“For the kingly rule of heaven is like to a man who was a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.” Here we have a further description of what the Kingly Rule of Heaven is like. Compare Matthew 13:24; Matthew 13:31; Matthew 13:33; Matthew 13:44; Matthew 13:... [ Continue Reading ]
“And when he had agreed with the labourers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.” In this case the estate owner agreed with the workers whom He hired from those who were standing there, a fair wage for a day's work, one denarius. Then He sent them to work in His vineyard, no doubt u... [ Continue Reading ]
“And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing in the marketplace idle, and to them he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' And they went their way.” Presumably the work was falling behind with the result that His manager informed Him that mor... [ Continue Reading ]
“Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same.” Again perhaps His manager twice warns Him that with the workforce that they have the work will not be finished by the evening. But whatever the reason He goes out around noon and then again around 3:00 pm. (15:00 hours). And... [ Continue Reading ]
“And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing, and he says to them, ‘Why do you stand here all the day idle?' ” But still the workers prove insufficient and the call comes for more workers (compare Matthew 9:38). So at around 5 pm (17:00 hours), at ‘the eleventh hour', He goes... [ Continue Reading ]
“They say to him, ‘Because no man has hired us.' He says to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.' ” So they inform the landowner that the reason that they are still there, (having stood there be it noted through the heat of the day), is because no one has hired them. We can imagine how they were f... [ Continue Reading ]
“And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, ‘Call the labourers, and pay them their hire, beginning from the last to the first.' ” Then when evening comes the Estate Owner calls to His manager and tells him to line up the labourers so that they can receive their pay. P... [ Continue Reading ]
“And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a denarius.” When the men who had been employed at the eleventh hour came forward they expected very little, and they must have been astounded when He paid them a denarius. This was not what they had anticipated at... [ Continue Reading ]
“And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more, and they likewise received every man a denarius.” When the men who had worked all day saw this their eyes would glisten. Clearly they would be paid much more than a denarius. And they came forward confidently to receive their due... [ Continue Reading ]
“And when they received it, they murmured continually against the householder, saying, ‘These last have spent but one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' ” The workers who had worked all day were furious and muttered among themselve... [ Continue Reading ]
“But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I do you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?' ” The estate owner, who was a good man, then gently took one of them aside, and calling him His ‘friend', an act of graciousness in itself, He pointed out that He had done him no wrong,... [ Continue Reading ]
“Take up what is yours and go your way. It is my will to give to this last, even as to you.” Then He pointed out that what He had done what in accordance with His own will, and that was to pay a living wage to everyone regardless of their misfortune at not finding work until late on (in fact a good... [ Continue Reading ]
“Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?” Then He explained His purpose. His money was lawfully His, so that He could do with it what He would. And because He was a good man He had decided to pay the unfortunates who had not been able to find w... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So the last will be first, and the first last.' And thus the story tells us that because of God's goodness and graciousness, and because our spirits can so easily become jealous and hardened, it is often the last who become first, while the first become last. This is a warning, not a threat. The s... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples apart, and on the way he said to them, “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death.” ' ‘As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem.' Matthew do... [ Continue Reading ]
THOSE WHO FOLLOW JESUS ARE NOT TO BE SELF-SEEKING BUT SELFLESSLY SEEKING TO SERVE ALL, IN THE SAME WAY AS HE AS THE SERVANT IS DOING AMONG THEM, SOMETHING ESPECIALLY REVEALED IN HIS GIVING OF HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR MANY (20:17-28).. Had the evangelists not been fully truthful in all that they wro... [ Continue Reading ]
“And will deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify, and the third day he will be raised up.” The fact that He must die means that Jesus is aware from the beginning that it will be at the hands of the Romans, for they alone had the power to carry out the death sentence. But... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, worshipping him, and asking a certain thing of him.” In the context of His speaking of His death the mother of two of His disciples, James and John, seeks Him out, accompanied by her two sons. She bows humbly before Him and indicate... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to her, ‘What is your wish?' She says to him, ‘Command that these my two sons may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your kingly rule.” ' When Jesus indicates His willingness to hear what she has to say she asks Him to ‘command' that her two sons have the places... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They say to him, “We are able.” Jesus then turns to the two young men who are standing there, possibly a little embarrassed, but certainly hopeful. They are totally involved... [ Continue Reading ]
‘He says to them, “You will indeed drink my cup. But to sit on my right hand, and on my left hand, is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared of my Father.” ' All this Jesus knows. But as He looks at them, He loves them, and He is indeed aware of what they must suffer for... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation concerning the two brothers.' When news reached the ears of the ten about this attempt to pre-empt the allocation of the most important positions, they were furious. Each of them felt that they had a right to stake a claim, and felt that... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Jesus called them to him, and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them” ' He points out to them that it is the way of the world, and especially of the Gentiles who are the very ones who will exercise their pow... [ Continue Reading ]
“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever would be first among you shall be your slave.” But it is to be very different among the Apostles. That is why this seeking after positions is so unseemly. For the one who would be great among t... [ Continue Reading ]
“Even as the Son of man came, not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” And they must take as their supreme example the Son of Man. He Who was destined to come out of suffering to receive the throne and the glory, had not come to exercise lordship and vaunted authorit... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And as they went out from Jericho, a great crowd followed him.' ‘As they went out from Jericho.' In other words, ‘next stop Jerusalem', after climbing a thousand metres (three thousand feet) up the winding Jericho Road for about twenty five kilometres (sixteen miles). The great crowd would be of p... [ Continue Reading ]
AMONG THE PILGRIMS ON THE JERICHO ROAD LEADING TO JERUSALEM BLIND MEN DECLARE HIM TO BE THE SON OF DAVID PREPARATORY TO HIS TRIUMPHAL ENTRY (20:29-34). As we have already seen, Matthew's Gospel opened with an emphasis on the fact that Jesus was the Son of David (Matthew 1:1; Matthew 1:17; Matthew 1:... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David.” ' There would be many blind men begging outside Jericho, and these were but two of them, for this was a favourite spot for beggars at Passove... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the crowd rebuked them, that they should hold their peace, but they cried out the more, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David.” ' The two blind men were clearly causing some uproar because the crowds told them to keep quiet. The respectable pilgrims accompanied in many cases by the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, “What do you wish that I should do to you?” ' Jesus was the One present Who was never too busy to hear the cry of distress, and He stopped on His journey and called them to Him, asking them what He could do for them. He could have had little doubt... [ Continue Reading ]
‘They say to him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” ' Their request was simple, that their eyes might be opened. The idea of the ‘opening of the eyes' has a double meaning. It could signify the making of a blind man to see, especially as a Messianic sign (Matthew 11:5 with Isaiah 35:5), but it c... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes, and immediately they received their sight, and followed him.' For moved with compassion He touched their eyes and they immediately received their sight and followed Him. The personal contact was very much part of Jesus' methods (compare Ma... [ Continue Reading ]