Matt
20:1-34
1. The Parable of the Householder (20:1-16)
This parable connects back to the closing statement of Matt 19:30 and
illustrates the principle of the first being last, and the last being
first. For the sake of convenience we include the closing paragraph
of Discourse 5-1:
| Jesus concludes this
discussion with the proverbial statement that "Many that are
first will be last, and the last first." Given the
context of the rich young man one must assume that the first
must be in reference to the rich who believe that because
of their position in life they should be privileged. In the
kingdom this is not the case, for as we have already learned it is
the humble who benefit from the kingdom, not the proud (Matt
5:1-12), and it is the humble servants that are greatest in the
kingdom (Matt 18:1ff.).
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Again, this is a parable about
the kingdom of heaven which speaks to behavior in the kingdom. But
it is also a preeminent parable illustrating the great kingdom principle
of grace. In this
parable the proverbial statement of the previous chapter that the first
will be last and the last first is dramatically portrayed. The
householder (in the parable God) hires a series of workers at different
times of the day. He promises the first a days wages (a
denarius). At the close of the day he pays all the workers the same
wage. Those who were hired first were upset and complained that
those who were hired late in the day had received the same wages as those
who had toiled all day. The householders closing remarks demonstrate
the great principle of grace:
| 13 But he replied to one of
them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with
me for a denarius? 14 Take
what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I
give to you. 15 Am I not
allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you
begrudge my generosity?’ |
Jesus closes the parable by
returning to his proverbial statement of Matt 19:30, but in this case
reverses the order "So the last will be first, and the first
last."
2. Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection (20 17-19)
As Jesus drew near to
Jerusalem he again instructed the twelve regarding his death burial, and
resurrection, only this time he elaborated briefly on his suffering,
condemnation by the Jews, trial before the Gentiles, and mocking and
scourging.
3. The Son of Man Came to Serve, not be Served (20:20-28)
Again we see in this pericope
the difficulty the disciples were experiencing the true nature of
discipleship and the kingdom. On this occasion the mother of James
and John beseeches (kneeling before him) Jesus for positions of honor in
the kingdom. We should not think to poorly of the disciples' mother,
or the remainder of the disciples for the ten were indignant over the fact
that the mother of the two had sought favorable position for her sons in
the kingdom. Besides which, men and women today continue to seek
such positions in the kingdom or church (elders, deacons, deaconesses, etc
who see these ministries as positions of honor or power rather than as
occasions of humble service.) Anyone who is upset over being denied
a "position" or "office" in the church because of
gender or whatever else, fails to understand this principle. Both
men and women should be so happy that they have been granted entry and a
place in the kingdom that all other matters such as position are
inconsequential.
Jesus asks the two disciples whether they were willing to drink the cup
that he was about to drink and they responded that they were. Jesus
warned them that would do so, but to grant that some might sit at his
right and left hand was not his prerogative, but that of his
Father. The metaphor of drinking the cup was in
reference to his suffering and death, and coming so soon after his recent
prediction of such (Matt 20:17-19) is not surprising. The background
of this metaphor of a cup being used in reference to suffering can be
found in the OT in passages such as Ps. 11:6; 75:8; and Isa 51:17, 22.
The immediate response of the two disciples indicates that they at this
point did not fully understand the implications of Jesus
remark.
Jesus follows his comments with a clear analogy taken from life in the
world. In this world the greatest are served while the least do the
serving. In the kingdom the reverse is true. The greatest are
those who serve. Jesus uses a reference to himself as the Son of Man
to illustrate this. As the Son of Man he deserved being served but
this was not his purpose. He came to be a servant, not to be
served. Luke (Lk 22:25-27 records similar words by Jesus:
| "The
kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and those in
authority over them are called benefactors.
26 But not so with you; rather
let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader
as one who serves. 27 For
which is the greater, one who sits at table, or one who serves? Is
it not the one who sits at table? But I am among you as one who
serves. |
We cannot leave this discussion without a reference to the great text on
Jesus' humble service, Phil 2:5-11:
| 5 Have
this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6
who, though he was in the form of God, did
not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied
himself, taking the form of a servant,
being born in
the likeness of men.
8 And being
found in human form
he humbled
himself and
became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore
God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is
above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father. |
4. Healing Two Blind Men Near Jericho (20 29-34)
As Jesus and the disciples were
passing through Jericho (Luke records their coming into Jericho,
Matthew as they went pout of Jericho) tow blind men (Mark and Luke refer
to one man, Matthew in Jewish style again records two men, "for at
the mouth of two men truth is established". This is important
for Matthew, but not so for Mark and Luke. Mark tells us that the
name of the one man was Bartimaeus.) The two blind men call out to
Jesus referring to him as "Son of David" begging Jesus to heal
them. He heals them. The point of this narrative is to
draw attention to the fact that the blind recognize Jesus as the Messiah,
but the seeing (Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees) do not recognize Jesus
as the Messiah. This narrative fits in well with the preceding
discussion of the greatest being last and the least being first.
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