THE MIND OF JESUS ( Matthew 20:20-28 continued). In truth, this was Emmanuel, God with us. I am going to be betrayed. Men little weigh what their words will sound and prove in the day of judgment. faithful unto death shall receive the crown of life. 45. [2.] The reason for the change is this--Matthew was writing twenty-five years later than Mark; by that time a kind of halo of sanctity had become attached to the disciples. He was to be betrayed into the hands of the chief priests and Scribes; there we see the suffering of the heart broken by the disloyalty of friends. So long as it is all we have to give, all service ranks the same with God. All rights reserved. So the last will be first, and the first last: Peter and the disciples knew they had given up a great deal to follow Jesus. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." An evil eye was a phrase in use, among the ancient Jews, to denote an envious, covetous man or disposition; a man who repined at his neighbours prosperity, loved his own money, and would do nothing in the way of charity for Gods sake. (Clarke). In this work we must not be slothful, not loiterers, but labourers, working, and working out our own salvation. John is swifter of foot, and comes first to the sepulchre: but Peter has more courage, and goes first into it. Time would fail now to dwell on this chapter, interesting as it is. He does not come to be served, but to serve. I say not how fax he had realized this profound truth; I say not that he could have defined his thoughts; but he knew and declared His command of all as truly God. Third, this passage sheds a light on Jesus. Historical Books Didst not thou agree to take up with heaven as thy portion, thy all, and to take up with nothing short of it? Parents, and the disciples, like the Pharisees, were shown that grace, just because it is the expression of what God is to a ruined world, takes notice of what man in his own imaginary dignity might count altogether petty. Thus the great tree and the leavened mass are in fact the two sides of Christendom. 2 And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, he sent them into his vineyard. WATCH TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CHALLENGE WAS Hey, Im Tia and my aim is to travel the world with my camera and of course my wonderful partner is coming along and enjoying the ride with me ! However imperfect it may be, if faith is there, Jesus accepts it. It brings me to the real crisis; that is, the final presentation of our lord to Jerusalem. range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed General Epistles Jesus purpose in telling this story was to illustrate what he had just said concerning Gods unexpected gift to those who at present appear to be disadvantaged (see Matthew 19:30). If God shall bless your brother, and make him ten times more useful than you are, then you see that he is blessing you not only blessing him, but you. This tested their thoughts of the glory of Jesus. A few I have chosen for higher stations in the church. He maintains His sovereign title to do good, to do as He will with His own. This parable taught him that God would give him a just reward for his sacrificial labor for Jesus. At the close of this chapter 9, in His deep compassion He bids the disciples pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth labourers into His harvest. a. When it came time to pay the workers, the men hired last were paid first and paid for a full day of work! b. Christianity knows nothing of the conception of a herrenvolk, a master race. In him there was a spiritual force far beyond that found in the leper, to whom the hand that touched, as well as cleansed, him proclaimed Israel's need and state as truly as Emmanuel's grace. The pay was perfectly normal; a denarius or a drachma was the normal day's wage for a working man; and, even allowing for the difference in modern standards and in purchasing power, 4 pence a day was not a wage which left any margin. Not merely were there many pieces of value, but one pearl of great price. Conversely in some cases those whom God called early in their lives may not receive as much reward as those called later in life. When the ten heard about this, they were angry with the two brothers. So, when more is added, He says, "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. c. But to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give: Jesus here showed remarkable submission to His Father. (e) T. Bab. So many people, both in things material and in things spiritual, get what they want, and then forget even to say thanks. It was made after a series of announcements by Jesus that ahead of him lay an inescapable Cross; it was made at a moment when the air was heavy with the atmosphere of tragedy and the sense of foreboding. In the picture of the holy city in the Revelation there are twelve gates. 1 Corinthians 6:2; Revelation 2:26). Warning them against that casual, careless attitudes in which many of them were receiving it. The point of this closing aphorism is not to suggest that God's ways are simply or only about an inversion of the status quo. He tells them that they should not have gone over (or finished) the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come. 16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.(A). Lesson focus: Though we can become competitive and weigh our success on what others do, the Bible emphasizes that the grace of God is the only thing worth bragging rights.Passage: Various New Testament references, most notably Matthew 20:1-16 and Ephesians 2:8-10Target Audience: Kindergarten-6th Grade (adaptable older or younger)Materials Needed: Chairs, music, puzzles, cups (plastic or . All of this takes the simple picture Jesus gave too far. So this seems to be the words that couch this particular parable. The landowner asked if they were jealous because the landowner was generous to other people. Hugh Martin reminds us that a great teacher used to say that the saddest words in all Shakespeare's plays are the words: "Othello's occupation's gone." But it was for a land of darkness and sin and death that Jesus came from heaven the Messiah, not according to their thoughts, but the Lord and Saviour, the God-man. Didst not thou agree to take God's word for it? So our goal as disciples is to value things now as God does. We can count on God dealing with us justly, graciously, and generously whether we serve God all our lives or only a short time having become His disciples later in life. There is here the first decisive step to the last act of the inescapable tragedy. It is enough to meet a difficulty which many feel by the simple plea that the reason assigned is in my judgment a valid explanation, and in itself a sufficient solution of the apparent discrepancy. This was an entirely normal arrangement. In Jesus' name. So He meekly retires, healing, yet forbidding it to be blazed abroad. But none the less do we find His affections engaged for the help of the helpless. 4. At that time Jesus answered, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes. If the first workers had been paid first, they would not have had time to develop the expectation of more pay for themselves. Peter wanted to know what they would get in return. Judas one of the twelve, who is listening to Him, will be the one who betrays Him. 10 million Ukrainians without power because of Russia. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Such people resent what seems to them the intrusion of new blood or the rise of a new generation with different plans and different ways. Then follows another incident, which equally proves that the Spirit of God is not here reciting the facts in their natural succession; for it is assuredly not at this moment historically that the Lord goes into the house of Peter, sees there his wife's mother laid sick of a fever, touches her hand, and raises her up, so that she ministers unto them at once. On this the Lord proceeds to take a step farther, and makes a deeper inroad, if possible, upon Jewish prejudice. This, then, I apprehend to be the reason why we End two demoniacs mentioned; whereas, in Mark or Luke for other purposes, the Spirit of God only draws attention to one of the two. This came out most blessedly through the disciples. He has His rejection before His eyes, as well as the presumptuous unbelief of this sordid, and self-confident, would-be follower. There is hope for old sinners; for if, in sincerity, they turn to God, they shall doubtless be accepted; true repentance is never too late. They had their mistaken ambitions; they had their blindness; they had their wrong ideas; but he never dreamed of writing them off as bad debts. [2.] Reviewing, then, these closing incidents of the chapter (ver. Prophets Yet it shall not be so among you is a stinging rebuke to the manner in which the modern church looks to the world for both its substance and style. Examine the Scripture, and you will see for yourselves. The Lord increase thy earnestness and faith! (Clarke), 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission, The Whole Bible Dress up - slacks/tie, skirt/shirt. As we have seen, the pay was 4 pence a day; and, if they were unemployed for one day, the children would go hungry at home, for no man ever saved much out of 4 pence a day. On the other hand, it is not too much to say, that the same Scriptures which convince one unbiassed mind that pays heed to these notes of time, will produce no less effect on others. He evinces, that at the very time when Peter forgot the vision and the Father's voice, virtually reducing Him to mere man, He was God manifest in the flesh. They looked at one another, and they tried to fathom where there was no depth, but where the truth lay on the surface. (Spurgeon), vi. That they might possibly be outstripped by their successors in profession, and, though they were before others in profession, might be found inferior to them in knowledge, grace, and holiness. May we not go even further with this thought of comfort? GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point On the other hand, by far the greater weight of tradition goes to show that John lived to a great old age in Ephesus and died a natural death when he must have been close on a hundred years old. The market-place is a place of concourse, and there Wisdom cries (Proverbs 1:20; Proverbs 1:21); it is a place of sport, there the children are playing (Matthew 11:16; Matthew 11:16); and the gospel calls us from vanity to seriousness; it is a place of business, of noise and hurry; and from that we are called to retire. a. There are two great lessons here. Poetical Books God hires labourers, not because he needs them or their services (for, if we be righteous, what do we unto him? The last trumpet, at the great day, shall call the labourers,1 Thessalonians 4:16. 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. What does Matthew chapter 20 mean? | BibleRef.com Accordingly, notice that, in the manner in which the Holy Ghost introduces it, there is no statement of time whatever. What we have, is not our own, and therefore it is not lawful for us to do what we will with it; but what God has, is his own; and this will justify him, First, In all the disposals of his providence; when God takes from us that which was dear to us, and which we could ill spare, we must silence our discontents with this; May he not do what he will with his own? I will obey to the end.. But that they might not be carried away by ambition or vain confidence in themselves, it was necessary also to remind them that others, who would long afterwards be called, would be partakers of the same glory, because God is not limited to any person, but calls freely whomsoever He pleases, and bestows on those who are called whatever rewards He thinks fit. It is true that in this particular instance Mark no more surrounds the leper with notes of time and place than do Matthew and Luke. Used by permission. Disease must obey Him, as the soldier or the servant obeyed the centurion, their superior. Lowly, noiseless grace now it was to be, according to the prophet, till the hour strikes for victory in judgment. "In God's economy," as someone has said, "there is no such thing as a most favoured nation clause." The ones who labored only an hour did not deserve their pay either. i. Love is the sign of true discipleship. Then the pitiable condition of the disciples at the foot of the hill, where Satan reigned in fallen ruined man, is tested by the fact, that notwithstanding all the glory of Jesus, Son of God and Son of man, the disciples rendered it evident that they knew not how to bring His grace into action for others; yet was it precisely their place and proper function here below. But what a mercy that those who appear now to be rejected may be called in another muster, enrolled, serve in the field, or work in the vineyard? When time ends, and with it the world of work and opportunity, then the state of retribution commences; then call the labourers, and give them their hire. Thus shall every mouth be stopped, and all flesh be silent before God. Thus many are called by the preaching of the Gospel, but few are found who use their advantages in such a way as to become extensively useful in the Church-and many in the Church militant behave so ill as never to be admitted into the Church triumphant. Ties him to his bargain (Matthew 20:14; Matthew 20:14); Take that thine is, and go thy way. As the elder brother, in the parable of the prodigal, repined at the reception of his younger brother, and complained of his father's generosity to him; so these labourers quarrelled with their master, and found fault, not because they had not enough, so much as because others were made equal with them. Matthew 20 Commentary - John Gill's Exposition of the Bible (iv) Here, also, is the infinite compassion of God. Jesus gives the parable of the laborers in the vineyardHe foretells His crucifixion and resurrectionHe came to give His life as a ransom for many. The landowner reminded them that he had paid them the amount they had agreed to, and if he paid others the same amount, that was his concern. The Rabbis had a saying, "Some enter the Kingdom in an hour; others hardly enter it in a lifetime." To you, be all praise and honor and power and glory, both now and forever. i. The indignation of the ten doubtless sprang less from humility than jealousy plus fear that they might lose out. (Carson). People do not merit salvation either by works or by attitudes of trust. The Lord pleads the cause of the disciples. As to any one else, even the most liberal gift that ever was given of God to fallen man on earth, to the golden head of the Gentiles, exempted the deep and its untamed inhabitants. Can you drink the cup which I have to drink?" There is one very revealing little difference between Matthew's and Mark's account of this incident. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with what is my own? How are we to account for a selection so marked, an elimination of time so complete? 4. Still further, here is demonstrated the unshakable loyalty of the disciples. So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, What do you want Me to do for you? They said to Him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And the third day He will rise again: Most important, this was something that Jesus had no apparent control over. I didn't come to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give my life as a ransom for many ( Matthew 20:28 ). Minor Prophets "The foxes," says He, "have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." The crown set before us is a crown of righteousness, which the righteous Judge shall give. A fish was the last being for man to make his banker of; with God all things are possible, who knew how to blend admirably in the same act divine glory, unanswerably vindicated, with the lowliest grace in man. Not that His own rejection was not before His spirit, but here He looks not beyond that land and people; and, as far as the twelve were concerned, He sends them on a mission which goes on to the end of the an. And because they were sent of God, they each one received from the Lord that same portion.Sometimes we see people who on their deathbed receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and they enter into eternal life. They wanted Jesus with a royal command to ensure for them a princely life. . Historical Books [2.] The people whose hearts are yielded to him will be recognized as his children no matter their rank or riches by worldly standards. 1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire a labourers into his vineyard. "That by His stripes you may be healed." 22 But Jesus answered by saying to . How often the heart shows itself, not merely by what we ask, but by the uncalled-for feelings we display against other people and their faults! Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. In this, as I believe, that He never employed the virtue that was in Him to meet sickness or infirmity as a matter of mere power, but in deep compassionate feeling He entered into the whole reality of the case. For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. Surely, had he seen this, everything was there; but he saw it not, and so the Lord spread out His actual portion, as it literally was, without one word about the unseen and eternal. Matthew 20. Had Peter confessed who the Son of man really is? 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Then Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and he said unto them, [now He is on the way, there is probably great multitudes, but He takes the twelve apart] He said, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him and the third day he shall rise again ( Matthew 20:17-19 ).
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