He was to be condemned to death; there we see the suffering of injustice, which is very hard to bear. He was there for the express purpose of glorifying God. What can be simpler than that John put the question through his disciples, because he (not they only) had a question in the mind? Some make it a caution to the disciples, who had boasted of their timely and zealous embracing of Christ; they had left all, to follow him; but let them look to it, that they keep up their zeal; let them press forward and persevere; else their good beginnings will avail them little; they that seemed to be first, would be last. i. First, Carnal worldlings agree with God for their penny in this world; they choose their portion in this life (Psalms 17:14); in these things they are willing to have their reward (Matthew 6:2; Matthew 6:5), their consolation (Luke 6:24), their good things (Luke 16:25); and with these they shall be put off, shall be cut off from spiritual and eternal blessings; and herein God does them no wrong; they have what they chose, the penny they agreed for; so shall their doom be, themselves have decided it; it is conclusive against them. i. To the end the events are put together, just as in Matthew 8:1-34, without regard to the point of time when they occurred. God does not permit Scripture to be thus used without losing its force, its beauty, and the grand object for which it was written. What the account was; and in that observe. In view of the context, the 12 disciples correspond to the workers hired at the beginning of the day, the beginning of Jesus public ministry. How thoroughly did our Lord take a lowly place for our sakes! In other words, it is certain that in the gospel of Luke, in whose preface we have expressly the words "set in order," the Holy Ghost does in no way tie Himself to what, after all, is the most elementary form of arrangement; for it needs little observation to see, that the simple sequence of facts as they occurred is that which demands a faithful enumeration, and nothing more. When he had come to an agreement with them that they would work for 4 pence a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Your partnership makes all we do possible. They cannot hurt the Christ. Minor Prophets He said to them, 'Go you also to the vineyard.' The last trumpet, at the great day, shall call the labourers,1 Thessalonians 4:16. ( Matthew 20:16) The parable applied: the principle of God's reward. When the legions were thus completed, the citizens who had been called, but not chosen, returned to their respective employments, and served their country in other capacities. And Jesus tells him, "Look no one has left anything, but what in this life he get a hundredfold, and in the life to come, eternal life"( Matthew 19:29 ). This done, with a word for the conscience appended, He takes up and pleads the cause of John. Verse Matthew 20:16. d. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve: Real ministry is done for the benefit of those ministered to, not for the benefit of the minister. All through their history the Jews had dreamed of the Messiah; but the Messiah of whom they had dreamed was always a conquering king, a mighty leader, one who would smash the enemies of Israel and reign in power over the kingdoms of the earth. i. So translated into our present day, an average day's wage for a laborer maybe twenty-five dollars or so. And so they didn't really remember that He said He was going to rise the third day, until after the resurrection. It is the end of the account of Jesus itinerant ministry, and its setting as they went out of Jericho points forward to the next town on the road, Jerusalem. (France). 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." The question was not who or what came in the way; whoever appealed to Him, there He was for them. This he said in the hearing of the disciple who would act the traitor: did no compunction visit his base heart? (Spurgeon), ii. That's one of the two. When the ten heard about this, they were angry with the two brothers. Adventure Challenge - Couple's Edition - Matthew 20:16 - Australia - part 1 142 views Jun 20, 2021 0 Dislike Share Tanya All Fun and Games 3 subscribers Grafton ten pin bowling alley. The highest creature must go away into nothing, if he must go away with that only which is his own: but if we understand it of that which is ours by gift, the free gift of God, it teaches us to be content with such things as we have. It's God's to give, however, to whomever He pleases. is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. It is not here a question of life (as in the seed at first), but a system of christian doctrine; not life germinating and bearing fruit, but mere dogma natural mind which is exposed to it. Yet it shall not be so among you: Their desire for position and status showed they did not yet know the nature of Jesus in respect to leadership and power. Deuteronomy 15:9; 1 Samuel 18:9). (Carson), ii. He was never too busy to minister to individual needs. People do not merit salvation either by works or by attitudes of trust. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation." They should think of them in terms of grace, any reward being an act of Gods grace. ), NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story, NIV, The Woman's Study Bible, Full-Color, Red Letter: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Revelation, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, Verse Mapping Bible, Comfort Print: Find Connections in Scripture Using a Unique 5-Step Process, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Galatians, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, The Story, Hardcover, Comfort Print: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People. But it is expressly the pattern after which He was to deal, and will deal, with Israel. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money. Peter answers, "Of strangers." On the evening of the day when He delivered the seven parables given in Matthew 13:1-58. And it really was a heavy bondage trip. said the Lord; and then stretched forth His hand toward His disciples with the words, "Behold my mother and my brethren! Matthew 5:45). Rather than seeking God as to whether or not you should buy a new car, you had to seek your elder or your shepherd. This world looks at the outward appearance, but God knows our hearts. 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Neither would Jewish disciples necessarily receive more than Gentile disciples whom God calls later in His program of preparation for the kingdom (cf. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. 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. The design is, I think, manifest: the Spirit of God is here giving a vivid picture of the manifestation of the Messiah, of His divine glory, of His grace and power, with the effect of this manifestation. The slum dwellers of Tokyo laughed at him, but they came to respect him. 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 merely indicate by the way how the thorough increasing rejection of the Lord Jesus in His lower glory has but the effect of bringing out the revelation of His higher. But the master well knew that 4p a day was no great wage; he well knew that, if a workman went home with less, there would be a worried wife and hungry children; and therefore he went beyond justice and gave them more than was their due. Now he started out at about six o'clock in the morning, and hired these men who were standing in the marketplace to go out and work in his vineyard. He often fell down exhausted, and the rough men of the slums carried him gently back to his hut. It would require the credulity of a sceptic to believe that this is not the self-same fact that we have before us inMatthew 8:1-34; Matthew 8:1-34. I have endeavoured, though, of course, cursorily, and I feel most imperfectly, to give thus far Matthew's sketch of the Saviour as the Holy Ghost enabled him to execute it. (i) It is in one sense a warning to the disciples. That blessed One was here whom he knew to be God, who was to him the impersonation of divine power and goodness His presence was uncalled for, His word more than enough. 2. I. 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 ). In the distribution of future joys, as it was in the gathering of the manna, he that shall gather much, will have nothing over, and he that shall gather little, will have no lack, Exodus 16:18. Peter boasts of leaving "all" to follow Jesus as if this somehow earns him some special reward (19:27). The motives of the natural heart are laid bare. But Luke saith, they understood none of these things; that is, surely they believed none of them, the saying was hid from them. (Poole), v. When our Lord told the twelve that he would die, they imagined that it was a parable, concealing some deep mystery. Chapter 20. So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. It was a grave step this, and in view of His rejection now. The Lord, while thoroughly proving that He forgot nothing, owned everything that was of grace in Peter or the rest, while opening the same door to "every one" who forsakes nature for His name's sake, solemnly adds, "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." To me it is evident, from a careful comparison of them all, as I think it is capable of clear and adequate proof to an unprejudiced Christian mind, that neither Matthew nor Luke confines himself to such an order of events. And he went out about the third hour ( Matthew 20:3 ). I do not believe that God would just allow His Son to take all of that suffering, if there were not some value to be received from that suffering. . The book features 50 challenges to do with your partner at affordable price points (FREE to about $50). Then came to Him the mother of Zebedee's children [now James and John were the sons of Zebedee and she came to Him] with her sons ( Matthew 20:20 ). "And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth." My object, of course, is to point out as clearly as possible the structure of the gospel, and to explain according to my measure why there are these strong differences between the gospels of Matthew and the rest, as compared with one another. Thus, and after the tenderest sort, there is that which evidences the Messiah on earth present to heal His people who appeal to Him; and the Jew, above all counting upon His bodily presence demanding it, I may say, according to the warrant of prophecy, finds in Jesus not merely the man, but the God of Israel. He knew what they needed and what they wanted, but God still wants us to tell Him our needs as a constant expression of our trust and reliance on Him. It is true, we have only one in Mark, as in Luke; whereas in our gospel we have two. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and you've made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden of the heat of the day. Yet they were paid exactly the same. What shall be their wages? Barclay, William "The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2" (The New Daily Study Bible, Matthew 11-28) (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1975), Bruce, Alexander Balmain "The Synoptic Gospels: The Expositor's Greek Testament" Volume 1, Section 1 (Matthew-Luke) (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1897), Carson, D.A. What Jesus Did! Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Origen said it was the devil; Gregory of Nyssa objected that this put the devil on the same level as God, and allowed the devil to dictate terms to God. Many a man in this world, who has earned great rewards, will have a very low place in the Kingdom because rewards were his sole thought. We shall find something of these mysteries later on in this gospel; but here it is simply a Jewish testimony of Jehovah-Messiah in His unwearied love, through His twelve heralds, and in spite of rising unbelief, maintaining to the end what His grace had in view for Israel. (iii) These two blind men had an imperfect faith but they were determined to act on the faith they had. In Mark 10:35-45 it is James and John who come to Jesus with this request. i. Again he went out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, [noon and three in the afternoon], he did likewise. 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. Finally, he was to be crucified; there we see the ultimate suffering of death. They wanted Jesus with a royal command to ensure for them a princely life. I Will Build My Church (16:13-20) The . (1.) All our service is already due to God; it belongs to Him. Jesus, nevertheless, owned all that could be owned in him. "They that are first shall be last, and they that are last shall be first"( Matthew 19:30 ). Observe. And then Pilot delivered Him unto them to be scourged. And he said unto them, You shall indeed drink of my cup ( Matthew 20:23 ). b. But this may be, and commonly is, applied to the several ages of life, in which souls are converted to Christ. Those first hired are actually paid least in proportion to their labor and receive the least pleasure from their pay. The Greek word is constantly so used as an expression of contempt, "This [fellow] doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." 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. . The axiom of this verse and of chapter nineteen, verse 30, sets the tone for Jesus entire ministry and the church. Little faith leaves us as fearful for ourselves as dim witnesses of His glory whom the most unruly elements obey. Henceforth, too, He forbids the disciples to proclaim Him as the Messiah. And she came worshiping him, and desiring a favor from him. Zion may say of the Lord who laboured in vain, whom the nation abhorred, "The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me." This was an entirely normal arrangement. The landowner rebuked them for their jealousy and resentment of the landowners generosity towards others. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. The other workers hired through the day were not promised a specific wage, only whatever is right. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. In the reception of the little children this is plain; it is not so generally seen in what follows. The world may assess a man's greatness by the number of people whom he controls and who are at his beck and call; or by his intellectual standing and his academic eminence; or by the number of committees of which he is a member; or by the size of his bank balance and the material possessions which he has amassed; but in the assessment of Jesus Christ these things are irrelevant. The apostle startles at the thought of it; God forbid!Romans 3:5; Romans 3:6. Hence, he waits to present their rejection of the Messiah, as morally complete as possible in his statement of it, though necessarily not complete in outward accomplishment. Though Cushi gets the start of Ahimaaz, yet Ahimaaz, choosing the way of the plain, outruns Cushi. 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. 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. The last shall be first, and the first last. The earnestness of these men was marvelous; they were desperate to be healed, and ignored the crowd that tried to quiet them (they cried out all the more). Email / username or password was incorrect! The Lord shows that such unbelief justly and necessarily excludes itself, but not others, from blessing. Secondly, 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 really be called a state of idleness; sinners are doing nothing, nothing to the purpose, nothing of the great work they were sent into the world about, nothing that will pass well in the account. He believed that they could and would drink the cup, and that in the end they would still be found at his side. How many millions does the long-suffering of God lead to repentance! Matthew 13:19-22), we find first of all the utter worthlessness of the flesh's readiness to follow Jesus. woe unto thee, Bethsaida! Matthew 20:16 Context 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? a. A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives. The apostles were then sent thus, no doubt, forerunners of those whom the Lord will raise up for the latter day. And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. Thus it was not merely that there was an evil heart of unbelief in the Jew particularly, but law and grace cannot be yoked together. It is simply designed to teach that in the church, among the multitudes who will be saved, Christ makes a difference. They plucked his hair, they smote his cheeks, they spat in his face. When God settles all the accounts, then things are going to be valued by his standards and not the world's standards. But that cannot be the meaning of it here; the "called" being emphatically distinguished from the "chosen." ". It was an imperfect faith but they acted on it; and Jesus accepted it. Here we find our Lord, after sending out the chosen witnesses of the truth (so momentous to Israel, above all) of His own Messiahship, realizing His utter rejection, yet rejoicing withal in God the Father's counsels of glory and grace, while the real secret in the chapter, as in fact, was His being not Messiah only, nor Son of man, but the Son of the Father, whose person none knows but Himself. "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed Him, crying and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us." And there were also with Him other little ships. In Matthew 12:1-50 we find not so much Jesus present and despised of men, as these men of Israel, the rejectors, in the presence of Jesus. Christianity knows nothing of the conception of a herrenvolk, a master race. He may therefore give or withhold his blessings, as he pleases. But the future is in view also. But at the same time it is plain, although He bore the consciousness of the vast change He was introducing, and expressed it thus fully and early in the history, nothing turned away His heart from Israel. Note, First, The soul of man stands ready to be hired into some service or other; it was (as all the creatures were) created to work, and is either a servant to iniquity, or a servant to righteousness,Romans 6:19. When He reigns as David's Son, there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts. But whereas the most unlikely people entered the kingdom, those for whom it had been prepared were excluded (Matthew 20:16). It is important to see that the landowner did not treat anyone unfairly, though he was more generous to some than to others. Or, are you grudging because I am generous?' But among my followers service alone is the badge of greatness. Cecil Northcott in Famous Life Decisions tens of what Kagawa did. And I believe that we can believe and trust Jesus Christ for physical healing, as well as spiritual healing. And He came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them." If we accept it as the true reading, it adds something to the warning of the previous clause. The Lord hints at what the man's real desires were not Christ, not heaven, not eternity, but present things. Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. The delivered demoniacs are, to my mind, clearly the foreshadow of the Lord's grace in the latter days, separating a remnant to Himself, and banishing the power of Satan from this small but sufficient witness of His salvation. This made it to be plainly and only a difficulty for God to solve. The first came to an agreement with the master; they had a contract; they said, "We work, if you give us so much pay." This, too, we ascertain from Mark 1:1-45, where there are clear marks of the time. [3.] 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. Jesus was passing by. There are a great many decisions which have to be taken. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. The landowner asked if they were jealous because the landowner was generous to other people. Secondly, Whatsoever is right,Matthew 20:4-7; Matthew 20:4-7. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with what is my own? Had she not such confusion of thought that, if the Lord had heeded her words, it must have been destruction to her? (ii) These two blind men were undiscourageable. And that's exactly what the word, "minister" means, servant. They may come at the beginning of their life, in their youth, in adulthood, in old age, or at the very end. The disciples should expect to be rewarded; but they should not be surprised if, when rewards are distributed, God will reward others in unexpected ways. 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.". By His stripes ye are healed, spiritually, yes, but I do not think that it can be limited to spiritual only, the whole context, and especially Matthew eight would extend it also to physical healing. No doubt they had heard of the wondrous power of Jesus; and no doubt they wondered if that power might ever be exercised for them. Ransom was most commonly used as the purchase price for freeing slaves. (Carson) Lytron (ransom) and the preposition anti (for, literally instead of) point clearly to the idea of his taking our place. (France), ii. The bodily presence of the Messiah was not needed. So Gregory of Nyssa has a strange idea. he said. What Jesus Did! All that are chosen from eternity, are effectually called, in the fulness of time (Romans 8:30), so that in making our effectual calling sure we make sure our election (2 Peter 1:10); but it is not so as to the outward call; many are called, and yet refuse (Proverbs 1:24), nay, as they are called to God, so they go from him (Hosea 11:2; Hosea 11:7), by which it appears that they were not chosen, for the election will obtain,Romans 11:7. Luke-Acts Therefore when He said, "this is my body broken for you", He could not refer to some bones being broken, but His body was broken open by this scourging that He received. He would not even claim the right to choose how His servants were rewarded, but yield that to His Father. The system of law is easy to figure out: you get what you deserve. He had no reason to envy his fellow servant, or to grudge at him; or to be angry that he came into the vineyard no sooner; for he was not sooner called; he had no reason to be angry that the master had given him wages for the whole day, when he had idled away the greatest part of it; for Is thine eye evil, because I am good? Matthew 20:16 - John Darby's Synopsis We may remark that, when the Lord answers Peter, it was the consequence of having left all for Christ upon His call. The same indifference to the mere sequence of events is found occasionally in other parts of the gospel; but I have purposely dwelt upon this chapter 8, because here we have it throughout, and at the same time with evidence exceedingly simple and convincing. The glory of Christ's person strengthens us, not only to understand His cross, but to take up ours. 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. Thereon, coming into the ship, the wind ceases, and the Lord exercises His gracious power in beneficent effects around. There were many who died right there as the result of the scourging itself. The order of payment was important. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink: Their answer (We are able) seems to come a little too quick. They must still continue to endure the scourge of crime they could never expiate. It begins with a well-known scene but then introduces surprising elements to make a powerful point. But when he came to the first, they supposed that they should have received more; but they likewise received every man a penny. It may indeed have had a comparatively limited application when it was spoken for the first time; but it contains truth which goes to the very heart of the Christian religion. 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 ! God has work for all ages; no time amiss to turn to God; none can say, "It is all in good time;" for, whatever hour of the day it is with us, the time past of our life may suffice that we have served sin; Go ye also into the vineyard. Historical Books And when the devil was come out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel." Which means that each lash that was laid upon Him, was laid with greater ferocity, as they were seeking to elicit from Him some confession of wrong, but He had done no wrong. Next is the one pearl of great price, the unity and beauty of that which was so dear to the merchantman. Idols, abominations, no longer infected that dwelling as of old. It was cruel, cutting, cursed scorn. (Spurgeon), v. And to crucify: Crucifixion was not the only way criminals were executed under the Romans, yet Jesus knew that this was how He would be put to death. LOVE'S ANSWER TO NEED'S APPEAL ( Matthew 20:29-34 ). However suitable to the Jewish expectation that He should be found a man, undeniably there was that apparent which was infinitely above the Jew's thought; for the Jew showed his own degradation and unbelief in the low ideas he entertained of the Messiah. For they needed someone to help Him bear the cross. And He was Jesus, Emmanuel. In the Christian Church seniority does not necessarily mean honour. And He said to her, What do you wish? She said to Him, Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.. "The ransom could not have been paid to God; it was therefore paid to the Evil One, who was holding us fast until the ransom should be given to him, even the life of Jesus." In short, he had a question because he was a man. 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. And He had compassion upon them, and healed them. How little they had learnt the divine lesson of grace, not ordinances! They may not be as long in the vineyard as others; their race may be sooner run; but I have chosen to honor them in this manner, and I have a right to do it. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach." A few I have chosen for higher stations in the church. Out in the world there was the Roman governor with his retinue and the eastern potentate with his slaves. (E) They will condemn him to death 19and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged(F) and crucified. Jesus deliberately and open-eyed sets out for Jerusalem and the Cross. If it was His rejection, these scornful men were themselves rejected in the very act. Yet man, in face of all, is so deceived of the enemy, that he prefers to be left with the demons rather than enjoy the presence of the Deliverer. Note, The unchangeableness of God's purposes in dispensing his gifts should silence our murmurings. Next, we behold Him meeting the centurion after another manner altogether.
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