The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 "About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' 5 So they went.
"He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'
7 "'Because no one has hired us,' they answered.
"He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'
8 "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'
9 "The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 'These who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'
13 "But he answered one of them, 'I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
This parable is not about monetary rewards for working hard but about God's favor freely given to all. It is a strong teaching about grace—God's generosity. Don't begrudge those who turn to God in the last moments of life, because, in reality, no one deserves eternal life.
Many people we don't expect to see in the Kingdom will be there. The criminal who repented as he was dying (Luke 23:40-43) will be there along with people who have believed and served God for many years. Do you resent God's gracious acceptance of the despised, the outcast, and the sinners who have turned to him for forgiveness? Have you ever been jealous of what God has given to another person? Don't compare your gifts, your experiences of healing, or even the depth of your relationship with Jesus. Instead, focus on God's gracious benefits to you, and be thankful for what you have.
16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Jesus further clarified the underlying principle for membership in the Kingdom of Heaven: Entrance is by God's grace alone. In this parable, God is the landowner and believers are the workers. This parable speaks especially to those who feel superior because of heritage or position, to those who feel superior because they have spent so much time with Jesus, and to new believers as reassurance of God's grace.
Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time
17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"
Here Jesus predicted his death and resurrection for the third time (see 16:21 and 17:22-23 for the first two times). Jesus had prophesied exactly what would happen, but the disciples still didn't accept and believe what he meant. They continued to argue over their positions in Christ's Kingdom (20:20-28).
A Mother's Request
20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
The mother of James and John came to Jesus and "knelt respectfully to ask a favor." She worshiped Jesus, but here her real motive was to get something from him. Too often this happens in our churches and in our lives. We play religious games, expecting God to give us something in return. True worship, however, adores and praises Christ for who he is and for what he has done. Don't use your church contacts as a means to get ahead.
The mother of James and John asked Jesus to give her sons special positions in his Kingdom. Parents naturally want to see their children promoted and honored, but this desire is dangerous if it causes them to stand in the way of God's specific will for their children. God may have different work in mind for them—perhaps not as glamorous, but just as important. Thus, parents' desires for their children's advancement must be held in check as they pray that God's will will be done in their children's lives.
According to 27:56, the mother of James and John was at the cross when Jesus was crucified. Some have suggested that she was the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus. If this is true, James and John would have been Jesus' cousins. A close family relationship may have prompted her to make this request for her sons, thinking that Jesus would be coming into his Kingdom soon because he was nearing Jerusalem.
21 "What is it you want?" he asked.
She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
22 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"
"We can," they answered.
James, John, and their mother failed to grasp Jesus' previous teachings on rewards (19:16-30) and eternal life (20:1-16). They failed to understand the suffering they must face before living in the glory of God's Kingdom. The "cup" was the suffering and crucifixion that Jesus faced. Both James and John would also face great suffering. James would be put to death for his faith, and John would be exiled.
23 Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."
Jesus was showing that he was under the authority of the Father, who alone makes the decisions about leadership in heaven. Such rewards are not granted as favors. God the Father, who knows all things, will give perfect and just rewards.
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
The other disciples were upset with James and John for trying to grab the top positions. All the disciples wanted to be the greatest (18:1), but Jesus taught them that the greatest person in God's Kingdom is the servant of all. In any working group, even at church, the issues of who is in charge and how a person advances are important. God gives authority not for self-importance, ambition, respect, or even talent, but for useful service to God and his creation.
25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
Jesus described leadership from a new perspective. Instead of using people, we are to serve them. Jesus' mission was to serve others and to give his life away. A real leader has a servant's heart. Servant leaders appreciate others' worth and realize that they're not above any job. In your family, community, workplace, or church, remember the disciples' lesson: Seek to serve, not to be served. If you see something that needs to be done, don't wait to be asked. Take the initiative and do it like a faithful servant.
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
A ransom was the price paid to release a slave from bondage. Jesus often told his disciples that he must die, but here he told them why—to redeem all people from the bondage of sin and death. The disciples thought that as long as Jesus was alive, he could save them. But Jesus revealed that only his death would save them and the world.
Two Blind Men Receive Sight
29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
The blind men called Jesus "Son of David" because the Jews knew that the Messiah would be a descendant of David (see Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6). These blind beggars could see that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, while the religious leaders who witnessed Jesus' miracles were blind to his identity, refusing to open their eyes to the truth. Seeing with your eyes doesn't guarantee seeing with your heart.
31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
32 Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
33 "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight."
Although Jesus was concerned about the coming events in Jerusalem, he demonstrated what he had just told the disciples about service (20:28) by stopping to care for the blind men. He made the men take an important step. He asked them to decide what they wanted him to do for them, helping them clarify their faith and their requests. Before you pray, pause to ask, What do I really want Jesus to do for me? This will reveal your motives for wanting to get Jesus' attention.
34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
Matthew records that there were two blind men, while Mark and Luke mention only one. This is probably the same event, but Mark and Luke singled out the more vocal of the two men.