Matthew 20:27

And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, For the exposition, see the notes at Mark 10:32....

20-28 The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be drunk of; a cup of trembling, but not the cup of the wicked. It is but a cup, it is but a draught, bitter perhaps, but soon emptied; it is a cup in the hand of a Father, John 18:11. Baptism is an ordinance by which we are joined to the Lord in covenant and communion; and so is suffering for Christ, Ezekiel 20:37; Isaiah 48:10. Baptism is an outward and...

Verse Matthew 20:27. _YOUR SERVANT_] δουλος the _lowest secular_ office, as _deacon_ was the _lowest ecclesiastical_ office: δουλος is often put for _slave_. From these directions of our Lord, we may easily discern what sort of a spirit his ministers should be of. 1. A minister of Christ is not to consider himself a _lord_ over Christ's flock. 2. He is not to conduct the concerns of the Church with an _imperious_ spirit. 3. He is to reform the weak, after Christ's example, more by _loving instruction_ than by _reproof_ or _censure_. 4. He should consider that true apostolic greatness consists in _serving_ the followers of Christ with all the powers and talents he possesses. 5. That he should be ready, if required, to _give up his life unto_ _death_, to promote t

See also Mark 10:35. Matthew 20:20 THEN CAME TO HIM GIVE MOTHER OF ZEBEDEE’S CHILDREN ... - This was probably Salome, Mark 15:40; Mark 16:1. WITH HER SONS - The names of these sons were James and John, Mark 10:35 Mark says they came and made the request. That is, they made it, as appears from Matthew, through the medium of their mother; they requested her to ask it for them. It is not improbable that she was an ambi

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 20:1 _Parable of the labourers in the vineyard_._ _(Peculiar to St. Matthew.) MATTHEW 20:1 FOR. The following parable is intended to illustrate the apophthegm at the end of the last chapter, which is repeated almost in the same words at the close, "Many that are first," etc., and "The last shall be first," etc. It taught the apostles a lesson in answer to Peter's question (Matthew 19:27), "What shall we have therefore?" and the primary lesson was that the reward of the kingdom is not of debt, but of grace. There are many difficulties in the parable, which may be better noticed after we have expounded it

AND WHOSOEVER WILL BE CHIEF AMONG YOU,.... Or first, or have the pre-eminence, the first place in the kingdom of the Messiah, LET HIM BE YOUR SERVANT; or, as in Mark, SHALL BE SERVANT OF ALL: not only a minister, but a servant; not a servant of some only, but of all. This was verified in the Apostle Paul, who became a servant to all men, though he was free, that he might gain some to Christ; and by so doing was the chief, though he reckoned himself the least of the apostles, yea, less than the least of all saints. The Jews have a saying somewhat like this, that h "everyone that makes himself כעבד, as a servant, for the words of the law in this world, shall be made free in the world to come.'' h T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 35. 2....

Matthew 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. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard._ It was a fair wage. It was for fair and healthful work which they were to do in the vineyard. They were happy men to be hired so early in the morning. Never do those that serve Christ reject him; and though in this parable some are represented as finding fault with their wages, yet Christ's true servants do not so. Their only request is, «Dismiss me not thy service, Lord.» They feel it to be reward enough to be permitted to go on working. Indeed, this is one way in which we get our wages during the day. If we keep one precept, God gives us grace to keep another. If we perform one duty, God gives us the privilege to perform another. S

8. THE PARABLE OF THE LABORERS IN THE VINEYARD. The Healing of the Two Blind Men. CHAPTER 20 _ 1. The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. (Matthew 20:1 .) 2. The Third Prediction of His Death and Resurrection. (Matthew 20:17 .) 3. The Ambitiousness of the Disciples. (Matthew 20:20 .) 4. The Healing of the Two Blind Men. (Matthew 20:29 .)_ The Lord had spoken about the rewards to be given at the time when the kingdom is to be established on the earth in power and glory, the time of regeneration. His last word in the nineteenth chapter was the statement, “many that are first shall be last;

THE REQUEST OF THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE. THE CHRISTIAN STANDARD OF GREATNESS (Mark 10:35 *, Luke 22:24). Mt. makes the mother of James and John ask the boon, but Jesus replies to them, not to her. For Mk.'s glory (Mat 20:37) he has kingdom; the meaning is the same. The references to baptism are omitted, and my Father is said to have prepared the places....

THE MASTER SEEKS HIS WORKERS (Matthew 20:1-16)...