the Jews to Pilate. Aiteo is used frequently in the Sermon on the Mount - Matt. 5:42; Matt. 6:8; Matt. 7:7; Matt. 7:8; Matt. 7:9; Matt. 7:10; Matt. 7:11 AITEO - 67V - Matt. 5:42; Matt. 6:8; Matt. 7:7; Matt. 7:8; Matt. 7:9; Matt. 7:10; Matt. 7:11; Matt. 14:7; Matt. 18:19; Matt. 20:20; Matt. 20:22; Matt. 21:22; Matt. 27:20; Matt. 27:58; Mk. 6:22; Mk. 6:23; Mk. 6:24; Mk. 6:25; Mk. 10:35; Mk. 10:38; Mk. 11:24; Mk. 15:8; Mk. 15:43; Lk. 1:63; Lk. 6:30; Lk. 11:9; Lk. 11:10; Lk. 11:11; Lk. 11:12; Lk. 11:13; Lk. 12:48; Lk. 23:23; Lk. 23:25; Lk. 23:52; Jn. 4:9; Jn. 4:10; Jn. 11:22; Jn. 14:13; Jn. 14:14; Jn. 15:7; Jn. 15:16; Jn. 16:23; Jn. 16:24; Jn. 16:26; Acts 3:2; Acts 3:14; Acts 7:46; Acts 9:2; Acts 12:20; Acts 13:21; Acts 13:28; Acts 16:29; Acts 25:3; Acts 25:15; 1 Co. 1:22; Eph. 3:13; Eph. 3:20; Col. 1:9; Jas. 1:5; Jas. 1:6; Jas. 4:2; Jas. 4:3; 1 Pet. 3:15; 1 Jn. 3:22; 1 Jn. 5:14; 1 Jn. 5:15; 1 Jn. 5:16 Norman Geisler - When Critics Ask - MATTHEW 20:20 (cf. Mark 10:35)—Who came to talk with Jesus, the mother of James and John or James and John? PROBLEM: In Matthew, the mother of James and John made a request of Jesus. However, Mark states that it was James and John who came to Jesus to make their request. SOLUTION: It is clear that both the mother and her sons came to Jesus to make the request, since the text declares “the mother … came to Him with her sons” (v. 20). It is possible that the mother spoke first with the two sons closely following to reiterate the request. This is supported by Matthew’s account because when Jesus responds “are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” the Bible says “they said to Him, `we are able’ ” (v.22). So, there is no unsolvable conflict here. The two accounts are harmonious. Matthew 20:21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She *said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” KJV Matthew 20:21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. BGT Matthew 20:21 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· τί θέλεις; λέγει αὐτῷ· εἰπὲ ἵνα καθίσωσιν οὗτοι οἱ δύο υἱοί μου εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν σου καὶ εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων σου ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου. NET Matthew 20:21 He said to her, "What do you want?" She replied, "Permit these two sons of mine to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." CSB Matthew 20:21 "What do you want?" He asked her. "Promise," she said to Him, "that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right and the other on Your left, in Your kingdom." ESV Matthew 20:21 And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." NIV Matthew 20:21 "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." NLT Matthew 20:21 "What is your request?" he asked.She replied, "In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left." What do you wish: Mt 20:32 1Ki 3:5 Es 5:3 Mk 6:22 10:36,51 Lu 18:41 Jn 15:7 Command that: Mt 18:1 19:28 Jer 45:5 Mk 10:37 Lu 22:24 Ro 12:10 Philemon 1:2,3 one on Your right 1Ki 2:19 Ps 45:9 110:1 Mk 16:19 Ro 8:34 Col 3:1 one on Your left: Lu 17:20,21 19:11 Ac 1:6 MOTHER'S SELF SEEKING FOR SON'S HONOR And He said to her, “What do you wish?” - Jesus knows exactly what's up, but wants her to voice the request. They wanted prestige and preeminence and exaltation over the other apostles! Mark 10:35 adds "James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, *came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You." Talk about brash bravado! This recalls Jesus' words describing the scribes and Pharisees who " love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues." (Mt 23:6+). They also have a touch of the "Diotrephes' syndrome" "who loves to be first among them." (3Jn 1:9+) Spurgeon - Our Lord here sets us the example of never promising in the dark. He said unto her, “What wilt thou? ” Know what you promise before you promise. She *said to Him, “Command (aorist imperative) that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit (in the places of honor) one on Your right (dexios) and one on Your left (euonumos)” - Jesus had already promised thrones (Mt 19:28+) so now it was simply a question of who gets top priority, the "best seats in the house" so to speak? One has to give her credit for she is in essence acknowledging (1) He is a King (or she thinks will soon be one) ("His kingdom" in Mt 13:41+; Mt 16:28+, cf Lk 22:29+; Lk 23:42+) and the related thought that (2) His kingdom is imminent (cf disciples in Acts 1:6+). In short, she is alluding to the Messianic Kingdom. You can't really blame a mother for asking for "reserved first row" seats for her two precious sons. The right and left seats were the most exalted positions of importance, first and second in the kingdom, on his right and left hands, respectively (in keeping with the custom of ancient monarchs; cf. Jos., Ant. 6.11.9 §235). Spurgeon - Great was this woman’s faith in the Lord’s ultimate victory and occasion to the throne, since she regards his enthronement as so certain, that she prays that her two sons should sit in his courts on his right and left hand. Was she aware of what our Lord had told his disciples? We half think so, for the words are,—Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children. If she knew and understood all that wont before, she was willing that her sons should share the lot of Jesus, both as to his cross and his crown; and this sets her petition in a bright light. Still, there was a good deal of a mother’s partiality in the request. See how she speaks of “these my two sons ” with a touch of pride in her action. How grandly she describes the desired situation — “may sit the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom ”! She had evidently very courtly notions of what the kingdom would ultimately become. In any case, her request had in it much of trust, and much of loyal union to Christ, though somewhat. also of self. We need not censure her; but we may question ourselves as to whether we think as much of our Lord as she did. Van Parunak: Her request reflects two failings on the part of the disciples, failings that we must be careful to avoid. - First, in spite of the Lord’s gentle introduction of the gruesome suffering that awaits him, the disciples still don’t get it. The only thing they hear is “Behold (idou), we go up to Jerusalem,” and their minds are so preoccupied with the coming glory of the kingdom that they miss his detailed prediction of his passion. He has just told them, twice, that those who would be first must be the last (19:30; 20:16), and reminded them of the repeated OT teaching that the saints who will rule the kingdom must first suffer. But they cannot see the suffering, and think only of the glory. It is wonderful and good for us to contemplate the glory that the Lord has in store for us, but we should not be surprised when the road to that glory must lead through suffering and tribulation. - Second, in spite of his example of humility, they continue the error of 18:1, seeking to be the greatest. They have not caught the lesson he has twice presented (18:1-4; 19:13) that they must be like little children. The Lord gives two answers: clarifying what their request involves, and pointing them to the one who has the authority to make such appointments. Then, in Mt 20:25-28, he exhorts all the disciples once more concerning humility, presenting himself as the central example. Matthew 20:22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.” KJV Matthew 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. (NOTE: WORDS IN BOLD ONLY IN THE TEXTUS RECEPTUS, NOT IN THE NESTLE-ALAND USED FOR MODERN TRANSLATIONS - THESE WORDS ARE IN Mark 10:39+) BGT Matthew 20:22 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε. δύνασθε πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριον ὃ ἐγὼ μέλλω πίνειν; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· δυνάμεθα. NET Matthew 20:22 Jesus answered, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." CSB Matthew 20:22 But Jesus answered, "You don't know what you're asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" "We are able," they said to Him. ESV Matthew 20:22 Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." NIV Matthew 20:22 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered. NLT Matthew 20:22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?" "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!" You do not know what you are asking Mk 10:38 Ro 8:26 Jas 4:3 Are you able to drink the cup: Mt 26:39,42 Ps 75:3 Jer 25:15-38 Mk 14:36 Lu 22:42 Jn 18:11 We are able: Mt 26:35,56 Pr 16:18 Related Passages: Matthew 26:39; 42+ And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”... 42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Mark 10:37-39+ They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. Luke 22:42+ saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” John 18:11+ So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” JESUS' BITTER CUP DISCIPLES' BOLD REPLY But - Term of contrast. Jesus now turns from the mother to her sons. Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able (dunamai) to drink the cup (of suffering) that I am about to drink?” - The three did not have a clue what they were really asking for with their brash, foolish request. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane will refer to his death again as “the cup” (Mk 14:36+, Mt. 26:39+, Lk 22:42+) He is speaking of the cup of suffering (which He had just described in Mt 20:18-19), the experiencing of the Father pouring out His full wrath on all the sins (past, present and future), as His Son is made sin for us (2Co 5:21+). The disciples wanted a crown but failed to understand that the cross was the way to obtain the crown! John
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Spurgeon - The petition of the mother was that of the sons also; for Jesus answered and said, “Ye know not what ye ask. ” As from the mother, the request was probably of better quality than as from the sons; for our Lord speaks to them rather than to her. They had asked, through the mother, but they may have asked in greater ignorance than she; and had they known what their request included, they might never have presented it. At any rate, our Lord treats the petition as theirs rather than their mother’s; and as it was about themselves, he questions them as to how far they were prepared for the consequences. To be near to the throne of the King would involve fellowship with him in the suffering and self-sacrifice by which he set up his spiritual kingdom: were they ready for this? Had they strength to endure to the end? “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? ” They say unto him, “we are able. ” Perhaps this was too hasty an answer; and yet it may under the aspect have been the best they could give. If they were looking alone to their Lord for strength, they were, through his grace, quite able to bear anything. But, when they thought of his throne, had they remembered the cup , and the baptism, without which there would be no enjoying the kingdom? They *said to Him, “We are able (dunamai)” - Now we have the sons of Zebedee speaking. They proudly voice words of bold bravado which shows they do not have a clue what He had just asked them about the cup. Peter had just asked "What's in it for us?" and while Jesus did promise them thrones (Mt 19:28+), He qualified it with the parable teaching the last will be first and the first will be last. Here these two disciples are saying in effect "We want to be first and we are able to drink the cup to show You we are able." Guess what? They far overestimate their ability to be steadfast, for (1) three of them could not remain awake with Him in Gethsemane and (2) they all fled when He was arrested! Pride can be very deceptive and make you think you are capable of doing things that you cannot do! The day would come when they were "able," but it would only be because the "Enabler," the Holy Spirit, came at Pentecost to indwell them, empowering them and making them ABLE! 🙏 THOUGHT - That which was true then is still true today. In other words, the only way we as believers today are ABLE is because the Spirit indwells us and we learn to jettison self-effort and rely more and more on Spirit empowerment, which is the ONLY way to live a truly supernatural life! Are you daily, continually filled with His Spirit (Eph 5:18+), so that you may walk by the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of your flesh? (Gal 5:16+) Don't say YOU are ABLE like the disciples! Admit you are not ABLE but HE is ABLE and then rely daily on Him. An OT verse that I think applies to our enablement is 1Chr 16:11 says "Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually." “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit” -- Apostle Paul Philippians 2:3+ Grant Osborne says "Jesus is aware of his destiny and deliberately chooses the cross, while the disciples, aware of nothing, are consumed with their own desire for greatness."....We must be willing to drink the cup of Jesus’ suffering (see note on Mt 10:17–31), but the clear message here is that we seek no greatness but the path of Christ, which will often involve suffering and persecution. As Jesus said in Mt 16:24+, we must “take up [our] cross,” and that means a willingness to die if God so wills. In Phil 3:10+ Paul talked about “participation in his suffering,” and in Col 1:24+ Paul discussed filling up “what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions.” Paul meant that suffering was a participation in Christ’s life and a special eschatological event connected with the eschaton. (See Matthew - Page 743)
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Spurgeon - Hearing their professed willingness to have fellowship with himself in all things, our Lord assures them that he does not refuse to be associated with them; but he points them to the immediate and certain result of that fellowship. Our practical present business is not to aim at eminence in the kingdom, but submissively to drink the cup of suffering, and plunge into the deeps of humiliation which our Lord appoints for us. It is a great honor to be allowed to drink of his cup and to be baptized with his baptism: this he grants to his believing disciples. This fellowship is the essence of the spiritual kingdom. If our cup be bitter, it is his cup; if our baptism be overwhelming, it is the baptism that he is baptized with; and this sweetens the one, and prevents the other from being a death-plunge. Indeed that the cup and the baptism are his, makes our share in them to be an honor bestowed by grace. R T France has an interesting observation that "Their open bid for leadership now is therefore a direct challenge to Peter’s leading position: if James and John are at Jesus’ right and left, where will Peter be?" (See The Gospel of Matthew - Page 758) “He who goes nearest in time to Christ the crucified shall get nearest in eternity to Christ the glorified.”" -- Morison But to sit on My right (dexios) and on My left (euonumos), this is not Mine to give - Rewards are not handed out on request but are gifts of grace as the Father has ordained to give. Jesus yields to His Father's authority. SEE subordination/hierarchy in the Trinity. In John 6:38+ Jesus said "I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." Hiebert - "Jesus replied that He had no positions to give as a mere personal favor. Their request asked Him to act as an earthly monarch, bestowing personal favors on His favorites according to His own caprice." Personal ambition is not a factor in the eternal, sovereign plan of God. -- John MacArthur Spurgeon - He comes to do not his own will, but the will of him that sent him, and so he correctly says of rank in his kingdom, It is not mine to give. How thoroughly did our Lord take a lowly place for our sakes! In this laying aside of authority, he gives a silent rebuke to our self-seeking.”
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Spurgeon - Other rewards of the kingdom are not arbitrarily granted, but fittingly bestowed. Jesus says that the high places in the kingdom will be given to them for whom they are prepared of his Father. He has no hesitation in speaking of what his Father has “prepared.” Everything about our Lord’s Kingdom is divinely arranged and fixed; nothing is left to chance or fate. Even Jesus will not interfere with the divine appointment concerning his kingdom. As a friend, he may not be solicited to use a supposed private influence to alter the arrangements of infinite wisdom. Eternal purposes are not to be changed at the request of ill-advised disciples. In a sense, Jesus gives all things; but as Mediator, he comes not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him, and so he correctly says of rank in his kingdom, It is not mine to give. How thoroughly did our Lord take a lowly place for our sakes! In this laying aside of authority, he gives a silent rebuke to our self-seeking. It may be that he intended to reprove, not only the mother of Zebedee’s children, but all the disciples, who were constantly seeking great things for themselves. Left (2176) euonumos from eu - well, good + onoma - name, literally speaks of good name, honorable, of good omen; usually substantivally in both feminine singular and neuter plural, used by the Greeks as a euphemism for left, the left hand, the left side, as a replacement for avristero,j (left) in opposition to the right, since omens on the left were regarded as unfortunate ( MT 20.21) Liddell-Scott and Thayer say it speaks of good omen, prosperous, fortunate, in the latter sense used in taking auguries; but those omens were euphemistically called euonuma which in fact were regarded as unlucky, i. e. which came from the left, sinister omens (for which a good name was desired). In an inscription from Ephesus dealing with augury (divination from auspices or omens), where it is laid down that if a bird flying from right to left concealed its wing, it was a good omen (dexios) but if it raised its left wing, then, whether it raised or concealed the wing, it was of ill omen (euonumos). EUONUMOS - 9v - Matt. 20:21; Matt. 20:23; Matt. 25:33; Matt. 25:41; Matt. 27:38; Mk. 10:40; Mk. 15:27; Acts 21:3; Rev. 10:2 Prepared (2090)(hetoimazo from heteos = fitness - see hetoimasia) means to make ready, put in readiness, specifically to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use, or activity. In Mt 3:3 “Make ready the way of the Lord…” In Jn 14:2-3 "“I go to prepare a place for you…” 1Cor 2:9 "“What God has prepared for those who love Him” Rev 21:2 “Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” HETOIMAZO - 40V - get ready(1), get...ready(1), made ready(1), made...ready(1), make arrangements(1), make ready(4), prepare(11), prepared(20). Matt. 3:3; Matt. 20:23; Matt. 22:4; Matt. 25:34; Matt. 25:41; Matt. 26:17; Matt. 26:19; Mk. 1:3; Mk. 10:40; Mk. 14:12; Mk. 14:15; Mk. 14:16; Lk. 1:17; Lk. 1:76; Lk. 2:31; Lk. 3:4; Lk. 9:52; Lk. 12:20; Lk. 12:47; Lk. 17:8; Lk. 22:8; Lk. 22:9; Lk. 22:12; Lk. 22:13; Lk. 23:56; Lk. 24:1; Jn. 14:2; Jn. 14:3; Acts 23:23; 1 Co. 2:9; 2 Tim. 2:21; Phlm. 1:22; Heb. 11:16; Rev. 8:6; Rev. 9:7; Rev. 9:15; Rev. 12:6; Rev. 16:12; Rev. 19:7; Rev. 21:2 QUESTION - Who is greatest in the kingdom? ANSWER - The greatest person in the kingdom will of course be Jesus. After that, ranking the greatest is full of surprises. Matthew 18:1–5 records, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ [Jesus] called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me’” (see also Mark 9:35–37; Luke 9:46–48). This incident occurred after the Transfiguration and after Jesus’ second prediction of His death. Jesus had also just spoken about paying temple taxes, essentially claiming exemption as the Son of God yet miraculously providing for both Peter’s tax and His own so as not to cause offense. Too, Jesus had healed a demon-possessed boy whom His disciples were unable to heal (Matthew 17:14–21). Jesus’ power was evident, and the disciples recognized Him as Messiah and King. Evidently, they were interested in what their roles would be in Jesus’ kingdom. Rather than provide qualifications for the greatest or talk about a hierarchical structure, Jesus said those who became like children—humble—were the greatest (Matthew 18:4). Interestingly, after Jesus talks about the greatest being like a child, John tells Jesus that he had tried to stop others who were casting out demons in Jesus’ name (Mark 9:38; Luke 9:49). Apparently, the lesson had not quite sunken in, or perhaps John was convicted by Jesus’ words and chose to confess his mistake. Jesus explained that what mattered was not who was doing the works but the Name in which the works were being done. It is God who deserves the glory, not an elite group of His followers. We also see in Matthew 20 and Mark 10 a request from John and James to sit with Jesus in His kingdom. Jesus replied by asking them if they were able to suffer as He was going to suffer. He then said, “To sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father” (Matthew 20:23). Being great in God’s kingdom is not about prestige or privilege. Rather, it involves responsibility and sacrifice. Jesus told His disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done” (Matthew 16:24–27). To be great is to serve self-sacrificially. Being great in God’s kingdom is about giving oneself for the sake of God’s glory and for the benefit of others. Luke 22 tells about another dispute among the disciples about who was the greatest, this time during the Last Supper. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:25–27). This is the same night Jesus performed the service of the lowest of servants by washing His disciples’ feet. John 13 tells us Jesus did this because of His love for the disciples and also fully knowing His own relationship with the Father. Again, we see that the greatest is not the one with power or prestige, but the one who is secure in the Father’s love and willing to serve. Consistent in Jesus’ teaching is that His kingdom is not like the kingdoms of this world. Humans tend to be concerned with social status, political clout, and pecking order. We tend to rank people according to how things look to us in this world, but Jesus warned that using earthly criteria will never give us an accurate picture of rank in God’s kingdom. Human judgment will give way to God’s some day: “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matthew 19:30). Rather than strive to be the greatest in this world, we should simply trust in Jesus and serve others, thereby serving Him. Positions of power are meant to be positions of service. Rather than lord power over others, we are to use any influence or resources we have to serve others. The greatest in the kingdom are those who have the humility of a child and the meekness of Jesus. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). What is valued in God’s kingdom is loving the way He loved us—selflessly. Related Resource: What does the Bible say about humility? Matthew 20:24 And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. KJV Matthew 20:24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. BGT Matthew 20:24 Καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ δέκα ἠγανάκτησαν περὶ τῶν δύο ἀδελφῶν. NET Matthew 20:24 Now when the other ten heard this, they were angry with the two brothers. CSB Matthew 20:24 When the 10 disciples heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers. ESV Matthew 20:24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. NIV Matthew 20:24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. NLT Matthew 20:24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. NRS Matthew 20:24 When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. NJB Matthew 20:24 When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers. NAB Matthew 20:24 When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. YLT Matthew 20:24 And the ten having heard, were much displeased with the two brothers, GWN Matthew 20:24 When the other ten apostles heard about this, they were irritated with the two brothers. BBE Matthew 20:24 And when it came to the ears of the ten, they were angry with the two brothers. they: Pr 13:10 Mk 10:41 Lu 22:23-25 1Co 13:4 Php 2:3 Jas 3:14-18 Jas 4:1,5,6 1Pe 5:5 Related Passages: Mark 10:41+ Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. Luke 22:23-25+ And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing. 24And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. 25And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ RESENTMENT IN THE RANKS! And hearing this, the ten became indignant (aganakteo - sorely displeased, resentful) with the two brothers - MIT = "When that news got around to the other ten apostles, they became hot under the collar about what the two brothers were up to." Jesus has just told them about His coming crucifixion which should have made them indignant toward the Jewish officials. Note that even Peter joins in the indignation against James and John! After all he surely thought he had done enough to warrant "first place." The ten had forgotten their earlier words "They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest." (Mk 9:33-34+) And they will soon forget again even at the Last Supper (!!!) Luke recording that "there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest." (Luke 22:24+) As the old saying goes "It takes one to know one!" The ten is a designation used only in this incident. Indignant describes a strong emotional response (used of Jesus in Mk 10:14+) meaning to feel pain and here describes the angry resentment of the other ten disciples. In short the 10 became angry! Division was beginning to infiltrate the ranks. The other 10 disciples thought that James and John had taken advantage of their relationship with Jesus. Hiebert - When Jesus bestowed special privileges on Peter, James, and John (Mk 5:37; Mk 9:2), the others showed no resentment; that was His prerogative. But they were deeply offended when the two brothers privately requested preferential treatment for themselves. Began (Mk 10:41) apparently suggests that their strong feeling against James and John was not allowed to continue for long; Jesus acted at once to arrest it. Their reaction was no more praiseworthy than the selfish ambition of the two. All of them would have gladly accepted the positions James and John had the audacity to ask for themselves, but they resented the unfair efforts of James and John to secure those positions. They “betrayed their spiritual shallowness by being indignant at the spiritual shallowness of the two.” (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary) John
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Spurgeon - Naturally, the other ten apostles did not relish the attempt of the sons of Zebedee to steal a march upon them. We never hear that they resented our Lord’s preference of Peter, James, and John; but when two of these sought precedence for themselves they could not bear it. Peter was with them in this, for we read, When the ten heard it. Unanimously they were angry with upstarts. That they were moved with indignation, was a proof that they were ambitious themselves, or at least that they were not willing to take the lowest place. Because they were guilty of the same fault, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren Here was a sad division in the little camp; how could it be healed? Jesus called them unto him: he personally dealt with this rising evil, and bade the twelve come aside, and listen to something meant only for their private ear. Warren
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Spurgeon - They were confounding his kingdom with the ordinary government of men, and therefore they dreamed of being great, and exercising dominion in his name; but he wished them to correct their ideas, and turn their thoughts another way. It was true, that to be his followers was a highly honorable thing, and made them partakers of a kingdom; but it was not like earthly kingdoms. In the great Gentile monarchies, princes ruled by authority force, and pomp; but in his kingdom the rule would be one of love, and the dignity would be that of service. He who could serve most would be the greatest. The lowliest would be the most honored: the most self-sacrificing would have most power. Whenever we see the nobles of earth contending for precedence, we should hear our Master say, “But it shall not be so among you. ” We must for ever quit hunting after honor, office, power, and influence. If we aim at greatness at all, it must be by being great in service, becoming the minister or servant of our brethren. Warren
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Spurgeon - They were confounding his kingdom with the ordinary government of men, and therefore they dreamed of being great, and exercising dominion in his name; but he wished them to correct their ideas, and turn their thoughts another way. It was true, that to be his followers was a highly honorable thing, and made them partakers of a kingdom; but it was not like earthly kingdoms. In the great Gentile monarchies, princes ruled by authority force, and pomp; but in his kingdom the rule would be one of love, and the dignity would be that of service. He who could serve most would be the greatest. The lowliest would be the most honored: the most self-sacrificing would have most power. Whenever we see the nobles of earth contending for precedence, we should hear our Master say, “But it shall not be so among you. ” We must for ever quit hunting after honor, office, power, and influence. If we aim at greatness at all, it must be by being great in service, becoming the minister or servant of our brethren. True greatness, the greatness of the kingdom, is reached only through service and self-sacrifice. Jesus is himself the supreme model of that kind of greatness. -- Donald Hagner A good picture of the meaning of this word group is found in the use of diakoneo to describe Peter's mother-in-law who was healed by Jesus "and she immediately got up and waited (diakoneo) on them." (Lk 4:39+) Those whom God will employ are first struck with a sense of their unworthiness to be employed. -- Matthew Henry William Law in A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life wrote "Let every day be a day of humility; condescend to all the weaknesses and infirmities of your fellow-creatures, cover their frailties, love their excellencies, encourage their virtues, relieve their wants, rejoice in their prosperities, compassionate their distress, receive their friendship, overlook their unkindness, forgive their malice, be a servant of servants, and condescend to do the lowliest offices of the lowest of mankind." Samuel Brengle wrote "If I appear great in their eyes, the Lord is most graciously helping me to see how absolutely nothing I am without Him, and helping me to keep little in my own eyes. He does use me. But I am so concerned that He uses me and that it is not of me the work is done. The axe cannot boast of the trees it has cut down. It could do nothing but for the woodsman. He made it, he sharpened it, and he used it. The moment he throws it aside, it becomes only old iron. O That I may never lose sight of this. (Quoted by Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership - borrow.) Servant (minister, deacon) (1249) diakonos see related words diakoneo, diakonia) is of uncertain origin. Some say it is from dia (through) + konis (dust) which denotes one who hurries through the dust to carry out his service. (Thayer and others doubt this derivation for technical reasons). Diakonos (and cognates) was originally purely secular, referring to a person who did menial labor, such as house cleaning or serving tables. It was not necessarily a term of dishonor but simply described the lowest level of hired help, persons who needed little training or skill. Vine says that diakonos is probably from diako which means to hasten after, to pursue and so to run on errands. "Then the root idea is one who reaches out with diligence and persistence to render a service on behalf of others. This would imply that the deacon reaches out to render love-prompted service to others energetically and persistently." (Hiebert) This word group (diakonos, diakoneo, diakonia) focuses on the rendering or assistance or help by performing certain duties, often of a humble or menial nature, and including such mundane activities as waiting on tables or caring for household needs, activities that to many would seem to be without dignity (not true of course in God's eyes, Pr 15:3, Rev 22:12+). In summary, the basic idea of this word group is that of humble, submissive, personal service, with less emphasis on a specific office or a particular function. As Matthew Henry once said "Those whom God will employ are first struck with a sense of their unworthiness to be employed." Lawrence Richards observes that "A survey of NT passages using the diakoneo word group (diakonos, diakoneo, diakonia) reveals how we can serve others and what "ministry" involves. It will include the following activities: caring for those in prison (Mt 25:44), serving tables (i.e., meeting physical needs) (Ac 6:2), teaching the Word of God (Ac 6:4), giving money to meet others' needs (2Co 9:1), and all the service offered by Christians to others to build them up in faith (1Co 12:5; Ep 4:12+). Although Paul and other apostles are called ministers, and although there was the office of deacon in the early church, there is a sense in which every believer is a minister and is to use his or her gifts to serve others When Pastor Howard Sugden preaches on the upper room, where Jesus washed the disciples' feet, he speaks of "God with a towel in His hand." That towel symbolizes One who "did not come to be served, but to serve" (Matt. 20:28). Yet how quickly we reverse the pattern and expect others to serve our needs. We may even go so far as to complain when other believers disappoint us and don't do as we expect. That's why we need to keep Jesus' example before us. Vernon Grounds, then president of Denver Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary, challenged the graduating class of 1973 with the truth of John 13. Dr. Grounds gave the graduates a tangible symbol that he said would help them in their future ministries. As the classmates filed quietly to the front, they expected a special Scripture verse, a little book, or an inscribed medallion. To their surprise, he gave them a small square of white terry cloth. One graduate, who has served as an overseas missionary, says, "We were commissioned to go into the world as servants. That small piece of towel, frayed and grubby from years in my wallet, is a constant reminder of that moving moment and of our basic call to serve." The believer's talents are not to be laid up for self—they are to be laid out in service. John