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 Parable of the Vineyard Workers
1“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. # Mt 13:24; 21:28,33 2After agreeing with the workers on one denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3When he went out about nine in the morning, # Lit about the third hour he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4To those men he said, ‘You also go to my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So off they went. 5About noon and at three, # Lit about the sixth hour and the ninth hour he went out again and did the same thing. 6Then about five # Lit about the eleventh hour he went and found others standing around, # Other mss add doing nothing and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing? ’
7“ ‘Because no one hired us,’ they said to him.
“ ‘You also go to my vineyard,’ he told them. # Other mss add ‘and you’ll get whatever is right.’ 8When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay, # Lv 19:13; Dt 24:15 starting with the last and ending with the first.’ # Lit starting from the last until the first
9“When those who were hired about five # Lit about the eleventh hour came, they each received one denarius. 10So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each. 11When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner: 12‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day and the burning heat! ’ # Jnh 4:8; Lk 12:55; Jms 1:11
13“He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius? # Mt 22:12; 26:50 14Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my business? # Lit with what is mine Are you jealous # Lit Is your eye evil ; an idiom for jealousy or stinginess because I’m generous? ’ # Lit good # Dt 15:9; Pr 23:6; Mt 6:23; Mk 7:22
16“So the last will be first, and the first last.” # Other mss add For many are called, but few are chosen.” # Mt 19:30; Mk 10:31; Lk 13:30
The Third Prediction of His Death
17While going up to Jerusalem, # Mk 10:32-34; Lk 18:31-33 Jesus took the 12 disciples aside privately and said to them on the way: 18“Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death. # Mt 16:21; 26:66; Jn 19:7 19Then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles # Mt 27:2; Ac 2:23; 3:13; 4:27; 21:11 to be mocked, flogged, # Or scourged and crucified, and He will be resurrected # Other mss read will rise again on the third day.”
Suffering and Service
20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons approached Him with her sons. # Mk 10:35-45; Lk 22:24-27 She knelt down to ask Him for something. # Mt 4:21; 8:2 21“What do you want? ” He asked her.
“Promise,” # Lit Say she said to Him, “that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right and the other on Your left, in Your kingdom.” # Mt 16:28; 19:28; 25:31,34; Lk 23:42
22But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup # Figurative language referring to His coming suffering; Mt 26:39; Jn 18:11 that I am about to drink?” # Other mss add and (or) to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” # Is 51:22; Jr 49:12; Mk 14:36
“We are able,” they said to Him.
23He told them, “You will indeed drink My cup. # Other mss add and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. But to sit at My right and left is not Mine to give; instead, it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” # Ac 12:2; Rv 1:9 24When the 10 disciples heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them. 26It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, # Mt 23:11; Mk 9:35 27and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, # Lk 22:27; Jn 13:13-15; 2Co 8:9; Php 2:7 and to give His life — a ransom for many.” # Mt 26:28; 1Tm 2:6; Ti 2:14; Heb 9:28
Two Blind Men Healed
29As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. # Mk 10:46-52; Lk 18:35-43 30There were two blind men sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David! ” 31The crowd told them to keep quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David! ” # Mt 9:27; 21:9; 22:42
32Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you? ”
33“Lord,” they said to Him, “open our eyes! ” 34Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed Him.
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