The second is, "So the last shall be first, and the first last; for many are called, but few are chosen." Warning those who were using this Love feast as an excuse just to sort of gorge themselves, and they were not really realizing the spiritual significance of these things. I have endowed them with apostolic gifts or with superior talents, and suited them for wider usefulness. The crown set before us is a crown of righteousness, which the righteous Judge shall give. Is not your eye evil, because I am good? The parable teaches one truth, and but one; and where Jesus has explained it, we have no right to add to it, and say that it teaches anything else. Luke-Acts So now we have, in the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, another fact containing a principle of great value, that His grace towards the Gentile does not in the least degree blunt His heart to the claims of relationship after the flesh. a. Here is the story of two men who found their way to a miracle. ii. Many be called, but few chosen - The meaning of this, in this connection, I take to be simply this: "Many are called into my kingdom; they come and labor as I command them; many of them are comparatively unknown and obscure; yet they are real Christians, and shall all receive the proper reward. At least we can draw the following applications from it. Yet it shall not be so among you: Their desire for position and status showed they did not yet know the nature of Jesus in respect to leadership and power. He never doubted that James and John would maintain their loyalty. Thus many are called by the preaching of the Gospel, but few are found who use their advantages in such a way as to become extensively useful in the Church-and many in the Church militant behave so ill as never to be admitted into the Church triumphant. . 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." (ii) These two blind men were undiscourageable. THE MASTER SEEKS HIS WORKERS ( Matthew 20:1-16 ), 20:1-16 "For the situation in the Kingdom of Heaven is like what happened when a householder went out first thing in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He maintains His sovereign title to do good, to do as He will with His own. The order of payment was important. What feelings at such a time! "Reversal!" Matthew 20:16 (What Jesus Did!) - Heartlight The manner, too, was in itself remarkable. Only tradition will not do this work, nor will human thoughts or feelings. Major Prophets They had certainly done nothing to merit a day's wages. Going back just a little bit further, Peter had said to Jesus, "Lord, we have left all to follow thee"( Matthew 19:27 ). Jesus said that those who would share his triumph must drink his cup. Nevertheless, His ear was open to the call on behalf of Israel perishing, dying, dead. It is my will to give to this last man the same as to you. He was going to build His Church "upon this rock" Himself, the Son of God. iii. . They did not see why they should be allowed to stake their claims to preeminence. In Matthew 16:1-28 we advance a great step, spite (yea, because) of unbelief, deep and manifest, now on every side. vi. Because Matthew's object is the display of the change of dispensation through, or consequent on, the rejection of Jesus by the Jews. i. It is as if Jesus was going to gather in upon himself every possible kind of physical and emotional and mental suffering that the world could inflict. 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. "Our Daily Homily: Matthew-Revelation" Volume 5 (Westwood, New Jersey: Revell, 1966), Poole, Matthew "A Commentary on the Holy Bible" Volume 3 (Matthew-Revelation) (London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1969), Spurgeon, Charles Haddon "Commentary on Matthew: The Gospel of the Kingdom" (London: Passmore and Alabaster, Paternoster Buildings, 1893), Spurgeon, Charles Haddon "The New Park Street Pulpit" Volumes 1-6 and "The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit" Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990). And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. iii. I Will Build My Church (16:13-20) The . 2. And as they departed from Jericho ( Matthew 20:29 ). b. When He reaches the house, minstrels were there, and people, making a noise: the expression, if of woe, certainly of impotent despair. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. Where did they come from? He promises, First, A penny,Matthew 20:2; Matthew 20:2. In the next incident the force of the plea turns on God's goodness towards the wretchedness of man. Their expectation was so focused on Jesus establishing an immediate political kingdom, and these words from Jesus were so contrary to that anticipation, these words just went over their heads. And what makes this still more striking, is the certainty that the kingdom, bright as it is, is by no means the thing nearest to Jesus. "That by His stripes you may be healed." And they joined the crowd following Him on up to Jerusalem.Remember at this point the heart of Jesus is very heavy, because He knows that He soon is going to be betrayed, mocked, scourged, crucified. And they said unto him, Because no man has hired us. Therefore let him who would meet God visit the prison cell before going to the temple. The grounds of such a judgment will naturally come before us ere long: I can merely refer to it now as my conviction. But if Matthew here laid aside all question of time, it was in view of other and weightier considerations for his object. The common call is promiscuous, to come and work in the vineyard; but the effectual call is particular, and it is then effectual when we come at the call. i. James had to be ready to be the first to die among the disciples; John had to be ready to live the longest Christian life and testimony among them. iii. The Challenge Of Following Jesus (8:18-22) The Call Of Matthew (9:9-13) Moved By Compassion (9:35-38) . So, then, we learn that the mother of James and John was named Salome, and that she was the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus. He didn't come that people might cater to Him and minister to Him, He came to minister to the people's needs. About the third hour, [nine o'clock in the morning], he saw others standing idle in the market place, and he said unto them; Go into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. Can I not do what I like with my own money? When evening came, the master of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the workers, and give them their pay, beginning from the last and going on until you come to the first.' Try Bible Gateway Plus free today! If it was His rejection, these scornful men were themselves rejected in the very act. They did not know that Jesus could have made the same promise of suffering to come to any of them (if they really wanted it!). Sorrow would come full soon when He, the Bridegroom of His people, should be taken away; and then should they fast. This, too, we ascertain from Mark 1:1-45, where there are clear marks of the time. Why are they postponed here? 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. Johannine Writings And as they stood there with those clouds over their eyes, Jesus said, "What do you want?" vii. Matthew 20:16 Interlinear: So the last shall be first, and the first He had no reason to envy his fellow servant, or to grudge at him; or to be angry that he came into the vineyard no sooner; for he was not sooner called; he had no reason to be angry that the master had given him wages for the whole day, when he had idled away the greatest part of it; for Is thine eye evil, because I am good? If the first workers had been paid first, they would not have had time to develop the expectation of more pay for themselves. This attitude threatened to be carried forward into the Christian Church. This parable taught the disciples not to think of heavenly rewards in terms of justice, getting in proportion to what they deserved. Email / username or password was incorrect! First, The general pay (Matthew 20:9; Matthew 20:10); They received every man a penny. What could be said of her intelligence then? They've missed the joy of what it is to serve the Lord. Jesus, nevertheless, owned all that could be owned in him. Note, Evening time is the reckoning time; the particular account must be given up in the evening of our life; for after death cometh the judgment. We begin with the comparatively limited significance it originally had. John 3:16, Jesus faith love), The Whole Bible PREVIOUS Matthew 20:15 NEXT Matthew 20:17. Perhaps, Christ here gives an intimation to Peter, not to boast too much, as he seemed to do, of his having left all to follow Christ; as if, because he and the rest of them had borne the burthen and heat of the day thus, they must have a heaven by themselves. Poetical Books Note, The unchangeableness of God's purposes in dispensing his gifts should silence our murmurings. It is true, we have only one in Mark, as in Luke; whereas in our gospel we have two. The Christian is a man put upon his honour by Jesus. WORK AND WAGES IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD ( Matthew 20:1-16 continued). Of course, there is often the order of time, but through the central part, and not infrequently elsewhere, his setting forth in order turns on another principle, quite independent of mere succession of events. Except where noted, scripture quotations are taken from the Easy-to-Read Version 2001 by Bible League International. (iv) Here, also, is the infinite compassion of God. The request of James and John not unnaturally annoyed the other disciples. This parable is not a perfect illustration of Gods grace, because the principle of working and deserving is involved. It can only mean here the "invited." They said to him, "We can." First of these comes the treasure hidden in the field, for which the man sells all he had, securing the field for the sake of the treasure. He stands with the juvenile delinquents. The point is that God rewards on the principle of grace, and we should therefore expect surprises. In particular, to represent to us that concerning the kingdom of heaven, which he had said in the close of the foregoing chapter, that many that are first shall be last, and the last, first; with which this parable is connected; that truth, having in it a seeming contradiction, needed further explication. That the recompence of reward will be given to the saints, not according to the time of their conversion, but according to the preparations for it by grace in this world; not according to the seniority (Genesis 43:33), but according to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Jesus blessedly answered their thoughts, had there only been a conscience to hear the word of power and grace, which brings out His glory the more. They have treated the Bible either with levity, or as too awful a book to be apprehended really; not with the reverence of faith, which waits on Him, and fails not in due time to understand His word. "Matthew: The Expositor's Bible Commentary" Volume 8 (Matthew-Luke) (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1984), Clarke, Adam "Clarke's Commentary: The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments with a Commentary and Critical Notes" Volume 5 (Matthew-Acts) (New York: Eaton and Mains, 1832), France, R.T. "The Gospel According to Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary" (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1985), Meyer, F.B. In the pagan world humility was regarded, not so much as a virtue, but as a vice. Thus many that are last shall be first. Lesson: Heavenly TreasuresWinning in God's Eyes (Matthew 20:1-16 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard . There will be differences at the close. There was the consciousness of good unattained, a void for which he appeals to Jesus that it might be filled up. . Notice is taken of the several hours of the day, at which the labourers were hired. Matthew 20 He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. 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. In some cases the last called will be among the first in rank of blessing. Commentary on Matthew 20:1-16 - Working Preacher The Gospels If we accept it as the true reading, it adds something to the warning of the previous clause. And if those who in the last moment come into the kingdom of God, God rewards them, and they receive the reward for their place in the kingdom. God could not be limited by a question of place; His word was enough. But nothing turned aside the purpose of God, or the activity of His grace. Matthew, Mark and John all give lists of the women who were at the Cross when Jesus was crucified. :) www.facebook.com/tiacookphotographywww.instagram.com/tiacookphotographywww.tiacookphotography.co.uk all rights reserved to Tia Cook Photography He is not here sought as by the leper, the centurion, the friends of the palsied man; He Himself calls Matthew, a publican just the one to write the gospel of the despised Jesus of Nazareth. said the Lord; and then stretched forth His hand toward His disciples with the words, "Behold my mother and my brethren! 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. Not but that there is a counsel in every will of God, and what seems to us to be done arbitrarily, will appear at length to have been done wisely, and for holy ends. And I believe that we can believe and trust Jesus Christ for physical healing, as well as spiritual healing. "Lord," they said, "what we want is that our eyes should be opened." Mockery could go no farther. The Lord then had been shown such as He was towards Israel, had Israel in their leprosy come to Him, as did the leper, even with a faith exceedingly short of that which was due to His real glory and His love.
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