Matthew 20 - What Do You Want Jesus To Do For You???
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About nine in the morning 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. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon 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.’
Once again Matthew says, "the kingdom of heaven is like". As a reminder, God's kingdom is where God is ruling or reigning. When God's kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven, we how God works. In this case the parable talks about how we will be judged with what we have been given. This parable is about kingdom responsibility.
1. The landowner (the boss) agreed to pay each worker he hired a denarius, which was the normal wage for a day of work. The key thing is they were all hired under the same terms and put work early in the morning.
2. Others were hired in successive hours after that which he agreed to hire and pay them at the end of the day, though the terms weren't disclosed.
3. At five, the end of the day, there were still people standing around, and he gave them work too.
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 five in the afternoon 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 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, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one 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.”
1. At the end of they day, the owner called in all of the workers to have them paid by his foreman. Beginning with the workers hired at the latest part of they day, he paid them the same amount which he paid the guys early in the morning.
2. Understandly, the workers who were hired early in the morning were mad that those who worked more got paid the same thing.
3. The landowner said in effect, "Didn't you agree to work for this? Are you the owner? Can't I pay you what I like? I paid you what I said I would pay you! What's the problem here"
What does this mean?
1. This is a parable about God's mercy and grace. The early workers got what they deserved. Everyone else after them was given more than they deserved. This is grace.
2. Most people think this parable is about the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews were called first through Abraham, and through the Law of Moses, they were given what the deserved. The Gentiles were brought in later and given grace and mercy through Jesus Christ, just as the Jews were gifted to be Abraham's seed. Rather than being happy that the Gentiles were being saved by grace, the Jews didn't think they deserved God's grace. It was the same as those hired first.
Do you ever get upset when God offers grace to those who you don't like. Or you don't think deserves it? If so, why would you think you deserve grace more than they do?
Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time
17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
Jesus not only knew he was going to die, but he also knew he was going to be raised from the dead. This is the third time his disciples had been told. The twelve disciples were the only ones Jesus told. As Jesus was going up the hill to Jerusalem, where he was going to be crucified, he would first be condemned by the Jewish leaders and then handed over to the Gentile rulers to be crucified.
Note, both the Jews and Gentiles were responsible for killing Jesus. One might say the Jews had a greater culpability, because they knew the Old Testament and should have known Jesus was the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies.
We too are given the same information, and we either believe Jesus was born, crucified for our sins, and rose again, proving he was the Son of God or not. Either people believe this or not. Either people admit that they are sinners and need a Savior, who is Jesus. Or, they try some other way to have a relationship with God that usually involves doing good works to hopefully earn their salvation.
The problem with this is that a person who tries to make themselves right with God by good works is never acknowledging that fact that they fall short of God's glory. We are all sinners(Romans 3:23) If we could save ourselves by good works, Jesus did not need to come and die a cruel death on the cross on our behalf to pay our debt. If we could earn God's righteousness, then Christ died for nothing.
A Mother’s Request
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.” 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.” 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.”
Despite what Jesus said in the previous passage, the mother of James and John still were thought that when Jesus conquered the Romans and came into power, the disciples would receive power with him to rule.
Jesus asked the brothers, "Can you drink the cup of suffering, I am going to drink?" They naively answered, "Yes we can!" Jesus replied to them that they would face suffering and persecution, but it still wasn't up to him to decide how much power or position they would be given.
How could Jesus say this?
Jesus here showed remarkable submission to His Father. He would not even claim the right to choose how His servants were rewarded, but yield that to His Father. (Guizk)
“He comes to do not his own will, but the will of him that sent him, and so he correctly says of rank in his kingdom, It is not mine to give. How thoroughly did our Lord take a lowly place for our sakes! In this laying aside of authority, he gives a silent rebuke to our self-seeking.” (Spurgeon)
Two Blind Men Receive Sight
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!” 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.
As Jesus left, it was time for another miracle. Two blind men were sitting by the road, and heard the news of Jesus' coming. Though they could not see Jesus, but they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
1. The term for "Lord" in the Greek is "kyrios". It is the Greek word for the Hebrew word "Yahweh", which is the Divine Name. So you might say these men recognized the divine nature of Jesus.
2. When they said, "Son of David", they were referring to the Messianic promise made that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David.
3. When they said, "Have mercy on us", they realized that in Jesus' presence they didn't deserve anything but appealed to his compassion for them.
Jesus saw their sincerity and faith, and interetingly they were more right on about who he was than any other person so far. So he asked them what they wanted him to do for them. Jesus was basically saying he could do anything they asked of him.
In response to their great faith, Jesus touched their eyes and healed them immediately!
What Do You Need Jesus To Do For You? Will you asked the Lord, the Son of David, for it BOLDLY!
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