A Deeper Look at Matthew:  An End-Times Bible Study
Copyright 2012
 
 
Matthew 20
 
            Jesus has an interesting story to share in Matthew 20:1-16.  It goes like this:  A certain owner of a vineyard decides to hire laborers to work for him.  So, he finds some to hire and they agree to work for a denarius a day.  (The King James Version says they agreed to work for a penny, but the actual word that was in the original Greek is denarius, which is a 4 gram silver coin equal to one day's wages.)
            So, later on, at 9:00 AM, the man goes to the marketplace and sees them standing around; so he hires them and tells them he will give them "whatsoever is right" for pay.
            He again goes out at noontime and 3:00 PM and hires still more laborers to work in his field.  At 5:00 PM he finds some more people standing around and asks them why they have been standing around all day idle.  They tell the man that it is because no one has hired them.  So the man sends them to the vineyard to work and agrees to pay them "whatever is right."
            Finally, when evening comes, the lord of the vineyard commands the steward to call the laborers unto him, beginning with the last people that were hired.  So, the man pays them and begins by giving those hired at 5:00 PM a denarius.  He then pays each of the rest a denarius, including those who were hired at 6:00 AM (and worked a full day).  So, those who were hired at 6:00 AM complain that they should have been paid more because they worked all day in the heat, putting in twelve hours of labor, (compared to those hired last who worked only one hour).  The man replies to them, saying that he has done them no wrong, reminding them that they agreed to work for a denarius.  He tells them to go their way, saying he will give to the last the same as those hired first.  He says to them that it is lawful for him to do what he wants with his things.  Finally, he asks them, "Is thine eye evil, because I am good?"
            Jesus ends this parable, saying, "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."  What does Jesus mean by this?  This is an example of God the Father.  He owns all things, everything on earth, all people, the devil, the solar system, galaxy, and the entire universe.  Jesus uses this story to show that God gives more to some and less to others.  Some get big houses on earth, while others have nothing and starve.  God chooses some to go to heaven and others go to hell.  He gives different spiritual gifts to some while others have no gifts.  And God is perfectly just in the way He gives because He can do what He wants with His things.  Remember, He owns everything and He can do whatever He wants with His things because they are all His.  There are many bitter souls in hell because they simply were not chosen to go to heaven and this is precisely what the end of 20:16 says.  Many are called to go to heaven but only the chosen (with their names in the Book of Life) will make it to heaven.
            After He is done with this story, Jesus takes the twelve disciples to Jerusalem and along the way takes them aside and tells them that He will be betrayed to the religious leaders and condemned Him to death.  He tells them they will mock, scourge, and crucify Him but the third day He will rise again.
            After saying these things, the mother of the Zebedee brothers comes up to Him and worships Him, making a request; she asks Him if her two sons may sit, one on His right hand and the other on His left, in His kingdom.  Jesus replies to this, saying they do not know what they ask.  He then asks the sons of Zebedee if they are "able to drink of the cup He drinks of and be baptized with the baptism He is baptized with."  They reply that they are able.
            What does this mean?  Jesus is simply asking the two if they are able to be tortured and killed in the same way Jesus would be tortured and killed.
            Jesus tells the two that they will indeed drink of the cup He drinks of and be baptized with the baptism He is baptized with.  He goes on to say, however, that to allow one to sit on His left and the other on the right is not His to give but that it will be given to those for whom God has prepared it.
            Matthew 20:24 says that the other ten disciples are moved with indignation upon hearing this.
            Jesus, then, says to them that the princes of the Gentiles exercise authority over the people and those that are great have authority over the people.  But He goes on to say that this is not the way it should be - He says whoever wants to be great among the people needs to be a minister.  Whoever wants to be great needs to do so as a servant.  He then explains to them that He did not come to have service provided unto Him but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.
             (I know so many nice people today that have gotten a job or position of authority and everything changed.  They were nice until they were given a position where they were "above" some person or persons and then they totally usurped their position.  What do I mean by this?  Well, they no longer became submissive to the needs of others and no longer served others in any capacity.  They believe that they needed to be served instead of serving others).  This is the exact opposite of everything Jesus stands for and is what He preaches AGAINST in Matthew 20:25-28.  Jesus leads through service to others and not by demanding that He, Himself, be served.
            After this, Jesus and the disciples depart for Jerusalem and a large crowd is following them.  Along the way, a couple of blind men hear that Jesus is passing by and cry out, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David."
            The multitude tells the two to shut up but they continued to cry out to Jesus, asking Him to have mercy on their blind condition.  So, He calls the two of them to Himself and asks them what they want Him to do for them.  They reply that that they want their eyes opened.  Jesus has compassion on them, touches their eyes, and immediately they can see; then, they follow Him.