Matthew 20
20
Jesus Uses a Story About Farm Workers
1“God’s kingdom is like a man who owned some land. One morning, the man went out very early to hire some people to work in his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay the workers one silver coin for working that day. Then he sent them into the vineyard to work.
3“About nine o’clock the man went to the marketplace and saw some other people standing there. They were doing nothing. 4So he said to them, ‘If you go and work in my field, 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 again at three o’clock. Both times he hired some others to work in his vineyard. 6About five o’clock the man went to the marketplace again. He saw some other people standing there. He asked them, ‘Why did you stand here all day doing nothing?’
7“They said, ‘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 field said to the boss of all the workers, ‘Call the workers and pay them all. Start by paying the last people I hired. Then pay all of them, ending with the ones I hired first.’
9“The workers who were hired at five o’clock came to get their pay. Each worker got one silver coin. 10Then 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 silver coin. 11When they got their silver 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 us. And we worked hard all day in the hot sun.’
13“But the man who owned the field said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am being fair with you. You agreed to work for one silver coin. Right? 14So take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same pay I gave you. 15I can do what I want with my own money. Why would you be jealous because I am generous?’
16“So those who are last now will be first in the future. And those who are first now will be last in the future.”
Jesus Talks Again About His Death
(Mk. 10:32–34; Lk. 18:31–34)
17Jesus was going to Jerusalem. His twelve followers were with him. While they were walking, he gathered the followers together and spoke to them privately. He said to them, 18“We are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the leading priests and the teachers of the law, and they will say he must die. 19They will hand him over to the foreigners, who will laugh at him and beat him with whips, and then they will kill him on a cross. But on the third day after his death, he will be raised to life again.”
A Mother Asks a Special Favor
(Mk. 10:35–45)
20Then Zebedee’s wife came to Jesus and brought her sons. She bowed before Jesus and asked him to do something for her.
21Jesus said, “What do you want?”
She said, “Promise that one of my sons will sit at your right side in your kingdom and the other at your left.”
22So Jesus said to the sons, “You don’t understand what you are asking. Can you drink from the cup#20:22 cup A symbol of suffering. Jesus used the idea of drinking from a cup to mean accepting the suffering he would face in the terrible events that were soon to come. Also in verse 23. that I must drink from?”
The sons answered, “Yes, we can!”
23Jesus said to them, “It is true that you will drink from the cup that I drink from. But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or my left. My Father has decided who will do that. He has prepared those places for them.”
24The other ten followers heard this and were angry with the two brothers. 25So Jesus called the followers together. He 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 over the people. 26But it should not be that way with you. Whoever wants to be your leader must be your servant. 27Whoever wants to be first must serve the rest of you like a slave. 28Do as I did: The Son of Man did not come for people to serve him. He came to serve others and to give his life to save many people.”
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
(Mk. 10:46–52; Lk. 18:35–43)
29When Jesus and his followers were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30There were two blind men sitting by the road. They heard that Jesus was coming by. So they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, please help us!”
31The people there criticized the blind men and told them to be quiet. But they shouted more and more, “Lord, Son of David, please help us!”
32Jesus stopped and said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33They answered, “Lord, we want to be able to see.”
34Jesus felt sorry for the blind men. He touched their eyes, and immediately they were able to see. Then they became followers of Jesus.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Matthew 20
20
Laborers in the Vineyard
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of an estate who went out in the morning at dawn to hire workmen for his vineyard. 2When he had agreed with the laborers for a #A day’s wage for a common laborer.denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And he went out about the third hour (9:00 a.m.) and saw others standing idle in the market place; 4and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right (an appropriate wage).’ And they went. 5He went out about the sixth hour (noon) and the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.), and did the same thing. 6And about the eleventh hour (5:00 p.m.) he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7They answered him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He told them, ‘You go into the vineyard also.’
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last [to be hired] and ending with the first [to be hired].’ 9Those who had been hired at the eleventh hour (5:00 p.m.) came and received a denarius each [a day’s wage]. 10Now when the first [to be hired] came, they thought they would get more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they protested and grumbled at the owner of the estate, 12saying, ‘These men who came last worked [only] one hour, and yet you have made them equal [in wages] to us who have carried [most of] the burden and [worked in] the scorching heat of the day.’ 13But the owner of the estate replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no injustice. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take what belongs to you and go, but I choose to give to this last man [hired] the same as I give to you. 15Am I not lawfully permitted to do what I choose with what is mine? Or is your eye #Lit evil because I am good?envious because I am generous?’ 16So those who are last [in this world] shall be first [in the world to come], and those who are first, last.”
Death, Resurrection Foretold
17As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve [disciples] aside, and along the way He said to them, 18“Listen carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and they will [judicially] condemn Him and sentence Him to death, 19and will hand Him over to the Gentiles (Roman authorities) to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and He will be raised [to life] on the third day.”
Preferred Treatment Asked
20Then [Salome] the #This woman is believed to be the sister of Jesus’ mother, Mary.mother of Zebedee’s children [James and John] came up to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down [in respect], asked a favor of Him. 21And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit [in positions of honor and authority] one on Your right and one on Your left.” 22But Jesus replied, “You do not realize what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup [of suffering] that I am about to drink?” They answered, “We are able.” 23He said to them, “You will drink My cup [of suffering]; but to sit on My right and on My left this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”
24And when the [other] ten heard this, they were resentful and angry with the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles have absolute power and lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them [tyrannizing them]. 26It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your [willing and humble] slave; 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [paying the price to set them free from the penalty of sin].”
Sight for the Blind
29As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30And two blind men were sitting by the road, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David (Messiah)!” 31The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David (Messiah) have mercy on us!” 32Jesus stopped and called them, and asked, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33They answered Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” 34Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him [as His disciples].
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