Matthew 20
20
Chapter 20
Jesus tells a story about some workers in a field
1Jesus said, ‘I will tell you a story to show what the kingdom of heaven is like. There was an important man who had a field where he grew grapes. He went out early in the morning. He wanted to find some people who would work in his field. 2The master agreed with the workers that he would pay them one silver coin for a day's work. #20:2 A person usually received one small silver coin when he worked for one day. Then he sent them to work in the field.
3The master went out again about three hours later. He saw some other men standing in the market place. They had no work to do. 4So the master said to these men, “You also go and work in my field. I will pay you the right amount of money.” 5So the workers went to the master's field and started to work.
The master went out again at noon, and he went again three hours after that. Both times he sent men to his field to work. 6Two hours later, at five o'clock, he went out again. He found more men who were standing there. And they had no work to do. The master asked them, “Why are you standing here all day and you are not working?”
7The men said to the master, “Nobody has asked us to work for him.”
So the master said to them, “You also go now and work in my field.”
8Then the evening came. The master of the field spoke to the man who had authority over the workers. He said to him, “Tell the workers to come here. Pay them their money. Begin with the workers who started to work at the end of the day. Finish with the workers who started first.”
9The workers who had come to work at five o'clock in the evening received one silver coin each. 10The workers who had come to work first thought that they would receive more than the other workers. But each of them also received one silver coin. 11When they received their money, they were not happy. They told the master that he had not been fair to them. 12They said to him, “Some of these other workers came last and only worked for one hour. But you have paid them the same money as you paid us. And we have worked all day in the hot sun.”
13Then the master said to one of the workers, “My friend, I am being fair to you. You agreed to work for one day and to receive one silver coin. 14Take your money and go home. I choose to give this last man the same amount of money as I gave to you. 15It is my money. I can choose what to do with it. I want to be kind to people and give them more than we agreed. Does that make you upset?” ’
16Jesus then said, ‘So, one day, those people who are not important now will become the most important. Those people who are very important now will become the least important.’
Jesus talks again about how he will die
17Jesus and his disciples were going towards Jerusalem. As they walked along, Jesus took his 12 disciples away from the other people where he could speak to them alone. 18‘Listen!’ he said to them. ‘We are going to Jerusalem. There, someone will deliver the Son of Man to the leaders of the priests and the teachers of God's Law. These Jewish leaders will decide that I must die. 19Then they will take me and they will deliver me to people who are not Jews. They will laugh at me. They will hit me with whips. Then they will kill me on a cross. #20:19 At this time, the ruler's soldiers would kill bad people on a cross. Soldiers fixed them to a big cross made from wood. They remained on the cross until they died. But after three days, I will become alive again.’
The mother of James and John asks Jesus for something
20Then the mother of James and John took them to see Jesus. (Their father was Zebedee.) She went down on her knees in front of Jesus. She asked him to do something good for her.
21‘What do you want me to do?’ Jesus asked her.
She said, ‘One day, you will be king. Then I want my two sons to rule with you. One may sit at your right side and the other one at your left side. Please will you do this?’
22Jesus said to them, ‘You do not understand what you are asking for. I will have much pain and trouble. Are you ready to have the same pain?’
James and John replied, ‘Yes, we can do that.’
23Jesus said to them, ‘Yes, that is true. You will have pain and trouble like mine. But I cannot promise that you will sit at my right side or at my left side. My Father God has chosen the people who will sit there. He has prepared the places for those people.’
24When the other ten disciples heard about this, they were angry with the two brothers. 25Then Jesus told all the 12 disciples to come to him. He said to them, ‘You know the things that rulers of other countries do. They show that they have great power over their people. The leaders of those countries use great authority over their people. 26But you should not be like that. The person who wants to be great among you must become your servant. 27The person who wants to be the most important person among you must work hard for everyone else. 28Even the Son of Man himself came to earth to be a servant to other people. He did not come here to have servants who must work for him. No, he came to die so that many people can be free.’
Jesus causes two men to see near Jericho
29Later, Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho. A large crowd of people followed him. 30Two men were sitting at the side of the road. They were blind. But they heard that Jesus was walking past them. So they shouted, ‘Master! Son of David! #20:30 ‘Son of David’ is another name for the special person, the Christ, that God would send to save his people. It is another name for Jesus. Please be kind to us and help us.’
31The people who were in the crowd were angry with them. They told them that they should be quiet. But the men shouted even louder, ‘Master! Son of David! Please help us!’
32Jesus stopped there. He asked the two men, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
33‘Sir,’ the men replied, ‘we want to see again.’
34Jesus felt sorry for the two men. He touched their eyes and immediately the men could see again. So they followed Jesus along the road.
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Matthew 20: EASY
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MissionAssist 2018
Matthew 20
20
The Laborers in the Vineyard
1“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage,#20.2 Gk a denarius he sent them into his vineyard. 3When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. 6And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.#20.9 Gk a denarius 10Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.#20.10 Gk a denarius 11And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?#20.13 Gk a denarius 14Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’#20.15 Gk is your eye evil because I am good? 16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”#20.16 Other ancient authorities add for many are called but few are chosen
A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
17While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, 18“See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; 19then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.”
The Request of the Mother of James and John
20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. 21And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”#20.22 Other ancient authorities add or to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They said to him, “We are able.” 23He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
24When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 26It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; 28just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord,#20.30 Other ancient authorities lack Lord have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even more loudly, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” 32Jesus stood still and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.