The Gospel According to Matthew Chapter 20

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The Gospel According to Matthew Chapter 20

The Bible Text from https://www.bible.com/bible/111/MAT.20.NIV

Basic Income, Nearing to Death, Position & Opening the Eyes

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (The Basic Income)

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. (Jesus teaches the Kingdom with the earthly things.)

2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. (It was a whole day labor for a denarius which should be an expense of one day life of his family.)

3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. (They were looking for job but failed.)

4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ (It was lesser time of labor than the first, but he will be paid "whatever is right.")

5 So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing . (Same condition for a shorter time labor.)

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. (They want to work but no opportunity.) “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ (He gave them job even it might be a couple of hours.)

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. (That is the "whatever" right.)

10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. (They were all paid the same amount of a denarius in spite of the time differences.)

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.’ (It seemed to be not fare for those who worked longer time, so complaining.)

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?’ (He was right for paying the promised, and probably enough money, for one day life to everyone. Working/Earning for daily life is one of the three most important elements of life, with relationships with fellow human being and God. It is a obligation and also a right to work and being paid. The owner paid the same amount even those shorter time workers because that was the needed income for each family; Basic Income. It is the same true even in the free market economy system nowadays.)

16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (There is no small or big, poor or rich, first or last in the Kingdom of God. We should be now, will be later all equal under the Righteous God in His Kingdom here and there. We must learn, practice, prepare for jobs, work diligently, earn, and support our families.)

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time (Ch. 16 & 17)

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!” (The way to Jerusalem in the Passover season is the way of suffering and death of Jesus; Via Dolorosa.)

A Mother’s Request

20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons (James & John) came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

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.” (They thought the Kingdom System should be the same as this world, and asked Jesus for her sons' hierarchical privilege in the Kingdom, which was wrong.)

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.

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.” (Kingdom of God also is and will be the land of mission, and responsibility along the glorious worshiping God.)

24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant (angry) with the two brothers. (It caused unnecessary dispute among other disciples since they all were the same minded for the seats.)

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. (Higher rules lower in this world.)

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- 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.” (Kingdom of God is where everybody serve each other but not to reign over others.)

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!”

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!” (These blind men were not holding back themselves asking healing out of their despair.)

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.” (They confirmed their need.)

34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Not every blinded ones of the time had the chance but they were delivered from the blindness.)