Matthew 20

CHAPTER 20THEME: Parable of the laborers in the vineyard; Jesus makes the fourth and fifth announcements of His approaching death, while the mother of James and John requests the places on the right and left for her sons; Jesus opens the eyes of two blind men along the roadsideThis chapter opens with the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, which is a continuation, begun in the last chapter, of Jesus’ remarks on rewards. This chapter brings to an end the section that seems to mark time in the movement in Matthew. From this chapter on, the tempo of Matthew increases, and the Lord moves directly to the Cross. This chapter also makes an important contribution to filling in some more of the dark corners of the present state of the Kingdom of Heaven. The principle for giving rewards is stated in this parable: Faithfulness to the task, rather than the amount of work done or the spectacular nature of the work, governs the giving of rewards.

Matthew 20:1

PARABLE OF THE LABORERS IN THE VINEYARDThis parable is closely related to the previous chapter. Mat_19:30 says, “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” Verse Mat_20:16 says, “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” So you see that at both the beginning and at the end of this parable the concept of the last being first and the first, last, forms sort of a parenthesis around it.

Matthew 20:2

The “sixth” hour was high noon, and the “ninth” hour was three o’clock in the afternoon.

Matthew 20:6

This is a tremendous parable which illustrates an important truth: It is not the amount of time which you serve nor the prominence or importance of your position which determines your reward. Rather, you will be rewarded for your faithfulness to the task which God has given you to perform, regardless of how small or how short or how insignificant it appears. I have always felt that the Lord will someday reward a dear little lady who may have been a member of my church. I will turn to a member of my staff and say, “Do you know her?” He will say, “I have never heard of her. She did not sing in the choir, she was never president of any of our societies, and she never taught a Sunday school class. That woman didn’t do anything, and look at the way the Lord is rewarding her!” We will probably find out that this dear lady was a widow with a young son. She never spoke to thousands of people like some evangelists and preachers, but she faithfully raised her one little boy, and he became a missionary who served God on a foreign field. The widow had been faithful in the task God had given her to do.

Somebody might protest, “Well, she sure didn’t work as hard as I did!” That might well be true, but God is not going to reward you for the amount of work you have done. He will reward you according to your faithfulness to the job which He called you to do. My friend, perhaps God has not called you to do something great for Him, but are you faithful in what He has assigned to you?

Matthew 20:17

JESUS’ FOURTH ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTIONNotice the physical and geographical movement of this section. Jesus and His disciples are going up out of the Jordan Valley and are approaching Jerusalem where He is to die upon the Cross.

Matthew 20:18

Our Lord couldn’t spell it out any plainer than that. This is the fourth time He is telling themin detail at this junctureexactly what is going to happen to Him. Somehow or other the disciples didn’t comprehend itit just didn’t fit into their program. However, as you and I read it now, we see very clearly that it was Christ’s avowed intention to go to Jerusalem to die. Let’s ponder the significance of this. He went there deliberately to die for you and for me. That is something to think about. The disciples of Jesus just couldn’t believe it!

Matthew 20:20

THE REQUEST OF THE MOTHER OF JAMES AND JOHNAt the time of Jesus’ significant announcement of His pending death, the mother of James and John came to Jesus to ask Him a favor. There are a great many of us who worship Him with the same motive!

Matthew 20:21

On any other occasion and at any other time, this request would be a natural one for a mother who was ambitious for her children. In this instance, however, she missed the atmosphere and the very understanding of what was really taking place at that time. The Lord will answer her, and in quoting the following Scripture, I am going to leave out a portion that is not in our better manuscripts.

Matthew 20:22

When these two verses are read with omissions, the sense becomes clear. My friend, don’t miss the meaning here because it is so important to Christians today. Our Lord is not saying that there is no place at His right hand and left hand for somebody. He is saying that He will not arbitrarily give the positions to James and John or to anyone else. Rather, the places are for those who prepare themselves for them. Note this very carefully: Heaven is for the asking. You do nothing, nothing, for salvation. You are saved by faith in Christ through His marvelous grace. However, my friend, your position, your reward in heaven is determined by what you do down here on earth. That is very important, and Christians seem to have lost sight of it. What kind of a place are you preparing for yourself?

Personally, I have no ambition for the places on Christ’s right or left handI’m sure I have missed thosebut I am working for a place. All of us should be doing this. In Php_3:14 Paul said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The trouble with Christians today is that too few are even trying to win anything. We need to recognize salvation as a free gift, but we need to get on the race course in order to receive a reward.

Matthew 20:24

Do you know why they were moved with indignation? It was because they wanted the places at His right and left hands!

Matthew 20:25

This is a new approach to service and greatness, and it ought to be very clear in the minds of those who are engaged in Christian service. My friend, if you are going to sing for the Lord, please don’t try to walk over all the other soloists. If you are trying to be a preacher of the gospel, don’t try to push aside every other minister. If you are trying to be a church officer, don’t do it at the expense of someone else. Our Lord makes it very clear that the way to be great and the way to serve Him is to take the lowest place. Now, as Jesus and His disciples are very near to the city of Jerusalem, for the fifth time He tells them of His approaching death.

Matthew 20:28

This is a tremendous verse, and every Christian ought to memorize it. This verse should be at your fingertips so that when an opportunity to witness comes, you will be able to tell just why Jesus Christ came into the world and what His mission was, because there is still confusion at that point.

Matthew 20:29

JESUS HEALS TWO BLIND MENJesus and His disciples are going from Jericho to Jerusalem, which is the opposite direction from the man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves. The Lord is going from Jericho up to Jerusalem to die with thieves. That’s on the other side of the freeway, and on that side you and I can never go. We can only come to Him in faith, for He died in our stead. By the way, some folk think that because at His trial He did not defend Himself, He never defended Himself, and that Christians should follow the same policy. However, at other times He did defend Himself. When He went to Jerusalem to die, He did not defend Himself because He was taking my place, and I’m guilty. Believe me, there was no defense! That is the reason He did not open His mouth at that time. He was bearing my sin, and He was bearing your sin at that time.

Matthew 20:30

I love these two fellowsno one could keep them quiet!

Matthew 20:31

Notice that they addressed Him accurately"O Lord, thou son of David." They acknowledged His kingship. The Syrophoenician at first called Him the son of David, but the Lord reminded her that she had no claim on Him in this way. These men, however, were Jews and did have a claim on Him, and they exercised their claim!

Matthew 20:32

The problem of these men seemed so obvious. Why did the Lord ask what He could do for them? My friend, when you come to the Lord Jesus Christ, you must tell Him your need. If you are coming to Him for salvation, you must tell Him that you are a sinner and need His salvation. If you don’t, you will not be saved. That’s the offense of the Cross.

Everybody would like to come to the Cross if they could bring along the perfume of their self-righteousness and good deeds. But, my friend, you and I haven’t any goodness at all, none whatsoever, to present to God. You can no more sweeten human character with training and psychology and education than you can sweeten a pile of fertilizer out in the barnyard with Chanel No. 5. We have to come to Him as sinners and receive Him as our Savior. And the blind men came to the Lord Jesus with their need, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened”!

Matthew 20:34

Our Lord healed them, and they followed Him. Remember where He is goingHe is on His way to the Cross.