Mateus 20

Mateus 20

Guzik points out that Jesus "reply came in stages. First, a promise of reward (Matthew 19:28). Second, a warning that God’s manner of distributing reward is not necessarily the manner of men (many who are the first will be last, and the last first, Matthew 19:30). Finally, this parable that illustrates the principle that God’s manner of rewarding is not like man’s practice of giving rewards. Who Made the Chapter Breaks in the Bible? Stephen Langton (c. 1150–1228) Archbishop of Canterbury is widely credited with creating the modern chapter divisions around the early 1200s. His divisions were first applied to the Latin Vulgate (the Bible used widely in medieval Europe). These divisions were later adopted in Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, and then carried into modern Bible translations. It goes without saying that chapter breaks are not inspired. One further note is the best way to detect "poor chapter breaks" as here in Matthew 20 is to develop the discipline of reading the text in context. Context is king in interpretation! The kingdom (basileia) of heaven (ouranos) is like (term of comparison//simile) a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers (ergates) for his vineyard - Jesus does not specify the work the landowner required - harvesting, pruning, planting. That information was not crucial to understanding the parable. One point is that all these tasks in the vineyard were very demanding work, especially in the dry, hot climate. As is common today men looking for day work will congregate early in the morning in anticipation of being hired. Ryrie Study Bible (borrow) - Mt 20:20:1-16 The subject is the reward of willingness to serve, whether one comes early or late. Christ is not teaching economics. Kingdom of Heaven (synonymous with Kingdom of God) - 32x/31v - Matt. 3:2; Matt. 4:17; Matt. 5:3; Matt. 5:10; Matt. 5:19; Matt. 5:20; Matt. 7:21; Matt. 8:11; Matt. 10:7; Matt. 11:11; Matt. 11:12; Matt. 13:11; Matt. 13:24; Matt. 13:31; Matt. 13:33; Matt. 13:44; Matt. 13:45; Matt. 13:47; Matt. 13:52; Matt. 16:19; Matt. 18:1; Matt. 18:3; Matt. 18:4; Matt. 18:23; Matt. 19:14; Matt. 19:23; Matt. 20:1; Matt. 22:2; Matt. 23:13; Matt. 25:1; Matt. 25:14 - What is the difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven? Ligonier.org gives some excellent background on vineyards - Grapes were one of the most valuable commodities in ancient Israel because they could be transformed into fine wines. So important were the vineyards that the prophets often describe the salvation of God's people as including the restoration of the vineyards of the Promised Land (for example, Amos 9:14). Vinedressers and vineyard owners know, however, that the profitability of their vineyard depends on harvesting the grapes at just the right time. Wait too long, and the wine produced from the grapes will not be as good and will not command as high a price as it could. Consequently, when the time of harvest comes, vineyard owners often employ many day laborers in addition to their regular staff so that all of the grapes can be picked before it is too late. That is the setting of today's passage, wherein the master of the house must find "laborers for his vineyard" (Matt. 20:1). Charles Swindoll (see Insights on Matthew - Page 122) -James Morier, in his travelogue of journeys through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, recorded a scene in a marketplace of Hamadan, one of the oldest cities in Iran. Though his observations were made in the nineteenth century, this could have fallen right out of the scene Jesus paints in Matthew 20: Here we observed every morning before the sun rose, that a numerous body of peasants were collected with spades in their hands, waiting as they informed us, to be hired for the day to work in the surrounding fields. This custom, which I have never seen in any other part of Asia, forcibly struck us as a most happy illustration of our Saviour’s parable of the labourers in the vineyard, in the 20th chapter of Matthew; particularly when passing by the same place late in the day, we still found others standing idle, and remembered His words, Why stand ye here all the day idle? as most applicable to their situation; for in putting the very same question to them, they answered us, Because no man hath hired us. (See James Morier's book A second journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor page 264) C H