The parable of the workers in the vineyard

The parable told and applied: the last will be first, and the first last

1) "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2) He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3) "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4) He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' 5) So they went.
6) "He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'
7) " 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered.
"He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'
8) "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'
9) "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10) So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11) When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12) 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'
13) "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14) Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15) Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
16) "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Jesus is answering a question from 19:27: See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?

His reply comes in stages: first, a promise of reward (19:28), second, a warning (many who are the first will be last, and the last first), and finally, an illustration of the principle that God's manner of rewarding is not like man's practice of giving rewards.

The market place was the equivalent of the union hall; a man came there first thing in the morning, carrying his tools, and waited until someone hired him.

Early in the morning is literally "at dawn;" usually reckoned to be about 6:00 in the morning; the third hour was about 9 am; the sixth hour was about 12 noon; the eleventh hour was about 5:00 in the evening.

Notice what is promised to the later workers: whatever is right I will give you.

The early workers have an expected reaction; but a spokesman for them is gently (friend) rebuked.

What the parable means; how it applies:

God deals with man on the basis of grace, not on the basis of what we deserve. The system of law is easy to figure out: you get what you deserve; the system of grace is foreign to us: God deals with us according to who He is, not according to who we are.

This parable is not a perfect illustration of God's grace, because the principle of working and deserving is involved. Jesus is showing that God can give to us out of the abundance of His goodness, completely apart from what is deserved. Living under grace is sort of a two edged sword - under grace, we can't come to God complaining, "hey, I don't deserve this!" because God will reply, "So, do you really want Me to give you what you deserve?"

God treats us better than we deserve, whether we are Christians or not the reward of the kingdom is not of debt, but of grace - and grace is outrageous. The natural heart despises grace, and this is a great example of it

Jesus teaches about status in the kingdom.

Jesus again reveals the fate waiting for Him at Jerusalem; this example of Jesus sets a stark contrast for the follow section

17) Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, 18) "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19) and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"

Jesus lays out His crucifixion and resurrection. Nothing came as a surprise. Did they understand Him? (Luke 18:34.)

The mother of James and John asks for a place of special status for her sons

20) Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21) "What is it you want?" he asked.
She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."

She is really asking this question on behalf of her sons; we know this because of who Jesus replies to in verses 22-23.

The Mother of Zebedee’s children; i.e., the mother of James and John. (Not James the brother of Jesus).

The account that occurs in Mark 10:35 indicates that James and John were of the same mind. So this was not a case of the mother embarrassing her two sons.

Jesus answers James and John: do you know what you are asking for?

22) "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"
"We can," they answered.
23) Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."

Their insistence We are able seems to come a little too quick; Jesus recognizes that they didn't really understand, but they would.

Both James and John had to be baptized in suffering as Jesus was, but their cups and baptisms were different; James was the first martyr among the apostles, and John was the only apostle to not die through martyrdom (though not from a lack of trying).

The disciples' reaction; Jesus sets forth true greatness

24) When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25) Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26) Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27) and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—28) just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
 

The other ten disciples mistakenly thought that a unique honor had just been bestowed on James and John; they did not know that Jesus could have made the same promise to any of them (if they really wanted it!)

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; plainly, the church isn't to operate the way the world does.

In the Kingdom community, status, money, popularity is not to be the prerequisites for leadership; humble service is the greatest (and only) prerequisite - as exemplified by Jesus' own ministry.

Real ministry is done for the benefit of those ministered to, not for the benefit of the minister; 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.

Mentions here, what He demonstrates later at the last supper when He washes their feet.

Jesus mentions here (and demonstrates later with deeds) what the Church should view in terms of its organization. Not a hierarchy. Church was to be organized with a shepherd.

Jesus heals two blind men

Two blind men gain the attention of Jesus

29) As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30) Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
31) The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

The earnestness of these men is marvelous; they are desperate to be healed, and ignore the crowd trying to quiet them.

They knew that this might be their last time to meet Jesus; they had the desperation appropriate for those who know that today is the day of salvation.

However, in their desperation, they glorify Jesus; they ascribe to Him full honor with the title Lord, Son of David.

Jesus heals the two blind men

32) Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
33) "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight."
34) Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

A wonderful, simple question that God has not stopped asking: What do you want me to do for you? Many times we lack, simply because we will not answer this question.

Why did Jesus ask? He knew they were blind; He knew what they needed and what they wanted, but God still delights when we tell Him our needs as a constant expression of our trust and reliance on Him.

If you compare this with the same accounts in Luke (18:35-43) and Mark (10:46-52) they are a bit different. Luke describes this as they came to Jericho and Mark describes the healing of the blind men when they depart from Jericho. The idea that they don’t quite agree exactly refutes the idea that they are colluding. Yet, if you read it carefully you will discover that what Luke is really saying is that they met the one beggar as they got to the city. Both Matthew and Mark indicate that the healing took place as they were leaving.

Both Mark and Luke describe one blind man, while Matthew describes two. How many were there, two. Mark and Luke focus on the one who had a better witness, while there still were two.

Also in Chapter 9 there were two blind men healed just before the twelve were sent out to the Kingdom of Israel. Here Matthew highlights two blind men healed at the close of the Galilean ministry and just before the Triumphal entry.

A great result: not only were they healed, but they followed the One who had done great things for them.

Chapter 21

(Subscribe to Prophecy Update)