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. And Jesus stood still, and he called them, and said, What do you want me to do for you? And they said unto him, Lord, we want our eyes opened. Matthew, Expository Sermons - From The Executable Outlines Series by Mark A. Copeland - Hundreds of free sermon outlines and Bible study materials available for online browsing and downloading. The disciples most inadequately perceive His glory; but the Lord acts according to His own mind. The nature of envy; It is an evil eye. "Life is not fair! Praise God!" (Matthew 20:1-16) | Bible.org Conversely in some cases those whom God called early in their lives may not receive as much reward as those called later in life. Accordingly, notice that, in the manner in which the Holy Ghost introduces it, there is no statement of time whatever. The man that was not called promises to go anywhere, in his own strength; but the man that was called feels the difficulty, and pleads a natural duty before following Jesus. 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. Jesus recognized that they didnt really understand, but they would. Blue Letter Bible study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible easy and rewarding. Cookie Notice: In later days others will come in. 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? Gregory the Great took the picture to even more grotesque, almost revolting, lengths. Jesus laces this point throughout the parable. The servants are clearly divided into two classes. The other workers hired through the day were not promised a specific wage, only whatever is right. I am going to be betrayed. 3. [2.] THE CHRISTIAN REVOLUTION ( Matthew 20:20-28 continued). Matthew 20:16-20 NIV - "So the last will be first, and the - Bible Gateway 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. In the Christian Church seniority does not necessarily mean honour. [1.] Peter answers, "Of strangers." a. At the beginning of the day, a landowner hired people to work in his vineyard for an agreed wage (Matthew 20:1-2). The Pharisees were enraged at a power they could not deny, which rebuked themselves so much the more on account of its persistent grace; but Jesus passes by all blasphemy as yet, and goes on His way nothing hinders His course of love. He has His rejection before His eyes, as well as the presumptuous unbelief of this sordid, and self-confident, would-be follower. Thus, the fourth chapter of Mark coincides, marked with such data as can leave no doubt. a. 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. Those last hired receive the most pay and are paid first. Instead of repining that we have no more, let us take what we have, and be thankful. 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. "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice." The leper approaches the Lord with homage, but with a most inadequate belief in His love and readiness to meet his need. It adds to the reason for this interpretation, that Christ was conversing about the rewards that should be given to his followers, and not about the numbers that should be called, or about the doctrine of election. The amazing thing about Jesus is that he never lost patience and became irritated. 2. 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. Matthew 13:19-22), we find first of all the utter worthlessness of the flesh's readiness to follow Jesus. That scourging was for you. 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. 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. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! 2. It is as if Jesus was going to gather in upon himself every possible kind of physical and emotional and mental suffering that the world could inflict. This tested their thoughts of the glory of Jesus. vii. 21 "What is your request?" he asked. [1.] He was not called. 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. He's been with them now for almost three years, and He feels it necessary to draw them now into that more intimate fellowship with His suffering, as He has set His face to go to Jerusalem, knowing exactly what awaits Him there. The Gentile church, which was as yet unborn, the Gentile world, which as yet stood idle in the market-place, would produce greater numbers of eminent, useful Christians, than were found among the Jews. Will be betrayed: Conceivably, Jesus could have been delivered to the religious authorities without this. Plainly, the church isnt to operate the way the world does. Those hired later correspond to other people who became Jesus disciples later in His ministry. To convince the murmurer that he did no wrong, he refers him to the bargain: "Didst not thou agree with me for a penny? See here. In immediate juxtaposition to this stands the Gentile centurion, who seeks healing for his servant. Who but God could command not only the waves, but the fish of the sea? . 1. Now if you go back to the last verse of the previous chapter, you'll find this same statement. Gods grace always operates righteously. Pauline Epistles Verse Matthew 20:16. "According to your faith be it done unto you.". Sometimes a young person dies almost before the door of life and achievement have opened at all. In the next scene, then, we have the disciples as a whole tried by a sudden danger to which their sleeping Master paid no heed. Luke-Acts Not so. It was necessary to complete the picture. The third and fourth legions had the same advantage in their turns. The eye is often both the inlet and the outlet of this sin. . This is the third time that Jesus warned his disciples that he was on the way to the Cross ( Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22-23). It brings me to the real crisis; that is, the final presentation of our lord to Jerusalem. ], "Any union leader worth their salt would protest at such employment practices. 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. Lord cometh, his reward is with him, to give unto every man according as his work shall be, as one star differeth from another star in glory, so shall it be. In verse 13 our Lord "goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. Matthew 20:16 in all English translations, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story, NIV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Revelation, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NIV, The Woman's Study Bible, Full-Color, Red Letter: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation, NIV, The Story, Hardcover, Comfort Print: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People. 1. 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. for many be called; externally, under the ministration of the Gospel, as the Jews in general were, by Christ and his apostles; but. For this challenge, you'll need dinner at home and two nerf guns. If I am faithful for an hour, if I am faithful for twelve hours, it is my faithfulness to the service to which the Lord has sent me.Now a lot of times we think that men like Billy Graham will surely receive the greatest rewards in heaven, because look at the tremendous fruit of his ministry. 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. Hold out, faith, and patience, yet a little while. All other things, although important, are secondary. Their reward was as much of grace as was that of the bitter "firsters"! So the last shall be first - This is the moral or scope of the parable. Major Prophets Every opportunity to serve is a gift of His grace. There is simply the great, tremendous truth that without Jesus Christ and his life of service and his death of love, we could never have found our way back to the love of God. It was as Son of David that they addressed Jesus. The Old Testament The failure of this greatest of women-born only gives Him the just occasion to show the total change at hand, when it should not be a question of man, but of God, yea, of the kingdom of heaven, the least in which new state should be greater than John. It puts the Devil on a level with God; it means that the Devil could dictate his terms to God, before he would let men go. The grounds of such a judgment will naturally come before us ere long: I can merely refer to it now as my conviction. In the evening multitudes are brought, taking advantage of the power that had so shown itself, publicly in the synagogue, and privately in the house of Peter; and the Lord accomplished the words ofIsaiah 53:4; Isaiah 53:4: "Himself," it is said, "took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses," an oracle we might do well to consider in the limit of its application here. If we turn toMark 1:1-45; Mark 1:1-45, the proof of what I have said will appear as to the leper. Finally, we have all wound up, after the going forth of a testimony which was truly universal in its scope, by the judicial severance at the close, when it is not only the good put into vessels, but the bad dealt with by the due instruments of the power of God. 1. They cannot hurt the Christ. Jesus gave everything to bring men back to God; and we must walk in the steps of him who loved to the uttermost. We can count on God dealing with us justly, graciously, and generously whether we serve God all our lives or only a short time having become His disciples later in life. "And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth." So the last shall be first, and the first last,. As he had asserted in Matthew 19:30 and which is clearly illustrated by this parable, as it may be applied to Jews or Gentiles, or to nominal and real Christians: for many be called; externally, under the ministration of the Gospel, as the Jews in general were, by Christ and his apostles; but, 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. Many of them bleed to death. So the last will be first, and the first last. Poetical Books About the third hour, [nine o'clock in the morning], he saw others standing idle in the market place, and he said unto them; Go into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And as they stood there with those clouds over their eyes, Jesus said, "What do you want?" Hence, here it is a question not merely of cleansing, but of forgiveness, and forgiveness, too, as that which precedes power, manifested before men. That act forfeited their further right to it. Matthew 20:16 - Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary - StudyLight.org Now life treated James and John very differently. "The Spirit lifted me [Ezekiel] up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God. Thus He points out the utter moral incongruity of fasting at that moment, and intimates that it was not merely the fact that He was going to be rejected, but that to conciliate His teaching and His will with the old thing was hopeless. When did this take place, if we enquire into it merely as a matter of historical fact? In the pagan world humility was regarded, not so much as a virtue, but as a vice. But the future is in view also. Do not let us dwell too much upon it, for we all share the honor given to each. Study Guide for Matthew 20 by David Guzik - Blue Letter Bible He could and did form His instruments according to His own sovereign will. He was there for the express purpose of glorifying God. 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. The Lord pleads the cause of the disciples. Thus explained, this parable has no reference to the call of the Gentiles, nor to the call of aged sinners, nor to the call of sinners out of the church at all. Matthew 20:16New International Version. After this, in the chapter we have the positive hindrance asserted of what man counts good. He now takes His place of rejection; for Him it is manifest even now by their inmost thoughts of Him when revealed. That is why the first will be last and the last will be first. 'God is love,' he shouted. 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. that take and give unto them for me and thee." Though a testimony to them, still it was in the result a recognition of what Moses commanded. He received nothing from others; his was a life of giving, and the giving of a lifeNo service is greater than to redeem sinners by his own death, no ministry is lowlier than to die in the stead of sinners. (Spurgeon), ii. (3.) The youth were instructed, almost from their cradle, in military exercises. On the other hand, by far the greater weight of tradition goes to show that John lived to a great old age in Ephesus and died a natural death when he must have been close on a hundred years old. The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, You've never known them. This furnishes occasion to the Pharisees to vent their unbelief: to them nothing is so offensive as grace, either in doctrine or in practice. The first thing to be remarked is, that the leper was an early incident in the manifestation of the healing power of our Lord. Thus the old link with the flesh, with Israel, is now disowned; and the new relationships of faith, founded on doing the will of His Father (it is not a question of the law in any sort), are alone acknowledged. I love that family strength among them. What Jesus Did! Even those hired early in the day received a reward, and the landowner had been gracious and generous in hiring them and not others. The key to it is this, that Matthew was led by the Holy Ghost to keep in view adequate testimony to the Jewish people; it was the tender goodness of God that would meet them in a manner that was suitable under the law. See Matthew 19:27-29. for many be called, but few chosenThis is another of our Lord's terse and pregnant sayings, more than once uttered in different connections. . Observe, They did not come for their pay till they were called; we must with patience wait God's time for our rest and recompence; go by our master's clock. Jesus said that among the Gentiles there is this desire to exercise lordship and dominion over people. But none the less do we find His affections engaged for the help of the helpless. Thus shall every mouth be stopped, and all flesh be silent before God. On this the Lord proceeds to take a step farther, and makes a deeper inroad, if possible, upon Jewish prejudice. Of one of the disciples, whose state may have been specially present to our Lords mind, this was, we know, only too fatally true. General Epistles And I believe that we can believe and trust Jesus Christ for physical healing, as well as spiritual healing. Thereon the Lord also has His word to say, first reminding Peter of his new name suitably to what follows. They did not see why they should be allowed to stake their claims to preeminence. It is tragic that we have a professional ministry that so often seeks people to cater to it, rather than to realize that they are the servants of all. Suffering from the disloyalty of friends. 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. Next is the one pearl of great price, the unity and beauty of that which was so dear to the merchantman. It tells us three things about them. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the ship. Succa, fol. It is a question, then, of internal evidence, what that particular order is which God has employed in each different gospel. Matthew 20:16 The New King James Version (NKJV) 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. For him the cup was martyrdom. Now this is their final trip to Jerusalem. Our Lord then answers, with perfect dignity, as well as grace; He puts before the disciples of John the real state of the case; He furnishes them with plain, positive facts, that could leave nothing to be desired by John's mind when he weighed all as a testimony from God. It is tragic that we have gotten so far away from the concepts that Jesus taught. When the world and the devil begin to rebuke, in this case, it is a proof that the salvation of God is nigh; therefore, let such cry out a great deal the more. (Clarke). He was to be condemned to death; there we see the suffering of injustice, which is very hard to bear. So translated into our present day, an average day's wage for a laborer maybe twenty-five dollars or so. Then shalt thou call, saith the good and faithful servant, and I will answer. Set a timer for 20 minutes (no peeking) and start eating. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? In spite of all he had said, here were these men and their mother still chattering about posts in an earthly government and kingdom. 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. Here is demonstrated the new glory and the new greatness of suffering love and sacrificial service. 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. Lowly, noiseless grace now it was to be, according to the prophet, till the hour strikes for victory in judgment. There is no greater mistake than to suppose, because there is the richest development of God's grace in new things, that He abandons or weakens natural relationships and authority in their place. To be like Christ he went to live in the slums, even though he himself was suffering from tuberculosis. The point is that God rewards on the principle of grace, and we should therefore expect surprises. It says simply, "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." This was the very blessing that aroused, above all, the hatred of the scribes. New International Version (NIV). In Matthew 13:1-58 we have the well-known sketch of these new ways of God. 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. For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner: Like many of Jesus parables, this story is about an employer and those who work for him. "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof" He had only to say in a word, and his servant should be healed. It shall not be so among you, but whoever wishes to prove himself great among you must be your servant; and whoever wishes to occupy the foremost place will be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.". God's generosity will not succumb to human jealousy. But I am convinced that there are others who will receive either as great or even greater honor than will Billy Graham who you have never heard of. It is incontestably true, that God can do no wrong. What are they hired to do? The Christian is a man put upon his honour by Jesus. 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. 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. They never did make front page or even back page. And He was Jesus, Emmanuel. Blue Letter Bible is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? The time of life is the day, in which we must work the works of him that sent us into the world. Chapter 8, which opens the portion that comes before us tonight, is a striking illustration as well as proof of the method which God has been pleased to employ in giving us the apostle Matthew's account of our Lord Jesus. [2.] 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. They couldn't see Him. It is the glory of Christ; not so much as Son of the living God, but as the exalted Son of man, who once suffered here below. What special mercy and tenderness, not only in the end, but also in the way the Lord deals with Israel! i. (iv) Here, also, is the infinite compassion of God. There is nothing more tragic in this world than a man who is unemployed, a man whose talents are rusting in idleness because there is nothing for him to do. It is an evil eye, which is displeased at the good of others, and desires their hurt. It is not an accident that Jesus was scourged. 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. "In God's economy," as someone has said, "there is no such thing as a most favoured nation clause." Matthew 5:45). This, too, we ascertain from Mark 1:1-45, where there are clear marks of the time. & Sanhedrim, fol. He didn't come that people might cater to Him and minister to Him, He came to minister to the people's needs. Neither giveth he an account of any of his matters; nor is it fit he should. Here is the account with the labourers. 2. 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. Matthew 20. But yet people who have been faithful to that service, to which God has employed them, whether it be intercessory closet prayer that nobody knows anything about, and I think when we get to heaven we are going to be surprised when we see those who are sitting on the front row. They put it off until a more convenient time, but so often the more convenient time never comes.
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