Matthew 20
20
The Story of the Workers in the Vineyard
1“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who owned land. He went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed to give them the usual pay for a day’s work. Then he sent them into his vineyard.
3“About nine o’clock in the morning he went out again. He saw others standing in the market doing nothing. 4He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard. I’ll pay you what is right.’ 5So they went.
“He went out again about noon and at three o’clock and did the same thing. 6About five o’clock 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 spoke to the person who was in charge of the workers. He said, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay. Begin with the last ones I hired. Then go on to the first ones.’
9“The workers who were hired about five o’clock came. Each received the usual day’s pay. 10So when those who were hired first came, they expected to receive more. But each of them also received the usual day’s pay. 11When they received it, they began to complain about the owner. 12‘These people who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said. ‘You have paid them the same as us. We have done most of the work and have been in the hot sun all day.’
13“The owner answered one of them. ‘Friend,’ he said, ‘I’m being fair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for the usual day’s pay? 14Take your money and go. I want to give the one I hired last the same pay I gave you. 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Do you feel cheated because I gave so freely to the others?’
16“So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last.”
Jesus Speaks a Third Time About His Coming Death
17Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took his 12 disciples to one side to talk to them. 18“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said. “The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will sentence him to death. 19Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles. The people will make fun of him and whip him. They will nail him to a cross. On the third day, he will rise from the dead!”
A Mother Asks a Favor of Jesus
20The mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus. Her sons came with her. Getting on her knees, she asked a favor of him.
21“What do you want?” Jesus asked.
She said, “Promise me that one of my two sons may sit at your right hand in your kingdom. Promise that the other one may sit at your left hand.”
22“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup of suffering I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23Jesus said to them, “You will certainly drink from my cup. But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or left hand. These places belong to those my Father has prepared them for.”
24The other ten disciples heard about this. They became angry at the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together. He said, “You know about the rulers of the Gentiles. They hold power over their people. Their high officials order them around. 26Don’t be like that. Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. 27And anyone who wants to be first must be your slave. 28Be like the Son of Man. He did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free.”
Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight
29Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho. A large crowd followed him. 30Two blind men were sitting by the side of the road. They heard that Jesus was going by. So they shouted, “Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on us!”
31The crowd commanded them to stop. They told them to be quiet. But the two men shouted even louder, “Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on us!”
32Jesus stopped and called out to them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33“Lord,” they answered, “we want to be able to see.”
34Jesus felt deep concern for them. He touched their eyes. Right away they could see. And they followed him.
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Matthew 20: NIrV
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Matthew 20
20
1For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay the workers one denarius for the day, and sent them to work in his vineyard.
3Around 9 a.m. he went out and saw others without work standing in the marketplace.
4‘Go and work in the vineyard too, and I'll pay you what's right,’ he told them. 5So they went to work. Around noon and 3 p.m. he went out and did the same thing. 6At 5 p.m. he went out and found others standing there. ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?’ he asked them. 7‘Because nobody has hired us,’ they replied. ‘Go and work in the vineyard too,’ he told them.
8When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his manager, ‘Call the workers in, and pay them their wages. Begin with the workers hired last and then move on to those hired first.’ 9When those who were hired at 5 p.m. came in, they each received one denarius. 10So when those who were hired first came in, they thought they would get more, but they also received one denarius. 11When they received their pay, they complained to the owner. 12‘Those who were hired last only worked for an hour, and you've paid them the same as us who worked the whole day in the burning heat,’ they grumbled.
13The owner answered one of them, ‘My friend, I haven't treated you unfairly. Didn't you agree with me to work for one denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to pay those who were hired last the same as I paid you. 15Can't I choose to do what I want with my own money? Why should you give me evil looks because I want to do good?’ 16In this way the last shall be first and the first shall be last.”
17On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus took the twelve disciples aside as they walked along and told them, 18“Look, we're going to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests and religious teachers. They will condemn him to death 19and hand him over to the foreigners#20:19. Here referring to the Romans. to mock him, whip him, and crucify him. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”
20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came with her two sons to Jesus. She kneeled down before him to make a request.
21“What is it you are asking me for?” Jesus said to her.
“Please appoint my sons to sit beside you in your kingdom, one on your right and the other on your left,” she asked.
22“You don't know what you're asking,” Jesus told them. “Are you able to drink the cup#20:22. Meaning the cup of suffering. I'm about to drink?”
“Yes, we are able to do that,” they told him.
23“You will certainly drink from my cup,” he said to them, “but the privilege to sit on my right or on my left isn't mine to give. My Father is the one who has decided who that will be.#20:23. Or “it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.””
24When the other ten disciples heard what they had asked, they were annoyed with the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together and told them, “You know that foreign rulers lord it over their subjects, and powerful leaders oppress them. 26It shall not be like that for you. Whoever among you wants to be the most important will be your servant. 27Whoever among you wants to be first will be like a slave. 28In the same way, the Son of man didn't come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
29As they left Jericho, a huge crowd followed Jesus. 30Two blind men were sitting at the side of the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they called out, “Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David!” 31The crowd told them to be quiet, but they shouted even louder, “Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David!”
32Jesus stopped. He called them over, asking, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33“Lord, please make us able to see,” they replied.
34Jesus had pity on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed him.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com