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The New Testament Jesus recognized that they didnt really understand, but they would. What can be conceived so perfectly to illustrate the great design of the gospel of Matthew? Or is your eye evil because I am good? God's generosity will not succumb to human jealousy. You don't know what the challenge/date is until you scratch off a square similar to a scratch-off lottery ticket. It is an evil eye, which is displeased at the good of others, and desires their hurt. Whatever the time may have been, whatever the incidents added by others, the account is given here for the purpose of showing, that as Israel's case was desperate, even unto death, so He, the Messiah, was the giver of life, when all, humanly speaking, was over. essayed to destroy the testimony with their utmost and blasphemous contempt. But if Matthew here laid aside all question of time, it was in view of other and weightier considerations for his object. And the third day He will rise again: Jesus was remarkably specific in this announcement of His fate, and foretold many things over which He had no apparent control. The reason for the change is this--Matthew was writing twenty-five years later than Mark; by that time a kind of halo of sanctity had become attached to the disciples. [2.] This made it to be plainly and only a difficulty for God to solve. Prophets Note, There is a great proneness in us to think that we have too little, and other too much, of the tokens of God's favour; and that we do too much, and others too little, in the work of God. And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" This attitude threatened to be carried forward into the Christian Church. In short, he had a question because he was a man. I merely indicate by the way how the thorough increasing rejection of the Lord Jesus in His lower glory has but the effect of bringing out the revelation of His higher. A double action follows. Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs. We are going to Jerusalem. and a sinking ship are serious difficulties to a man. The picture is that the landowner had an inexhaustible supply of work for those who wanted to work. The servants are clearly divided into two classes. [2.] Many a man in this world, who has earned great rewards, will have a very low place in the Kingdom because rewards were his sole thought. That act forfeited their further right to it. (iii) These two blind men had an imperfect faith but they were determined to act on the faith they had. He never failed to tell men that, even if life ends in crown-wearing, it continues in cross-bearing. All rights reserved worldwide. 33), it is added, "And with many such parables spake He the word unto them . Lastly, Here is the application of the parable (Matthew 20:16; Matthew 20:16), in that observation which occasioned it (Matthew 19:30; Matthew 19:30); So the first shall be last, and the last first. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point If, among this number who are called into the kingdom, I choose to raise some to stations of distinguished usefulness, and to confer on them special talents and higher rewards, I injure no other one. On the evening of the day when He delivered the seven parables given in Matthew 13:1-58. All of this takes the simple picture Jesus gave too far. The prisoner would be tied to a post in such a way, as your back would be stretched. Had there been a single thing good in Israel, their choicest guides would have stood that test. The true disciple rests easy in the assurance that because his pay is from a Master of grace, it will be gracious. The order of payment was important. I will obey to the end.. Imagine a slave being given leadership! (Carson). We have, first, the sower sowing the word. Yet Jesus was confident that He would be delivered to the Gentiles. Instead of giving her at once a reply, He leads her on step by step; for so He can stoop. Jesus of course was talking about His crucifixion and His death. Prophets As before he asserted his justice, so here his sovereignty; Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? It should also encourage us in reference to the hardships and difficulties of our work, that it is but for a day; the approaching shadow, which the servant earnestly desireth, will bring with it both rest, and the reward of our work,Job 7:2. All through their history the Jews had dreamed of the Messiah; but the Messiah of whom they had dreamed was always a conquering king, a mighty leader, one who would smash the enemies of Israel and reign in power over the kingdoms of the earth. And we who have served the Lord all of our lives and we enter into eternal life. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brothers. ii. Apply to the Son of David; lose not a moment; he is passing by, and thou art passing into eternity, and probably wilt never have a more favourable opportunity than the present. ; Continuity with Matthew 19 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. However suitable to the Jewish expectation that He should be found a man, undeniably there was that apparent which was infinitely above the Jew's thought; for the Jew showed his own degradation and unbelief in the low ideas he entertained of the Messiah. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But among my followers service alone is the badge of greatness. Peter goes forth, but losing sight of the Lord in the presence of the troubled waves, and yielding to his ordinary experience, he fears the strong wind, and is only saved by the outstretched hand of Jesus, who rebukes his doubt. So when the evening was come, and the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. Or, are you grudging because I am generous?' 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he . Well, then, to whom was the ransom paid?" What an anticipation of the walk by faith, not by sight, in which the Gentiles, when called, ought to have glorified God, when the rejection of the Messiah by His own ancient people gave occasion to the Gentile call as a distinct thing! Jesus said that among the Gentiles there is this desire to exercise lordship and dominion over people. Thirdly, The gospel call is given to those that stand idle in the market-place. Those first hired are actually paid least in proportion to their labor and receive the least pleasure from their pay. I can't wait until you send Jesus with power and show things as they should be and reward people based on their character, their hearts, their gratitude for your grace, and their service. Then, in Mark 3:1-35, there are notes of time more or less strong. So the last shall be first, and the first last As he had asserted in ( Matthew 19:30 ) and which is clearly illustrated by this parable, as it may be applied to Jews or Gentiles, or to nominal and real Christians: for many be called; externally, under the ministration of the Gospel, as the Jews in general were, by Christ and his apostles; but, few chosen; in Christ from all eternity, both to grace and glory; and in consequence, and as an evidence of it, but few among the Jews; as also in the Gentile world, comparatively speaking: and even but a few of those that are outwardly called, are inwardly and effectually called by the powerful grace of God, out of darkness into marvellous light, into the grace and liberty of the Gospel, into communion with Christ, and to the obtaining his kingdom and glory, according to the eternal purpose of God. Thus, in the chapter before us, we have a very comprehensive sketch of the Lord's manifestation from that time, and in type going on to the end of the age. The Lord shows that such unbelief justly and necessarily excludes itself, but not others, from blessing. Our Lord then answers, with perfect dignity, as well as grace; He puts before the disciples of John the real state of the case; He furnishes them with plain, positive facts, that could leave nothing to be desired by John's mind when he weighed all as a testimony from God. Not that His own rejection was not before His spirit, but here He looks not beyond that land and people; and, as far as the twelve were concerned, He sends them on a mission which goes on to the end of the an. If there be a privilege more manifest than another which has dawned on us, it is what we have found by and in Jesus, that now we can say nothing is too great for us, nothing too little for God. We shall find something of these mysteries later on in this gospel; but here it is simply a Jewish testimony of Jehovah-Messiah in His unwearied love, through His twelve heralds, and in spite of rising unbelief, maintaining to the end what His grace had in view for Israel. It probably was no more than a grave though passing difficulty, which he desired to have cleared up with all fulness for their sakes, as well as his own. So Gregory of Nyssa has a strange idea. God does not look on the amount of our service. It is the death-blow to human tradition and ordinance in divine things, and in reality depends on the truth of the absolute ruin of man a truth which, as we see, the disciples were very slow to recognize. Here I close tonight. 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. Clarke's Commentary. Well, he did not come to get your service; he came to give you his services; not that you might first do him honor, but that he might show you mercy. (Spurgeon). The question fairly arises, Why it is that the Holy Ghost has been pleased so remarkably to leave time out of the question in this chapter, as well as in the next? Christ had promised the apostles, who followed him in the regeneration, at the beginning of the gospel dispensation, great glory (Matthew 19:28; Matthew 19:28); but he now tells them that those who are in like manner faithful to him, even in the latter end of the world, shall have the same reward, shall sit with Christ on his throne, as well as the apostles, Revelation 2:26-3. A complete new set of values has been brought into life. One of these people might have been the rich young man if he had become a disciple (Matthew 20:16-22). The last shall be first, and the first last. (Ken Chumbley, The Gospel of Matthew, commentary, p.#351). a. 2. II. The Jewish day began at sunrise, 6 a.m., and the hours were counted from then until 6 p.m., when officially the next day began. iv. Very apt we all are to undervalue the deserts of others, and to overvalue our own. The failure of this greatest of women-born only gives Him the just occasion to show the total change at hand, when it should not be a question of man, but of God, yea, of the kingdom of heaven, the least in which new state should be greater than John. It is more particularly sin, viewed as guilt, and consequently as that which absolutely breaks and destroys all power in the soul towards both God and man. vi. Pauline Epistles The Rabbis had a saying, "Some enter the Kingdom in an hour; others hardly enter it in a lifetime." Peter, the good confessor of chapter 16, cuts but a sorry figure in chapter 17; for when the demand was made upon him as to his Master's paying the tax, surely the Lord, he gave them to know, was much too good a Jew to omit it. It is equally clear that the seven worse spirits mean the complete energy of the devil in the maintenance of Antichrist against the true Christ: and this, strange to say, along with idols. So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, What do you want Me to do for you? They said to Him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. Evidently it is the change of dispensation that is in question and at hand, the cutting off of the fleshly seed for their unbelief, and the bringing in of numerous believers in the name of the Lord from among the Gentiles. But the Lord could not send her away without a blessing, and without a blessing reaching to His own glory. Wisdom Literature Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first: These are day laborers, so they are paid at the end of each day. They looked for a conqueror; they received one broken on a cross. Jesus gives the parable of the laborers in the vineyardHe foretells His crucifixion and resurrectionHe came to give His life as a ransom for many. The key to it is this, that Matthew was led by the Holy Ghost to keep in view adequate testimony to the Jewish people; it was the tender goodness of God that would meet them in a manner that was suitable under the law. When those who had worked all day found that the landowner paid the same amount to the late-comers as he paid to them, they complained. The parable sets about to correct this misguided notion. 20:29-34 When they were leaving Jericho, a great crowd followed him. Finally, he was to be crucified; there we see the ultimate suffering of death. In the end of the chapter is set forth parabolically the unlimited forgiveness that suits the kingdom; here, I cannot but think, looking onward in strict fulness to the future, but with distinct application to the moral need of the disciples then and always. It was the creature doing his best, yet proving that he loved the creature more than the Creator. It is true that in this particular instance Mark no more surrounds the leper with notes of time and place than do Matthew and Luke. From God they will both receive the same welcome, for both Jesus Christ is waiting, and for neither, in the divine sense, has life ended too soon or too late. Therefore when He said, "this is my body broken for you", He could not refer to some bones being broken, but His body was broken open by this scourging that He received. That means that James and John were full cousins of Jesus; and it may well have been that they felt that this close relationship entitled them to a special place in his Kingdom. There is no one cup for the Christian to drink. Idols, abominations, no longer infected that dwelling as of old. Among this celebrated people, no one was forced to serve his country in a military capacity and it was the highest honour to be deemed worthy of thus serving it. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. This was testing matters more closely. Peter answers, "Of strangers." GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Use semicolons to separate groups: 'Gen;Jdg;Psa-Mal' or 'Rom 3-12;Mat 1:15;Mat 5:12-22', There are options set in 'Advanced Options', The Whole Bible But at the end, when His disciples are in the extremity of trouble, in the midst of the sea, the Lord walks on the sea toward them, and bids them not fear; for they were troubled and afraid. And there were also with Him other little ships. Even those hired early in the day received a reward, and the landowner had been gracious and generous in hiring them and not others. So the last shall be first, and the first last The GENTILES, who have been long without the true God, shall now enjoy all the privileges of the new covenant; and the Jews, who have enjoyed these from the beginning, shall now be dispossessed of them; for, because they here rejected the Lord, he also hath rejected them. If the Gentiles were to be allowed into the fellowship of the Church at all, they must come in as inferiors. Heartlight is supported by loving Christians from around the world. As it has been put, this parable states implicitly two great truths which are the very charter of the working man--the right of every man to work and the right of every man to a living wage for his work. This parable taught the disciples not to think of heavenly rewards in terms of justice, getting in proportion to what they deserved. And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. The plucking of the corn, and the healing of the withered hand, had taken place long before. They should think of them in terms of grace, any reward being an act of Gods grace. Nicodemus may be born again when he is old, and the old man may be put off, which is corrupt. The first is, as it has been said, "All service ranks the same with God." Slaves and servants were regarded as being at least to some extent attached to the family; they were within the group; their fortunes would vary with the fortunes of the family, but they would never be in any imminent danger of starvation in normal times. He was then present, a man despised, yet with title to forgive sins, proved by immediate power to heal. Barclay, William "The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2" (The New Daily Study Bible, Matthew 11-28) (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1975), Bruce, Alexander Balmain "The Synoptic Gospels: The Expositor's Greek Testament" Volume 1, Section 1 (Matthew-Luke) (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1897), Carson, D.A. When the account was taken; when the evening was come, then, as usual, the day-labourers were called and paid. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried out all the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. They were offended that the landowner gave the men who worked less equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day. It was with this declaration that the parable began and ended. "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. Nor was the unbelief confined to these religionists of letter and form; for next (verse 14) the question comes from John's disciples: "Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?" 97. When he had come to an agreement with them that they would work for 4 pence a day, he sent them into his vineyard. He was to be scourged; few tortures in the world compared with the Roman scourge, and there we see the suffering of physical pain. Now these last have worked but one hour, and that too in the cool of the day; and yet thou hast made them equal with us. Even at such a time that was not the end of his words, for he finished with the confident assertion of the Resurrection. But if He here does not go beyond a hint of that which the Gentiles were about to receive on the ruinous unbelief and judgment of the Jew, He does not keep back their own awful course and doom in the figure that follows. This he said in the hearing of the disciple who would act the traitor: did no compunction visit his base heart? (Spurgeon), ii. And who knows, but what they may have put her up to it, because when Jesus asked the question, they're ready to respond. but what a heart was His! In this we have another striking illustration of the same principle, because this miracle, in point of fact, was wrought long before the healing of the centurion's servant, or even of the leper. Wisdom Literature Origen said it was the devil; Gregory of Nyssa objected that this put the devil on the same level as God, and allowed the devil to dictate terms to God. Thus explained, this parable has no reference to the call of the Gentiles, nor to the call of aged sinners, nor to the call of sinners out of the church at all. Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. God proves what He is by the revelation of Jesus. Now this seems to be the principal scope of this parable, to show that the Jews should be first called into the vineyard, and many of them should come at the call; but, at length, the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, and they should receive it, and be admitted to equal privileges and advantages with the Jews; should be fellow-citizens with the saints, which the Jews, even those of them that believed, would be very much disgusted at, but without reason. As a consequence they looked down on the Gentiles. The kingdom of heaven assumes a form unknown to prophecy, and, in its successive mysteries, fills up the interval between the rejected Christ's going to heaven, and His returning again in glory. In the end of this chapter (15) is another miracle of Christ's feeding a vast multitude. That blessed One was here whom he knew to be God, who was to him the impersonation of divine power and goodness His presence was uncalled for, His word more than enough. If I am faithful for an hour, if I am faithful for twelve hours, it is my faithfulness to the service to which the Lord has sent me.Now a lot of times we think that men like Billy Graham will surely receive the greatest rewards in heaven, because look at the tremendous fruit of his ministry. Disciples in Jesus day would not necessarily receive more reward than disciples whom God calls to serve Him just before the day of laboring ends, before His second coming. [Note: France, The Gospel . So the last shall be first, and the first last,. As he had asserted in Matthew 19:30 and which is clearly illustrated by this parable, as it may be applied to Jews or Gentiles, or to nominal and real Christians: for many be called; externally, under the ministration of the Gospel, as the Jews in general were, by Christ and his apostles; but, few chosen; in Christ from all eternity, both to grace and glory; and in consequence, and as an evidence of it, but few among the Jews; as also in the Gentile world, comparatively speaking: and even but a few of those that are outwardly called, are inwardly and effectually called by the powerful grace of God, out of darkness into marvellous light, into the grace and liberty of the Gospel, into communion with Christ, and to the obtaining his kingdom and glory, according to the eternal purpose of God. ". c. For many are called, but few chosen: This was said in the context of this illustration of grace. It is true, we have only one in Mark, as in Luke; whereas in our gospel we have two. vii. He knew what they needed and what they wanted, but God still wants us to tell Him our needs as a constant expression of our trust and reliance on Him. But it would be unusual for a wealthy "landowner" to locate his own . Historical Books iii. In spite of all he had said, here were these men and their mother still chattering about posts in an earthly government and kingdom. woe unto thee, Bethsaida! Third, this passage sheds a light on Jesus. 1. Pauline Epistles It may indeed have had a comparatively limited application when it was spoken for the first time; but it contains truth which goes to the very heart of the Christian religion. how is it that ye have no faith? No matter when a man comes to Christ, he is equally dear to him. Compare Luke 17:7; Luke 17:8; Luke 12:37. In the Christian Church seniority does not necessarily mean honour. It is enough to meet a difficulty which many feel by the simple plea that the reason assigned is in my judgment a valid explanation, and in itself a sufficient solution of the apparent discrepancy. The leper approaches the Lord with homage, but with a most inadequate belief in His love and readiness to meet his need. The Lord Jesus, even before He pronounced the sentence, for so it was, indicated what was at hand in these two instances of the Sabbath-day, though one may not now linger on them. In other words, it is certain that in the gospel of Luke, in whose preface we have expressly the words "set in order," the Holy Ghost does in no way tie Himself to what, after all, is the most elementary form of arrangement; for it needs little observation to see, that the simple sequence of facts as they occurred is that which demands a faithful enumeration, and nothing more. After this our Lord sees great multitudes following Him, and gives commandment to go to the other side. Very early men began to say, "Jesus gave his life a ransom for many. i. 13. The same indifference to the mere sequence of events is found occasionally in other parts of the gospel; but I have purposely dwelt upon this chapter 8, because here we have it throughout, and at the same time with evidence exceedingly simple and convincing. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. And when the devil was come out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel." The laws of that kingdom are not wrapt up in parables, but plainly set down, as in the sermon upon the mount; but the mysteries of that kingdom are delivered in parables, in sacraments, as here and Matthew 13:1-58; Matthew 13:1-58 The duties of Christianity are more necessary to be known than the notions of it; and yet the notions of it are more necessary to be illustrated than the duties of it; which is that which parables are designed for. So long as it is all we have to give, all service ranks the same with God. Jesus will use this story to answer a question from Matthew 19:27: See, we have left all and followed You. In him there was a spiritual force far beyond that found in the leper, to whom the hand that touched, as well as cleansed, him proclaimed Israel's need and state as truly as Emmanuel's grace. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. If to conquer with Christ meant to suffer with Christ, they were perfectly willing to face that suffering. Now, it was an established principle, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word should be established. How thoroughly did our Lord take a lowly place for our sakes! . And after the supper He took the cup, likewise and said, this cup is a new covenant in my blood, which is shed for the remission of sins, and as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death, until He comes"( 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ). a. Do not let us dwell too much upon it, for we all share the honor given to each. It adds to the reason for this interpretation, that Christ was conversing about the rewards that should be given to his followers, and not about the numbers that should be called, or about the doctrine of election. The New King James Version (NKJV) organises this chapter as follows: . "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof" He had only to say in a word, and his servant should be healed. This was an entirely normal arrangement. Any worker was welcome, even if he could give only an hour to the work. (Barclay). c. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you: The landowner did nothing to explain why he did it, other than simply to say I wish. The reasons for the landowners generosity were completely in the landowner himself, and not in the ones who received. It is a saying of R. Simeon ben Jochai d, "I have seen the children of the world to come (elsewhere e it is, of the chamber), , "and they are few".''. The Lord, while thoroughly proving that He forgot nothing, owned everything that was of grace in Peter or the rest, while opening the same door to "every one" who forsakes nature for His name's sake, solemnly adds, "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." See here. Fasting, indeed, would follow when the Bridegroom was taken from them. Subsequently to that, the scribe offered to follow Jesus whithersoever He went. And they said unto him, Lord, we want our eyes opened. There is no greater mistake than to suppose, because there is the richest development of God's grace in new things, that He abandons or weakens natural relationships and authority in their place. The indignation of the ten doubtless sprang less from humility than jealousy plus fear that they might lose out. (Carson). And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David! Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!. ., p. But that cannot be the meaning of it here; the "called" being emphatically distinguished from the "chosen." Take that which is yours, and go your way: and I will give unto this last even as unto thee. He said to them, 'Go you also to the vineyard.'