Matthew 20
20
A Parable of Workers in the Vineyard
1“This will help you understand the way heaven’s kingdom operates:
“There once was a wealthy landowner who went out at daybreak to hire all the laborers he could find to work in his vineyard. 2After agreeing to pay them the standard day’s wage, he put them to work. 3Then at nine o’clock, as he was passing through the town square, he found others standing around without work. 4He told them, ‘Come and work for me in my vineyard and I’ll pay you a fair wage.’ 5So off they went to join the others. He did the same thing at noon and again at three o’clock, making the same arrangement as he did with the others.
6“Hoping to finish his harvest that day, he went to the town square again at five o’clock # 20:6 Or “in the eleventh hour” (about five o’clock). and found more who were idle. So he said to them, ‘Why have you been here all day without work?’
7“ ‘Because no one hired us,’ they answered.
“So he said to them, ‘Then go and join my crew and work in my vineyard.’
8“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard went to his foreman and said, ‘Call in all the laborers, line them up, and pay them the same wages, starting with the most recent ones I hired and finishing with the ones who worked all day.’
9“When those hired late in the day came to be paid, they were given a full day’s wage. 10And when those who had been hired first came to be paid, they were convinced that they would receive more. But everyone was paid the standard wage. 11When they realized what had happened, they were offended and complained to the landowner, saying, 12‘You’re treating us unfairly! They’ve only worked for one hour while we’ve labored and sweated all day under the scorching sun. You’ve made them equal to us!’
13“The landowner replied, ‘Friends, I’m not being unfair—I’m doing exactly what I said. Didn’t you agree to work for the standard wage? 14If I want to give those who only worked for an hour equal pay, what does that matter to you? 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Why should my generosity make you jealous of them?’ # 20:15 Or “Is your eye evil because I am good?”
16“Now you can understand what I meant when I said that the first will end up last and the last will end up being first. Everyone is invited, but few are the chosen.” # 20:16 As translated from the Hebrew Matthew, Aramaic, and a few later Greek manuscripts. This logion is not included in the majority of the Greek manuscripts but is found in Matt. 22:14.
Jesus Again Prophesies His Death
17Jesus was about to go to Jerusalem, so he took his twelve disciples aside privately and said to them, 18“Listen to me. We’re on our way to Jerusalem, and I need to remind you that the Son of Man will be handed over to the religious leaders and scholars, and they will sentence him to be executed. 19And they will hand him over to the Romans # 20:19 Or “gentiles.” By implication, the Romans. to be mocked, tortured, and crucified. Yet three days later he will be raised to life again.”
The Ambition of Jacob and John
20The wife of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons, Jacob and John. She knelt before him and asked him for a favor.
21He said to her, “What is it that you want?”
She answered, “Make the decree # 20:21 Or “Give the order.” that these, my sons, will rule with you in your kingdom—one sitting on your right hand, one on your left.”
22Jesus replied, “You don’t know what you are asking.” Then, looking in the eyes of Jacob and John, Jesus said, “Are you prepared to drink from the cup of suffering that I am about to drink? And are you able to endure the baptism into death that I am about to endure?” # 20:22 Or “Are you able to drink from the cup I am about to drink?”
They answered him, “Yes, we are able.” # 20:22 The naïveté of Jacob (James) and John is glaring. Their ambition is emphasized by having their mother come to ask this favor. This event is included immediately after Jesus prophesied for the third time his coming crucifixion. Their hearts were set on their own advancement rather than intercession for their Master.
23“You will indeed drink the cup of my suffering and be immersed into my death,” # 20:23 As translated from the Aramaic and the Hebrew Matthew. Jesus told them. “But to be the ones who sit at the place of highest honor is not mine to decide. My Father is the one who chooses them and prepares them.”
24The other ten disciples were listening to all of this, and a jealous anger arose among them against the two brothers. 25Jesus, knowing their thoughts, called them to his side and said, “Kings and those with great authority in this world rule oppressively over their subjects, like tyrants. 26But this is not your calling. You will lead by a completely different model. The greatest one among you will live as the one who is called to serve others, 27because the greatest honor and authority is reserved for the one with the heart of a servant. 28For even the Son of Man did not come expecting to be served but to serve and give his life in exchange for the salvation of many.” # 20:28 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “a ransom paid for many.”
Two Blind Men Healed
29As Jesus left Jericho a huge crowd gathered and followed him. 30And there were two blind men sitting on the roadside. When they heard that it was Jesus passing by, they shouted, “Son of David, # 20:30 The term Son of David was used for the Messiah. The blind men believed Jesus was the Messiah. show us mercy, Lord!” 31Those in the crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But the blind men shouted even louder, “Jesus, Son of David, show us mercy, Lord!”
32So Jesus stopped and had them brought to him. He asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33They said, “Lord, we want to see! Heal us!”
34Jesus was deeply moved with compassion # 20:34 The Aramaic is “Jesus had nurturing love toward them.” toward them. So he touched their eyes, and instantly they could see! Jesus said to them, “Your faith has healed you.” And all the people praised God because of this miracle. # 20:34 This and the previous sentence, “Your faith has healed you,” are translated from the Hebrew Matthew. They are missing from the Greek text. And the two men became his followers from that day onward.
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Matthew 20: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationMatthew 20
20
A Story About Workers
1“The kingdom of heaven is like a person who owned some land. One morning, he went out very early to hire some people to work in his vineyard. 2The man agreed to pay the workers one coin for working that day. Then he sent them into the vineyard to work. 3About nine o’clock the man went to the marketplace and saw some other people standing there, doing nothing. 4So he said to them, ‘If you go and work in my vineyard, I will pay you what your work is worth.’ 5So they went to work in the vineyard. The man went out again about twelve o’clock and three o’clock and did the same thing. 6About five o’clock the man went to the marketplace again and saw others standing there. He asked them, ‘Why did you stand here all day doing nothing?’ 7They answered, ‘No one gave us a job.’ The man said to them, ‘Then you can go and work in my vineyard.’
8“At the end of the day, the owner of the vineyard said to the boss of all the workers, ‘Call the workers and pay them. Start with the last people I hired and end with those I hired first.’
9“When the workers who were hired at five o’clock came to get their pay, each received one coin. 10When the workers who were hired first came to get their pay, they thought they would be paid more than the others. But each one of them also received one coin. 11When they got their coin, they complained to the man who owned the land. 12They said, ‘Those people were hired last and worked only one hour. But you paid them the same as you paid us who worked hard all day in the hot sun.’ 13But the man who owned the vineyard said to one of those workers, ‘Friend, I am being fair to you. You agreed to work for one coin. 14So take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same pay that I gave you. 15I can do what I want with my own money. Are you jealous because I am good to those people?’
16“So those who are last now will someday be first, and those who are first now will someday be last.”
Jesus Talks About His Own Death
17While Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he took his twelve followers aside privately and said to them, 18“Look, we are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be turned over to the leading priests and the teachers of the law, and they will say that he must die. 19They will give the Son of Man to the non-Jewish people to laugh at him and beat him with whips and crucify him. But on the third day, he will be raised to life again.”
A Mother Asks Jesus a Favor
20Then the wife of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons. She bowed before him and asked him to do something for her.
21Jesus asked, “What do you want?”
She said, “Promise that one of my sons will sit at your right side and the other will sit at your left side in your kingdom.”
22But Jesus said, “You don’t understand what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?”
The sons answered, “Yes, we can.”
23Jesus said to them, “You will drink from my cup. But I cannot choose who will sit at my right or my left; those places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them.”
24When the other ten followers heard this, they were angry with the two brothers.
25Jesus called all the followers together and said, “You know that the rulers of the non-Jewish people love to show their power over the people. And their important leaders love to use all their authority. 26But it should not be that way among you. Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant. 27Whoever wants to become first among you must serve the rest of you like a slave. 28In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29When Jesus and his followers were leaving Jericho, a great many people followed him. 30Two blind men sitting by the road heard that Jesus was going by, so they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31The people warned the blind men to be quiet, but they shouted even more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32Jesus stopped and said to the blind men, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33They answered, “Lord, we want to see.”
34Jesus felt sorry for the blind men and touched their eyes, and at once they could see. Then they followed Jesus.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.