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. 748.]. Not but that there is a counsel in every will of God, and what seems to us to be done arbitrarily, will appear at length to have been done wisely, and for holy ends. a. Matthew 20:16. No sooner had Peter pronounced to Jesus the truth of His person, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," than Jesus holds the secret no longer. Note, The unchangeableness of God's purposes in dispensing his gifts should silence our murmurings. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. ii. He said to them, 'Go you also to the vineyard.' He is also the writer of many of the letters that you find in your New Testament.". "Lord, save us; we perish," cried they, as they awoke Him; and He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea. Oh, you have to love the mothers, don't you? The world knows quite well that a good man is a man who serves his fellow-men. They were offended that the landowner gave the men who worked less equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day. But nothing would stop the two blind men; for them it was a matter of sight or blindness, and nothing was going to keep them back. The common call is promiscuous, to come and work in the vineyard; but the effectual call is particular, and it is then effectual when we come at the call. 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. The "calling" of which the New Testament almost invariably speaks is what divines call effectual calling, carrying with it a supernatural operation on the will to secure its consent. A complete new set of values has been brought into life. The crown set before us is a crown of righteousness, which the righteous Judge shall give. A Roman coin was once found with the picture of an ox on it; the ox was facing two things an altar and a plough; and the inscription read: Ready for either. (Barclay), ii. If, among this number who are called into the kingdom, I choose to raise some to stations of distinguished usefulness, and to confer on them special talents and higher rewards, I injure no other one. 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. In some cases the last called will be among the first in rank of blessing. He answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. It says simply, "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." "And Jesus heard their cry and stood still. That is on the debit side of the account of the disciples; but there is much on the credit side. It is of immense significance to see that, even in a world in which the dark was coming down, the disciples would not abandon the conviction that the victory belonged to Jesus. b. And what makes this still more striking, is the certainty that the kingdom, bright as it is, is by no means the thing nearest to Jesus. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried out all the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. Many a man, who, as the world counts it, is a poor man, will be great in the Kingdom, because he never thought in terms of reward but worked for the thrill of working and for the joy of serving. 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. Far different this was from the errand on which He was intent; but He was there for faith. As their conduct showed, all they were concerned with was to get as much as possible out of their work. What He was introducing could not mix with Judaism. Their state had long been that of a man whom the unclean spirit had left, after a former dwelling in him. Shall we turn to Matthew's gospel chapter twenty, and continue our book-by-book study through the Word of God? So the last shall be first, and the first last The GENTILES, who have been long without the true God, shall now enjoy all the privileges of the new covenant; and the Jews, who have enjoyed these from the beginning, shall now be dispossessed of them; for, because they here rejected the Lord, he also hath rejected them. The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, but it should be different among the people of God. Probably thisto teach us that men who have wrought in Christ's service all their days may, by the spirit which they manifest at the last, make it too evident that, as between God and their own souls, they never were chosen workmen at all. God proves what He is by the revelation of Jesus. He tells him that those he envied should fare as well as he did; "I will give unto this last, even as unto thee; I am resolved I will." There were many who died right there as the result of the scourging itself. Pauline Epistles Deliver Him to the Gentiles: Jesus knew that the religious leaders of the Jews did not have authority to carry out capital punishment themselves; yet sometimes they executed men despite this prohibition (Acts 7:54-60). 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. last will be on the same footing as the first, and the first as the last, those who esteem themselves last shall be first, and those who esteem themselves first shall be last, . And He prophesied so accurately the things.First of all, He is going to be betrayed. It is worth stopping to see what the crude hands of theology have done with that lovely saying. They supposed that they would receive more: The men who worked for the landowner all day saw the men who worked for only an hour come away from the pay table, and they supposed, If the landowner is paying these guys a full days pay for one hours work, then we will get far more., i. When those who had worked all day found that the landowner paid the same amount to the late-comers as he paid to them, they complained. THE LORDSHIP OF THE CROSS ( Matthew 20:20-28 continued). He went out again about nine o'clock in the morning, and saw others standing idle in the market-place. but it was far too much for the young man. So many people, both in things material and in things spiritual, get what they want, and then forget even to say thanks. I feel sure that no Christian harbours a doubt about it. 5. i. The age of serving in the army was from seventeen to forty-five, and the manner in which they were chosen was the following: -. He could not bear to see them idle. He was to be condemned to death; there we see the suffering of injustice, which is very hard to bear. 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. Note, There is a great proneness in us to think that we have too little, and other too much, of the tokens of God's favour; and that we do too much, and others too little, in the work of God. Christ only meant to say that every one who has been called before others ought to run with so much the greater alacrity, and, next, to exhort all men to be modest, not to give themselves the preference above others, but willingly to share with them a common prize. He may therefore give or withhold his blessings, as he pleases. There is room also for the most thorough self-abnegation. Sorrow would come full soon when He, the Bridegroom of His people, should be taken away; and then should they fast. 2. That they might mock me, scourge me, and crucify me, but I will rise again on the third day.Now again whenever Jesus talked to His disciples about His death, this thought was so repulsive to them, their minds just turned off, and they never heard, "I am going to rise again on the third day." Jesus' conclusion to the parable mirrors the formula introduced at Matthew 19:30, which leads into the parable: "So the last will be first, and the first will be last" (20:16; see also 19:30). In short, he had a question because he was a man. Some consider that John the Baptist enquired solely for the sake of his disciples. Peter goes forth, but losing sight of the Lord in the presence of the troubled waves, and yielding to his ordinary experience, he fears the strong wind, and is only saved by the outstretched hand of Jesus, who rebukes his doubt. For a day. I do not pretend to say this was the only purpose served; far be it from me to think of restraining the Spirit of God within the narrow bounds of our vision. b. On the evening of the day when He delivered the seven parables given in Matthew 13:1-58. The tribunes of the second and third likewise made their choice one after another; and he that remained entered into the fourth legion. As before he asserted his justice, so here his sovereignty; Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? The grape harvest ripened towards the end of September, and then close on its heels the rains came. "I am certain that there is much about the scourging about Jesus that we do not fully understand. They put it off until a more convenient time, but so often the more convenient time never comes. See here. Gregory the Great said that Jesus was like a baited hook meant to catch Satan, and Peter the Lombard said the cross was like a mousetrap to catch the devil, baited with the blood of Christ. b. The hours in the parable were the normal Jewish hours. 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. Such is His grace, such His wisdom. ], "Any union leader worth their salt would protest at such employment practices. 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. (Matthew 19:30.) You must not claim a special honour and a special place because you were Christians before they were. He that would be great among you, let him be your servant and if you want to be chief, then become the bondslave." So the last shall be first, and the first last. Poetical Books But none the less do we find His affections engaged for the help of the helpless. Did you not come to an agreement with me to work for 4 pence ? Reader, whosoever thou art, act in behalf of thy soul as these blind men did in behalf of their sight, and thy salvation is sure. The question was not who or what came in the way; whoever appealed to Him, there He was for them. 16.So the first shall be last. They did not see why they should be allowed to stake their claims to preeminence. They looked for the raging Lion of Judah; they received the gentle Lamb of God. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 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." God could not be limited by a question of place; His word was enough. The people whose hearts are yielded to him will be recognized as his children no matter their rank or riches by worldly standards. vi. 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. Minor Prophets Secondly, Others are savingly wrought upon in middle age; Go work in the vineyard, at the third, sixth, or ninth hour. To all justice shall be done. To all to whom the rewards of heaven are promised they shall be given. When it gets to where I have to sneak in the back door at the last minute, and sneak out before things are over, then I need to find something else to do, when you can no longer take time to minister to individuals.Now these men of course do give to us a very beautiful picture of people who are blind in sin, and there is the spiritualizing of the text, crying out for Jesus. At least we can draw the following applications from it. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Use semicolons to separate groups: 'Gen;Jdg;Psa-Mal' or 'Rom 3-12;Mat 1:15;Mat 5:12-22', There are options set in 'Advanced Options', The Whole Bible When a person's ministry gets so great, and they become so prominent that they lose touch with people, and they can no longer minister to people's individual needs, their ministry has become greater than their Lord. 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. For this challenge, you'll need dinner at home and two nerf guns. If he were willing to follow the Lord, it was for what he could get. This sets forth not at all the way in which the Christian stands related to Christ; for even though we had known Him after the flesh, henceforth know we Him no more. Next, the storm follows. They plucked his hair, they smote his cheeks, they spat in his face. Though he vainly thought, that if those few were but two, they were himself and his son. The better MSS., indeed, omit it here. Well, he did not come to get your service; he came to give you his services; not that you might first do him honor, but that he might show you mercy. (Spurgeon). But Christ does not explode at their obtuseness, or blaze at their blindness, or despair at their unteachableness. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point (Compare Mark 3:13-19, andMark 6:7-11; Mark 6:7-11; Luke 6:1-49; Luke 9:1-62) The mission of the apostles did not take place till afterwards. All rights reserved worldwide. They were not attached to any group; they were entirely at the mercy of chance employment; they were always living on the semi-starvation line. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Minor Prophets Secondly, the prophecy of Psalms declared, "not a bone of Him shall be broken"( Psalms 34:20 ). 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. There is no one cup for the Christian to drink. 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. 3 "About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. "Lord," they said, "what we want is that our eyes should be opened." When they get to Jerusalem, those culminating events of the life of Jesus are going to take place. Matthew 20 He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. In the next incident the force of the plea turns on God's goodness towards the wretchedness of man. In other words, the leper is here introduced after the sermon on the mount, though, in fact, the circumstance took place long before it. He would not even claim the right to choose how His servants were rewarded, but yield that to His Father. Nor was the unbelief confined to these religionists of letter and form; for next (verse 14) the question comes from John's disciples: "Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?" And wilt thou seek for a happiness in the creature, or think from thence to make up the deficiencies of thy happiness in 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? Every man has to learn that true greatness lies, not in dominance, but in service; and that in every sphere the price of greatness must be paid. Disease must obey Him, as the soldier or the servant obeyed the centurion, their superior. He promised to pay all the later workers fairly. (Matthew 20:16) The parable applied: the principle of Gods reward. Greatness does not consist in commanding others to do things for you; it consists in doing things for others; and the greater the service, the greater the honour. Note, All that by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, honour, and immortality, shall undoubtedly obtain eternal life (Romans 2:7), not as wages for the value of their work, but as the gift of God. 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. a. And yet He takes time still to minister to the needs of others. But I do believe that in this parable, He is teaching that a person at the end of the road can turn, in the eleventh hour and come to God, and receive a share of the kingdom, equal share, as far as eternal life is concerned.Another thing that it teaches, I believe, is that we all will be rewarded for our faithfulness in our service to God. In Matthew 16:1-28 we advance a great step, spite (yea, because) of unbelief, deep and manifest, now on every side. The men who stood in the market-place were waiting for work, and the fact that some of them stood on until even five o'clock in the evening is the proof of how desperately they wanted it. Though he vainly thought, that if those few were but two, they were himself and his son. He sets forth the sign of the prophet Jonah, the repentance of the men of Nineveh, the preaching of Jonah, and the earnest zeal of the queen of the South in Solomon's day, when an incomparably greater was there despised. The laws of that kingdom are not wrapt up in parables, but plainly set down, as in the sermon upon the mount; but the mysteries of that kingdom are delivered in parables, in sacraments, as here and Matthew 13:1-58; Matthew 13:1-58 The duties of Christianity are more necessary to be known than the notions of it; and yet the notions of it are more necessary to be illustrated than the duties of it; which is that which parables are designed for. few chosen; in Christ from all eternity, both to grace and glory; and in consequence, and as an evidence of it, but few among the Jews; as also in the Gentile world, comparatively speaking: and even but a few of those that are outwardly called, are inwardly and effectually called by the powerful grace of God, out of darkness into marvellous light, into the grace and liberty of the Gospel, into communion with Christ, and to the obtaining his kingdom and glory, according to the eternal purpose of God. He gives sight to the blind. Verse Matthew 20:16. This made it to be plainly and only a difficulty for God to solve. The Lord shows that such unbelief justly and necessarily excludes itself, but not others, from blessing. Thereon, coming into the ship, the wind ceases, and the Lord exercises His gracious power in beneficent effects around. May we not go even further with this thought of comfort? Not even their wonderful "attitude" entitled them to a day's pay. Thank you for registering. The parable sets about to correct this misguided notion. 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. We are in his hand, as clay in the hands of a potter; and it is not for us to prescribe to him, or strive with him. (Matthew 20:32-34) Jesus heals the two blind men. Their expectation was so focused on Jesus establishing an immediate political kingdom, and these words from Jesus were so contrary to that anticipation, these words just went over their heads. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Bishop PEARCE thinks it is an interpolation from Matthew 22:14. And thus as Isaiah predicts the scourging, the stripes, he declares, "by His stripes ye are healed"( Isaiah 53:5 ). The world counts them great. The man's walk before them testifies to the reality of his forgiveness before God. It was the custom in Palestine for a Rabbi to teach as he walked along the road; and no doubt those around Jesus could not hear what Jesus was saying for this clamorous uproar. Only tradition will not do this work, nor will human thoughts or feelings. These blind men received their sight from Jesus, and then they gave to him their grateful loyalty. "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." And he went out about the third hour: The third hour was about 9:00 a.m.; the sixth hour was about 12 noon; the eleventh hour was about 5:00 in the evening. A man that is a householder. Historical Books Further, in strict justice the fewer hours a man worked, the less pay he should have received. And, 2. (iii) These are the original lessons of this parable, but it has very much more to say to us. She said to him, "Speak the word that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left, in your Kingdom." For less than $5/mo. This done, with a word for the conscience appended, He takes up and pleads the cause of John. And He was Jesus, Emmanuel. Who hires them? faithful unto death shall receive the crown of life. Going back just a little bit further, Peter had said to Jesus, "Lord, we have left all to follow thee"( Matthew 19:27 ). Kagawa was left standing in a ragged old kimono. Though primitive Christianity had more of the purity and power of that holy religion than is to be found in the degenerate age wherein we live, yet what labourers may be sent into the vineyard in the eleventh hour of the church's day, in the Philadelphian period, and what plentiful effusions of the Spirit may then be, above what has been yet, who can tell? Notice is taken of the several hours of the day, at which the labourers were hired. The scribe had no heart for the hidden glory. He does not come to be served, but to serve. 3. 3. God hires labourers, not because he needs them or their services (for, if we be righteous, what do we unto him? Matthew 20:16 New International Version 16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." Read full chapter Matthew 20:16 in all English translations Matthew 19 Matthew 21 New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Counting from 6 a.m. therefore, the third hour is 9 a.m., the sixth hour is twelve midday, and the eleventh hour is 5 p.m. 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. This as yet draws out wonder, at least from the witnessing multitudes, that God had given such power unto men. O Lord God, your grace to me is marvelous. 20:1-16 The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, and they should be admitted to equal privileges and advantages with the Jews. . Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father." 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. for many be called; externally, under the ministration of the Gospel, as the Jews in general were, by Christ and his apostles; but. The meek and trustful spirit is to be desired; so also is the worker; but neither class of people, nor yet another class combining the virtues of both, can in any degree merit salvation. They were still thinking in terms of personal reward and personal distinction; and they were thinking of personal success without personal sacrifice. The motives of the natural heart are laid bare. But if Matthew here laid aside all question of time, it was in view of other and weightier considerations for his object. Friend, I am doing you no wrong. 'God is love. Nothing shall be withheld that was promised. The first thing to be remarked is, that the leper was an early incident in the manifestation of the healing power of our Lord. In the end of the chapter is set forth parabolically the unlimited forgiveness that suits the kingdom; here, I cannot but think, looking onward in strict fulness to the future, but with distinct application to the moral need of the disciples then and always. He said to them, 'Go you also into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' "This [fellow]," etc. Judas one of the twelve, who is listening to Him, will be the one who betrays Him. There are two great lessons here. The idea is that His people were in bondage as slaves, and He paid their price. He makes some more useful than others, without regard to the time which they serve, and he will reward them accordingly. Parallel use in Matthew 19:30 where the closing expression of chapter 19 opens the parable in chapter 20. Therefore what this saying means is quite simply--it cost the life and the death of Jesus Christ to bring men back to God. The disciples had been summoned to work in the vineyard. Many words are not now required for that which is happily familiar to most here. Modern disciples of Jesus should view heavenly rewards the same way. He had been preparing them for the new things, and the impossibility of making them coalesce with the old. 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. So long as it is all we have to give, all service ranks the same with God. But the single eye of Jesus at once detects the snare of Satan into which natural thought led, or at least exposed, Peter to fall. 3. Mark gives them in the end of his second and the beginning of his third chapters. If the harvest was not ingathered before the rains broke, then it was ruined; and so to get the harvest in was a frantic race against time. If the Gentiles were to be allowed into the fellowship of the Church at all, they must come in as inferiors. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point For many are called, but few chosen.". [6.] Sufferers for Christ in the latter days, shall have the same reward with the martyrs and confessors of the primitive times, though they are more celebrated; and faithful ministers now, the same with the first fathers. Jesus said that among the Gentiles there is this desire to exercise lordship and dominion over people. 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. A new tribe presented other four soldiers, and the second legion chose first. 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. Suffering from the disloyalty of friends. Now they no doubt had heard of the fame of Jesus. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 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.