Matthew Chapter 20

From The Open Bible Project

20:1 "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

• (1) God is bound to no man, and therefore he calls whoever and whenever he desires. This only every man ought to take heed of, and upon this bestow his whole endeavour, that he go forward and come to the mark without stopping at all or staggering, and to not curiously examine the doings of other men, or the judgments of God.

20:2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a [90>]denarius[<90] a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

• (a) Literally, "fell in time": it is a kind of speech taken from poetry.

20:3 He went out about the [91>]third hour,[<91] and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

20:4 To them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went their way.

20:5 Again he went out about the [92>]sixth and the ninth hour,[<92] and did likewise.

20:6 About the [93>]eleventh hour[<93] he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, 'Why do you stand here all day idle?'

• (b) The last hour: for the day was twelve hours long, and the first hour began at sunrise.

20:7 "They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' "He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.'

20:8 When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.'

20:9 "When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.

20:10 When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.

20:11 When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,

20:12 saying, 'These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!'

20:13 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn't you agree with me for a denarius?

20:14 Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.

20:15 Isn't it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?'

• (c) Naught, that is to say, do you envy at my goodness towards them? For by an "evil eye" the Hebrews mean "envy", because such dispositions appear chiefly in the eyes, as above in (Matthew 6:23). It is set in opposition to the word "single", and it is taken there for corrupt: for whereas he said before in verse 22, "If thine eye be single", he adds in verse 23, "but if thine eye by wicked", or "corrupt", the word being the same in that place as it is here. (Matthew 6:22,23)

20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen."

20:17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,

• (2) Christ goes to the cross necessarily, and yet willingly.

20:18 "Behold, 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,

• (3) They that should be persecuting him the least, are the greatest persecutors of Christ.

20:19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day he will be raised up."

• (4) The shame of the cross is the sure way to the glory of everlasting life.

20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.

• (5) The manner of the heavenly kingdom is quite contrary to the earthly kingdom.

20:21 He said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom."

20:22 But Jesus answered, "You don't know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to him, "We are able."

• (d) "Taking the cup" is figurative speech for that which is contained in the cup. And again, the Hebrews understand by the word "cup", sometimes the manner of punishment which is rendered to sin, as (Psalms 11:6), or the joy that is given to the faithful, as (Psalms 23:5), and sometimes a lot or condition, as (Psalms 16:5).
• (e) This is in reference to afflictions, as David commonly uses.

20:23 He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

• (f) The almightiness of Christ’s divinity is not shut out by this, but it shows the debasing of himself by taking man’s nature upon him.

20:24 When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.

20:25 But Jesus summoned them, and said, "You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

• (g) Somewhat sharply and roughly.

20:26 It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you [94>]shall be[<94] your servant.

20:27 Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,

20:28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

20:29 As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

• (6) Christ by healing these blind men with only one touch, shows that he is the only light of the world.

20:30 Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"

20:31 The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"

20:32 Jesus stood still, and called them, and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

• (h) Himself, not by the means of other men.

20:33 They told him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."

20:34 Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received their sight, and they followed him.