Matthew 20
20
The Story of the Workers in the Vineyard
1“The kingdom of heaven is like the manager of an estate who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed to give them the usual pay for a day’s work, and he sent them into the vineyard.
3“About nine o’clock, he went out again and saw others standing in the market doing nothing. 4He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I’ll pay you what’s fair.’ 5So they went.
“He went out again at about noon and at three o’clock and did the same thing. 6About five o’clock he went out and found others still standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’
7“ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You go and work in my vineyard too.’
8“When evening came, the manager of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and give them their pay. Begin with the ones I hired last and end with the ones I hired first.’
9“When the workers who’d been hired at about five o’clock came in, each one was given the usual pay for a whole day. 10So when those who’d been hired first came in, they expected to receive more. But each of them also received a day’s pay. 11When they saw what they were getting, they began to complain about the manager. 12‘Those people who were hired last only worked for one hour,’ they said. ‘But you paid them the same as us, even though we did most of the work and were out in the hot sun all day.’
13“The manager answered one of them, ‘I’m not being unfair to you, my friend. Didn’t you agree to work for the usual day’s pay? 14Take your money and go. I want to give the ones I hired last the same pay I gave you. 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Why should you feel cheated just because I was generous to the others?’
16“So those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last.”
Jesus Speaks a Third Time About His Coming Death
17Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, and on the way, he took his 12 disciples to one side to talk to them. 18“We’re going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and there the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will sentence him to death 19and hand him over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of him and whip him. They will nail him to a cross, but on the third day he will rise from the dead!”
High Positions in the Kingdom
20The mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus. They came along with her. She got down on her knees and asked him for a favor.
21“What do you want?” Jesus asked.
She said, “Promise that in your kingdom, my two sons will get thrones right next to yours, one on each side of you.”
22“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup of suffering that I’m going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23Jesus said to them, “You will certainly drink from my cup. But it’s not up to me who will sit next to me. Those places belong to the ones my Father has prepared them for.”
24When the other ten disciples heard about this, they got angry at the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them all together and said, “You know that the leaders of the Gentiles like to use their power over others and that their high officials order people around. 26Don’t be like that. Instead, any one of you who wants to be great must become a servant to all the others, 27and anyone who wants to be first must be a slave. 28Be like the Son of Man, who didn’t come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life to set people free.”
Two Blind Men Become Able to See
29As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples, a large crowd was following him. 30Two men who were blind were sitting by the side of the road. When they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on us!”
31The crowd told them to stop shouting and be quiet. But the two men shouted even more loudly, “Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on us!”
32Jesus stopped and called out to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33“Lord,” they answered, “we want to be able to see.”
34Jesus felt deep concern for them, so he went over and touched their eyes. Right away they became able to see, and they followed him.
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Matthew 20
20
The Workers in the Vineyard
1#SS 8:11–12; Mt 13:24#“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3“Then he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5Again he went out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did likewise.
6“About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
7“They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
“He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’
8#Lev 19:13; Dt 24:15“So when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’
9“When they who were hired about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. 10But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more, but each of them likewise received a denarius. 11When they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12#Lk 12:55; Jas 1:11saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us, who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’
13#Mt 22:12; 26:50“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take what is yours and go your way. I will give to this last one even as I give to you. 15#Dt 15:9; Mt 6:23Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’
16#Mt 19:30; Mk 10:31“So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”
A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death andResurrection
Mk 10:32–34; Lk 18:31–34
17#Mk 10:32–34As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, 18#Mt 16:21; 26:66“Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and scribes. And they will condemn Him to death 19#Mt 16:21; Mk 15:16–20; Mt 27:27–31and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him, but on the third day He will rise.”
A Mother’s Request
Mk 10:35–45
20#Mt 4:21; 8:2Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons. And kneeling before Him, she asked for a certain thing.
21#Mt 19:28He said to her, “What do you want?”
She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, in Your kingdom.”
22#Mt 26:42; Lk 22:42But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink from the cup that I am to drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
They said to Him, “We are able.”
23#Ac 12:2; Rev 1:9He said to them, “You will indeed drink from My cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. But to sit at My right hand and at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”
24When the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brothers. 25#Lk 22:25–27; Mt 18:3–4But Jesus called them to Him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26#Mk 9:35; 10:43It shall not be so among you. Whoever would be great among you, let him serve you, 27and whoever would be first among you, let him be your slave, 28#Heb 9:28; Mt 26:28; 1Ti 2:6even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
The Healing of Two Blind Men
Mk 10:46–52; Lk 18:35–43
29#Mk 10:46–52; Lk 18:35–43As they departed from Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30#Mt 21:9; 22:42There, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
31#Mt 19:13The crowd rebuked them, that they should be silent. But they cried out even more, “Have mercy on us, O 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.”
34So Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
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