Equal pay
This parable, was to answer Peter's question in Matthew 19:29:
Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Mat 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
Mat 20:2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
In this place and time, workmen would come with tools early in the morning ready for work. They would agree on the wages received before they began to work. A penny (denarius) was a day's wage. The first hour was about 6AM.
Mat 20:3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Mat 20:4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Mat 20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Mat 20:6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Mat 20:7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
It was 5PM, when these were hired.
Mat 20:8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
Mat 20:9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
This is God's grace, equal for all who come to Jesus.
Mat 20:10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
Mat 20:11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Mat 20:12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Mat 20:13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Mat 20:14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Mat 20:15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
First, let me say that this is not about leaving our responsibility for our families, we are to love our families, yet, Jesus comes first. Our relationship to him is eternal blessings and eternal life.
This is about God's grace.
They were envious that those coming in at the last hour were paid the same wage. In the spiritual, all receive salvation by grace. Why were the first envious, is it by works that we are saved? God will choose who he will, and we are given unmerited favor through Jesus.
Rom 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We will be rewarded for faithful service, but to seek a reward is pride and envy. God will give according to His justice and truth.
Approved of God
Mat 20:17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
Mat 20:18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
Mat 20:19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Again Jesus speaks of his time of intense suffering, taking our sins upon himself, being separated from the Father, crucifixion and resurrection. These things weighed upon his soul, and yet no one understood, no one shared his sorrows. He was to face this alone, being on a different level of understanding, then those who followed him.
Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
His words had no value to his disciples, they were only concerned about their own things, their position in the kingdom.
Phil 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Phil 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phil 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phil 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Phil 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Phil 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Phil 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Sometimes we suffer alone with hardships that no one else knows about, nor would they understand. You can be sure that the Lord Jesus understands. You can come aside and speak to him the concerns of your heart, he listens and he understands. Be ready, for he will bless you in time and make up for all those sorrows of the past; if we speak to him with a meek and humble heart, trusting in our relationship to him.
Jesus did what the Father desired of him. He humbled himself, not seeking his own, but our well-being. If Jesus had refused, we would still be dead in our sins. He did what was required of him, not needing the approval of men, because he was approved of his Father.
John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Acts 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
How may we be approved of God? We trust Jesus, we study his word and we obey the Father doing good works through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
2 Tim 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
God knows we belong to him. We are showing the world that we are the children of God and we are filled with God's Spirit of truth. How shall we know truth without studying his word? The Spirit makes the word alive to us.
No favorites
Mat 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
James and John, the son's of Zebedee. Jesus had given them nicknames:
Mark 3:17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
Mat 20:21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
Oh, is that all? It appears that the mother had a lot of thunder in her too. The world rewards for political or social reasons. Father Zebedee was a prominent fisherman who was respected.
Mat 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Mat 20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
Are you willing to die for the Father, as I am to do? Yes, James would be the first of the true disciples, to die as a martyr.
Acts 12:1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
Acts 12:2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
John was one of the last to die. John partook of the sufferings of Jesus. It is believed that he was boiled in oil, but survived, being banished to the Isle of Patmos, where he received the vision of Revelation.
To sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
The Father shall judge each heart. Are we proud of our accomplishments? Perhaps, there is too much pride and not enough of a humble spirit. The Lord isn't impressed with your social position or even your education; he wants obedient humble servants, who are not full of self. The last shall be first. And guess what? The LORD can manage without our self-importance.
Ransom
Mat 20:24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
When they heard of James and John seeking the best positions in the kingdom, they were angry and jealous. Jealousy we do not see when it is in our own hearts, but it poisons all that we see and do. Pride also, and competition is of the world and not of God's Spirit.
Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Those in the church who "Lord it over" the church members, have not yet learned the ways of Jesus.
Mat 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
A minister is one who does what another says, such as running errands. Would your Pastor run an errand for you? I think mine would. Often he is called to someone's need. We should be willing to go help someone in need.
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Like a slave, one who gives himself to another's will; not as a hireling seeking wealth and prominence from their service.
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
He was on a ministry from his father. He was serving God as he served us, to be our example. He was the ransom, the price paid to buy slaves. We were slaves to the devil; he purchased us with his shed blood.
1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1 Tim 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1 Tim 2:7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
Teaching the new life given through the death burial and resurrection of Jesus. He humbly paid the price to make us the beloved of God, free from guilt, sin and shame. Receive Jesus and receive his Spirit of truth, the mind of Christ. He has given all to make you free.
Blind men
Mat 20:29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
A great multitude followed, with a multitude of needs. Some were hurting emotionally, some were looking for God, some were looking to kill him, some wanted healing some were in the crowd for food or entertainment and some were his disciples, learning from him. The very name of Jesus brings many to him with different hearts, some to mock and some to receive from God's son. Things do not change, people are still this way, and Jesus never changes.
Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Mat 20:30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
These were Jewish blind men, for they called to their Messiah, the Son of David. Appealing to his mercy.
Mat 20:31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
The crowd was concerned for things, as they were common people with many needs with little faith in Jesus Christ for spiritual things. They were trying to quiet the cries of faith from the two blind men. They would not be quiet; they had faith in their Messiah. Although, most had faith in the man Jesus, not knowing he was their Messiah, the Holy one of God.
Jesus asked his disciples a question
Mark 8:27 ...Whom do men say that I am?
Mark 8:28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
Mark 8:29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
Mat 20:32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
Mat 20:33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
Mat 20:34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
Jesus wants us to trust him. We are to ask the Father for our needs. This brings Glory to God and puts our trust where it belongs.
James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
They could see, both in the Spiritual and with the natural eyes. They were healed and followed Jesus. The blind in Spirit do not follow Jesus.
Mat 15:13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
Mat 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Jesus, the Son of God is your healer and your master; come to him believing he is God, the Son.
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