Johannine Writings A reaction might especially be expected when Jesus said He would be betrayed. So Gregory of Nyssa has a strange idea. New International Version (NIV). The faithful and true witness, it was His to display that power in goodness which shall be put forth fully in the world to come, the great day when the Lord will manifest Himself to every eye as Son of David, and Son of man too. Here is the account with the labourers. But, as I have stated, the choice and ordination of the twelve apostles had really taken place before the sermon on the mount, though not mentioned in Matthew, but in Mark and Luke. Herein is where the prophecy of Isaiah really stands out: "As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth"( Isaiah 53:7 ). The woman of Canaan, out of the borders of Tyre and Sidon, appeals to Him; a Gentile of most ominous name and belongings a Gentile whose case was desperate; for she appeals on behalf of her daughter, grievously vexed with a devil. Pentateuch 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. (Ken Chumbley, The Gospel of Matthew, commentary, p.#351). He said to them, 'Go you also to the vineyard.' Now, it was an established principle, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word should be established. Minor Prophets He who had just confessed the glory of the Lord would not hear His Master speaking thus of His going to the cross (by which alone the Church, or even the kingdom, could be established), and sought to swerve Him from it. "There arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch, that the ship was covered with the waves; but he was asleep." 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. If I assume from the words "set forth in order," in the beginning of Luke's gospel, that therefore his is the chronological account, it will only lead me into confusion, both as to Luke and the other gospels; for proofs abound that the order of Luke, most methodical as he is, is by no means absolutely that of time. Unfortunately, they have missed the blessing of knowing God, and serving God all their lives. But Israel had no sense of their leprosy; and they valued not, but despised, their Messiah, albeit divine I might almost say because divine. There are a great many things which have to be done at the moment or they will never be done. Among this celebrated people, no one was forced to serve his country in a military capacity and it was the highest honour to be deemed worthy of thus serving it. But here pardon dispensed on earth arouses the pride of the religious leaders to the quick, and implacably. It is an evil eye, which is displeased at the good of others, and desires their hurt. Jesus laces this point throughout the parable. Start FREE. What Jesus calls upon his followers to do he himself did. Here, too, these Pharisees question and reproach His grace, when they see the Lord sitting at ease in the presence of publicans and sinners, who came and sat down with Him in Matthew's house. is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. The world counts them great. This he said in the hearing of the disciple who would act the traitor: did no compunction visit his base heart? (Spurgeon), ii. It is the power of grace. A daily devotional about God's power for our battles. Be sure to join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theweekendadventurer 23,599 people like this 25,112 people follow this http://www.myadventurechallenge.com/ info@myadventurechallenge.com 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? The Lord pleads the cause of the disciples. Here is the Christian revolution; here is the complete reversal of all the world's standards. . At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father." What the account was; and in that observe. The Spirit of God has been pleased to cull and class facts otherwise unconnected; for here follow conversations that took place a long time after any of the events we have been occupied with. Peter wanted to know what they would get in return. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Matthew 20:16 - Bible Verse Meaning and Commentary - Bible Study Tools (ii) There is an equally definite warning to the Jews. 22 But Jesus answered by saying to . Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 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. Sinners are said to labour in the very fire (Habakkuk 2:13), whereas God's servants, at the worst, do but labour in the sun; not in the heat of the iron furnace, but only in the heat of the day. You must not claim a special honour and a special place because you were Christians before they were. Deuteronomy 15:9; 1 Samuel 18:9). (Carson), ii. Sometimes a young person dies almost before the door of life and achievement have opened at all. Please see Blue Letter Bible's Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. When God settles all the accounts, then things are going to be valued by his standards and not the world's standards. No doubt the tempest was great; but what harm could it do to Jesus? No word whatever implies that the cleansing of the leper happened at that time. But if this be so, there is here absolute certainty that our Lord, on the very Sabbath in which He cast out the unclean spirit from the man in the synagogue of Capernaum, immediately after quitting the synagogue, entered the house of Peter, and that there and then He healed Peter's wife's mother of the fever. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point Of one of the disciples, whose state may have been specially present to our Lords mind, this was, we know, only too fatally true. The evil spirits asked leave to pass into the herd of swine, which thus typify the final condition of the defiled, apostate mass of Israel; their presumptuous and impenitent unbelief reduces them to that deep degradation not merely the unclean, but the unclean filled with the power of Satan, and carried down to swift destruction. And if those who in the last moment come into the kingdom of God, God rewards them, and they receive the reward for their place in the kingdom. "In God's economy," as someone has said, "there is no such thing as a most favoured nation clause." Sorrow would come full soon when He, the Bridegroom of His people, should be taken away; and then should they fast. Now the parable: A landowner went out early in the morning (6 am) to hire laborers for his vineyard. 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. i. It was with this declaration that the parable began and ended. i. Again he went out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, [noon and three in the afternoon], he did likewise. They have not seized the aim of each gospel. First, The general pay (Matthew 20:9; Matthew 20:10); They received every man a penny. Jesus uses a kind of gradation. This parable taught the disciples not to think of heavenly rewards in terms of justice, getting in proportion to what they deserved. This should quicken us to expedition and diligence in our work, that we have but a little time to work in, and the night is hastening on, when no man can work; and if our great work be undone when our day is done, we are undone for ever. Suffering from great humiliation and degradation. The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, but it should be different among the people of God. The point of this one is that God will reward all His disciples justly, graciously, and generously. And so the sense is, Many receive the invitations of the Gospel whom God has never "chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (2Th 2:13). Luke-Acts The Son of Man will be betrayed: Jesus again told the disciples what awaited Him in Jerusalem, but no reaction from the disciples is noted. So little old Jewish mama coming to Jesus with her two sons. Using the term "elect," Titus 1:1 reinforces the idea that God separates some few from the many who are called: "Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's . 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. In the kingdom so much the less sparing is the retribution of those who despise or abuse grace. (i) These two blind men were waiting, and when their chance came they seized it with both hands. We are, in fact, in the presence of that which John so loves to dwell on Jesus viewed not merely as Son of David or Abraham, or Seed of the woman, but as the Father's Son, the Son as the Father gave, sent, appreciated, and loved Him. Both Mark and Luke add their own touches to the story, to show that on this occasion there was in the atmosphere of the apostolic band a certain tenseness and a certain foreboding of tragedy to come. So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. No matter when a man comes to Christ, he is equally dear to him. I feel sure that no Christian harbours a doubt about it. Throughout it is the religious kind that are tested and found wanting. For less than $5/mo. They did not see why the two brothers should steal a march on them, even if they were the cousins of Jesus. Because Matthew's object is the display of the change of dispensation through, or consequent on, the rejection of Jesus by the Jews. Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David! 16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last.". Considerable time, it is true, elapsed between the two facts; but this only makes it the more sure and plain, that they are grouped together with a divine purpose. Prophets So the last shall be first, and the first last. Who could touch the leper save Emmanuel? The scribes, at the beginning of the chapter, could not hide from the Lord their bitter rejection of His glory as man on earth entitled, as His humiliation and cross would prove, to forgive. Matthew 20:16 in all English translations. she cried; but what had she to do with the Son of David? [4.] It's God's to give, however, to whomever He pleases. If God gives that grace to others, which he denies to us, it is kindness to them, but no injustice to us; and bounty to another, while it is no injustice to us, we ought not to find fault with. And she said unto him, Grant that these my two boys may sit, the one your right hand, and the other on your left, in your kingdom ( Matthew 20:20-21 ). Then, alas! That which was the first in order chose the four citizens who were judged the most proper to serve in the war; and the six tribunes who commanded the first legion chose one of these four, whom they liked best. Thus shall every mouth be stopped, and all flesh be silent before God. It is not for such depending creatures as we are to quarrel with our Sovereign. The devil was tricked by God. And they would lay this leather whip across the back, and it was so designed, that when they pulled it back up to rip up pieces of flesh.The purpose of the scourging was the third-degree Roman style. The indignation of the ten doubtless sprang less from humility than jealousy plus fear that they might lose out. (Carson). 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. He calls him friend, for in reasoning with others we should use soft words and hard arguments; if our inferiors are peevish and provoking, yet we should not thereby be put into a passion, but speak calmly to them. We are dependent, therefore, for determining this case, on the fact that Mark does habitually adhere to the chain of events. Thirdly, Others are hired into the vineyard in old age, at the eleventh hour, when the day of life is far spent, and there is but one hour of the twelve remaining. [Note: Wiersbe, 1:73.]. He has His rejection before His eyes, as well as the presumptuous unbelief of this sordid, and self-confident, would-be follower. Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. The Challenge Of Following Jesus (8:18-22) The Call Of Matthew (9:9-13) Moved By Compassion (9:35-38) . All rights reserved. It is a saying of R. Simeon ben Jochai d, "I have seen the children of the world to come (elsewhere e it is, of the chamber), , "and they are few".''. [There is what I call a clear, unmistakable note of time.] e. And to give His life a ransom for many: The death of Jesus the giving of His life purchased the freedom of His people. There was a strange inclusiveness in the suffering to which Jesus looked forward; it was a suffering in which no pain of heart or mind or body was to be lacking. May we not go even further with this thought of comfort? Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. In gentleness, in sympathy, and in love, with never an impatient word, he seeks to lead them to the truth. And still is he betrayed! THE MASTER SEEKS HIS WORKERS ( Matthew 20:1-16 ), 20:1-16 "For the situation in the Kingdom of Heaven is like what happened when a householder went out first thing in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. It is hard for those that do or suffer more than ordinary for God, not to be elevated too much with the thought of it, and to expect to merit by it. And Jesus stood still, and he called them, and said, What do you want me to do for you? Thus, whatever the peculiarity of the new blessings, the old thing could be taken up, though upon new grounds, and, of course, on the confession that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. They drew up by tribes, and lots were drawn to determine in what order every tribe should present its soldiers. It is simply designed to teach that in the church, among the multitudes who will be saved, Christ makes a difference. 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. Matthew 20:16 ESV - So the last will be first, and the - Bible Gateway It is more particularly sin, viewed as guilt, and consequently as that which absolutely breaks and destroys all power in the soul towards both God and man. I'll be turned over to the chief priests. Hence the Lord would raise up a fresh testimony altogether, and do a new work suitable to it. Matthew 20 Commentary - John Gill's Exposition of the Bible Matthew 20:16 Interlinear: So the last shall be first, and the first He was then present, a man despised, yet with title to forgive sins, proved by immediate power to heal. There may be desires, there may be the working of the Spirit of God, but there can be no power to walk before men and to glorify God thus till there is forgiveness possessed and enjoyed in the heart. To convince the murmurer that he did no wrong, he refers him to the bargain: "Didst not thou agree with me for a penny? On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18We are going up to Jerusalem,(C) and the Son of Man(D) will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. So He is telling the disciples this was going to happen. And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? This is a wonderful, simple question God has not stopped asking. The Lord Jesus, even before He pronounced the sentence, for so it was, indicated what was at hand in these two instances of the Sabbath-day, though one may not now linger on them. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. They had heard of the miracles that He had wrought, up in the area of Galilee, around Capernaum. Basically what He is teaching is that as we serve the Lord in His vineyard, that what really counts is the fact the Lord sent me. in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry. And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" He said unto them, Go also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that is what you shall receive. There were two; but the Spirit of God chose out, in Mark and Luke, the more remarkable of the two, and traces for us his history, a history of no small interest and importance, as we may feel when we come to Mark; but it was of equal moment for the gospel of Matthew that the two demoniacs should be mentioned here, although one of them was in himself, as I gather, a far more strikingly desperate case than the other. The fact is, in judging others we judge ourselves. This was an entirely normal arrangement. Thus, in the scene of the leper, we have Jesus presented as "Jehovah that healeth Israel," as man here below, and in Jewish relationships, still maintaining the law. Set a timer for 20 minutes (no peeking) and start eating. Matthew 20:16 English Standard Version 16 So the last will be first, and the first last." Read full chapter Matthew 20:16 in all English translations Matthew 19 Matthew 21 English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. The last shall be first, and the first last. It is often more agonizing to contemplate the painful future than it is to actually live it. And he said, "If a person eats or drinks in an unworthy manner, he is eating and drinking damnation to his own soul"( 1 Corinthians 11:26 ). And I pray to God that we will never lose this concept of the ministry, that we are the servants of all.It is so important that we maintain, because Jesus said. And after the supper He took the cup, likewise and said, this cup is a new covenant in my blood, which is shed for the remission of sins, and as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death, until He comes"( 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ). There is no note of the time when he came, but simply the fact that he did come. Would he go back on his point of no return? To underscore this, Jesus will give a parable (20:1-16) that amplifies the principle: 'many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first'," (20:16; 16:25). Rome might at any time have recruited her armies by volunteers from such a mass of well-educated, hardy soldiers but she thought proper, to use the words of the Abbe Mably, that the honour of being chosen to serve in the wars should be the reward of the accomplishments shown by the citizens in the Campus Martius, that the soldier should have a reputation to save; and that the regard paid him, in choosing him to serve, should be the pledge of his fidelity and zeal to discharge his duty. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. To drink the cup simply means to follow Christ wherever he may lead, and to be like him in any situation life may bring. The landowner did exactly as promised, but their supposition of more pay than promised was disappointed. The parable itself displays a reversal of expectations "the last will be first and the first will be last"; this is not only the summary of the parable (20:16), but a critical aspect of New Testament theology. range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed [Note: France, The Gospel . It brings me to the real crisis; that is, the final presentation of our lord to Jerusalem. If God was there, what else could He, would He do? Next, He lays bare the capricious unbelief of man, only consistent in thwarting every thing and one that God employs for his good; then, His own entire rejection where He had most laboured. Luke, too, tells how Jesus took the disciples to himself alone that he might try to compel them to understand what lay ahead ( Luke 18:31-34). Oh, what a heart is ours! When He reigns as David's Son, there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts. and a sinking ship are serious difficulties to a man. 2. Now we see Jesus leaving Jericho, a great multitude of people thronging around Him, and these two blind men hearing the multitude passing by, and observing all of the bustle and activities saying, "what's going on, what's happening?" So thoroughly is it in view of Israel that our Lord does not say one word here about the Church, or the intervening condition of Christendom. (G) On the third day(H) he will be raised to life!(I). It is equally clear that the seven worse spirits mean the complete energy of the devil in the maintenance of Antichrist against the true Christ: and this, strange to say, along with idols. c. Early in the morning: This is literally at dawn, usually reckoned to be about 6:00 in the morning. Johannine Writings i. James had to be ready to be the first to die among the disciples; John had to be ready to live the longest Christian life and testimony among them. 2. But every Scripture that treats of that time proves what dread, what anxiety, what dark clouds will be ever and anon. The Old Testament If we understand it of that which is ours by debt or absolute propriety, it would be a dreadful word; we are all undone, if we be put off with that only which we can call our own. 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. So 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 is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.. Many people are in the ministry for what they can receive (either materially or emotionally) from their people instead of for what they can give. Who but God could heal? The manner, too, was in itself remarkable. And I believe that we can believe and trust Jesus Christ for physical healing, as well as spiritual healing. 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. The system of grace is foreign to us: God deals with us according to who He is, not according to who we are. The offence removed. We know this by comparing it with the gospel of Luke. . Apply to the Son of David; lose not a moment; he is passing by, and thou art passing into eternity, and probably wilt never have a more favourable opportunity than the present. 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. Matthew chapter twenty opens with the parable of the laborers going out into the vineyard.And Jesus said. He does not now compare the Jews to the Gentiles, (as in another passages) nor the reprobate, who swerve from the faith, to the elect who persevere; and therefore the sentence which is introduced by some interpreters, many are called, but few are chosen, does not apply to that point. Do not let us dwell too much upon it, for we all share the honor given to each. Israel must give full testimony in the bright day of His coming. is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. 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. 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. Did you not come to an agreement with me to work for 4 pence ? It is not a thing that can be settled by a mere assertion. If it was His rejection, these scornful men were themselves rejected in the very act. The time of life is the day, in which we must work the works of him that sent us into the world. [6.] The grand lesson is that men do not deserve or merit salvation. Luke-Acts And so anti what Jesus has declared. He is first of all betrayed by Judas to the chief priests, because Judas made a bargain with the priests to turn Jesus over to them. That's one of the two. What Jesus Did! Faithful labourers shall receive their reward when they die; it is deferred till then, that they may wait with patience for it, but no longer; for God will observe his own rule, The hire of the labourers shall not abide with thee all night, until the morning. Take what is yours and go! Now if you go back to the last verse of the previous chapter, you'll find this same statement. He sits on the dust heap among the prison convicts. In the pagan world humility was regarded, not so much as a virtue, but as a vice. It is not enough that Israel be awakened from the sleep of death, and see aright. We have each of us our own vineyard to keep, our own soul; and it is God's and to be kept and dressed for him. Therefore He could not have any broken bones. 1. 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. Out in the world, said Jesus, it is quite true that the great man is the man who controls others; the man to whose word of command others must leap; the man who with a wave of his hand can have his slightest need supplied. (d) T. Hieros. i. In that market-place men stood waiting because no one had hired them; in his compassion the master gave them work to do. Thus Matthew, called at the very receipt of custom, follows Jesus, and makes a feast for Him. 1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.