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20:1-16
The workers in the vineyard
By way of illustrating his teaching about rewards, Jesus told his
disciples this story :
"There was once a landowner who made an agreement with his workers
to pay them one denarius for one day's work. The workers accepted this contract
and started working.
"Later in the day, the landowner found some unemployed people and
offered them a job. He promised to pay them whatever was right. They accepted
his word and started working for him.
"Several times after that through the day the landowner went out and
made the same offer to other people and they accepted his terms and started
work.
"In the evening, the workers lined up for their pay. They arranged
themselves so that the ones who had worked for the shortest time got their pay
first. This meant that the workers who had been there all day saw how much the
other people were paid.
"The landowner paid all the workers one denarius.
"Hey!" said the workers who had been there all day, "How
come you pay those people the same as us? We've been here longer, so we should
get more pay!"
"I have done nothing wrong" said the landowner, "First of
all you made an agreement with me to work a full day for one denarius. Its in
the contract. You have no grounds for complaining. Secondly, This is my farm,
and my money. If I want to give every worker one denarius, it is none of your
business!"
(Because this story was called, by Jesus, an illustration of the
"kingdom of heaven" it has some national significance. Over the last
2000 years there have been many different historic stages in which Christians
have lived. Some stages have been hard and difficult, others easy. Towards the
end of the present Age life may be easier for the Church, so it may be that, at
the judgement, some ground for complaint might be apparent. "Why" some
saints may say "Should these saints, who had an easy time, and not even
lived out their whole lives, be given the same reward - entrance into the full
blessings of the kingdom - as us, who have toiled through (say) the persecutions
of the Dark Ages?")
"At the end of the day, there will be some surprising reversals in
rewards and recognition. Some saints, who worked hard for God, but with selfish
motives, will receive a small amount, while other saints, who seemed to do
little for God, but had the right attitudes, will receive proportionately a lot
more than they may seem to deserve!"
(Jesus exposed the selfish side of human nature. He also showed the
disciples that kingdom thinking was different to worldly thinking. Christians
are not meant to compete in their work, or aim at rewards. It is enough to serve
the Lord, and accept his sovereign decisions. We are all labourers together in
the same vineyard, equally blessed by the same grace.)
20:17-19
Jesus again predicts his death and resurrection
Jesus had already tried to explain what was going to happen to him twice
already, but his disciples still didn't quite understand, so he tried again. He
was walking with them along the dry, stony road towards Jerusalem, and, seeing a
good opportunity to have a private word with them, he drew them aside. The
twelve men waited for him to speak.
"Listen" said Jesus, "What I am telling you is very
important. We are going to Jerusalem, and when we get there some nasty things
will happen to me. I will first of all be handed over by someone to the chief
priests and the others. After this betrayal I will be put through a trial, and
they will find me guilty and condemn me to death. This sentence will be carried
out.
"The Romans will take over from that point and I will me treated
very badly by them. My body will be battered and bruised, whipped and beaten,
then they will crucify me.
"But three days after I am buried, I will come back to life."
20:20-28
Positions in the kingdom of God
The first time that Jesus spoke about his coming death, Peter tried to
talk him out of it -16:22. The second time Jesus spoke about it, the disciples
started arguing about who among them was the greatest - 17:22,23 with 18:1. And
now here, the third time Jesus spoke about it, Salome and her two boys James and
John appeared, trying to get the best places in the kingdom.
Salome prostrated ( Greek = proskuneo) herself on the ground, pleading
for her boys. (Mark says that the boys helped with the pleading - 10:35)
"What do you want?" asked Jesus.
"When you set up your kingdom" said Salome, "Please look
after these two sons of mine! It is my desire that they sit with you on your
throne, sharing your power!"
Jesus was not angry with Salome for her presumption, nor with her sons.
They were showing great faith in his promises, and looking forward to a time
when he would indeed be ruling as a great King.
But Jesus was disappointed with their lack of understanding. Positions
and promotions in the kingdom did not come by way of special pleading.
"You don't know what you are asking for!" said Jesus, "You
want the glory of my kingdom to be shared equally with you, but you do not want
the suffering which comes before it! You really think you can take on the throne
of God? If so, you should also take on the full brunt of the suffering as well!
Do you think you can do that?"
"Yes" said Salome, not really understanding the incredible
depths of suffering which Jesus was about to go through. She had no conception
of what it would be like for the Son of God to bear the weight of all Mankind's
sin!
Jesus showed great forbearance with her now. He knew she wouldn't
understand, so he softened the blow.
"Yes" he said to Salome and her boys, "You will share the
the pain (cup of suffering and death) which I go through, but as to gaining
positions in the coming kingdom, well, that's not for me to say. My Father is in
charge of that, and He will decide who sits where."
(Interestingly, James died a martyr's death, and John, who was exiled to
the Isle of Patmos lived a martyr's death - both shared the "cup".)
By now the discussion about future promotions had caught the attention of
the other ten disciples. They were all annoyed with James and John - annoyed
because they too were keen on getting the best positions, and they didn't want
James or John to beat them.
But Jesus saw a bitter argument forming. He realised that he would have
to cut it short by giving all twelve disciples a clear lesson about the way
kingdom hierarchy operated.
"Come here, and listen to me!" said Jesus sternly, "I want
to talk to you about greatness, and what it means to 'be great'. In the world,
most people think of greatness in terms of being able to order other people
around. Gentile kings and rulers are considered 'great' if they have the power
to control armies, civil servants, family and the public. These authority
figures hardly ever do anything for others in a personal way because they
consider that to be 'below them' and humbling.
"But Christians have to do things the other way round. If they want
to be 'great' they have to forget about giving orders, and instead take them.
Service rather than command is the key to Christian greatness.
"If one of you twelve really wants to be 'top disciple', look for
ways of serving and helping and looking after the other eleven. You may not like
it, but this is how God arranges His kingdom. The greatest members are the most
helpful.
"The best example I can give you is myself. I am the Messiah. I
should be on a throne ruling the universe, but here I am, walking the streets
with my sleeves rolled up, and the dust all over my shoes. My life-style is a
pattern of service. My days are spent caring for other people.
"And soon, when the time is right, I will give my life as well, in
the ultimate act of service : I have come to die for other people - not
something any of the Gentile kings would relish doing!"
(Jesus humbled himself for service in many ways. He set aside all his
full equal glory and power with the Godhead, and reduced himself to the level of
a seed, (spermatozoa) then a foetus, then a child, then a peasant's life in an
obscure Jewish village, then a period of hard physical labour which involved
tiredness, hunger, thirst, weakness, a constant battle against temptation, and
all the worldly pressures to give up. He maintained a perfect attitude of
selflessness, healing, teaching, caring . . . and finally he died. Death was
something utterly new to the Godhead, but as a result, there is now a glorified
human body included in it.)
20:29-34
Two blind men
Jesus stayed in Jericho for a while, then he decided it was time to move
on. He walked through the gates and started down the narrow road, with a large
crowd of people trailing close behind.
After a while he passed two blind men, who were waiting on the roadside.
Despite their physical blindness, these men had sharp spiritual sight.
"Pity us!" they cried, "You can help us because you are
David's son!" (By this they showed that they understood Jesus to be the
Messiah.)
Some of the people, who didn't care about the beggars, told them to be
quiet, but the blind men were not to be put off. They ignored the the negative
comments and shouted even louder.
"Pity us!" they cried, "Pity us Lord! Son of David, look!
We're over here!"
Jesus stopped walking and looked at the two men.
"Come over here" he said.
The men came slowly, reaching out with their hands to feel their way.
"What do you want me to do for you?" asked Jesus.
"Please, heal our eyes! We want to be able to see! Lord?"
Jesus placed his fingers lovingly on the blind men's eye-sockets.
Instantly new eyes formed under the lids, new nerves shot through to the brain
making millions of connections, the optic nerve joined the eye to the vast
network of cells behind the eyes, and suddenly, the men could see!
They laughed and turned their heads about, taking in the scene, seeing
the world with the fresh surprise of children. Then Jesus began to walk on down
the road - the two men turned raced after him.
(Note on this miracle : There are many so-called 'discrepancies' in the
gospels, so-called because people fail to correctly compare the different
accounts. This miracle serves as a good example of the perfect harmony with
which God has recorded the events, but also it serves as a good example of how
critics make a mess of the Bible.)
From a comparison of the three gospels, it can be seen that there are
four blind men mentioned, and that there were three separate miracles on the
Lord's visit to Jericho:
In the first miracle the Lord was "come near to Jericho". In
the second miracle it happened "as he went out of Jericho". In the
third miracle it happened "as they departed from" - and so had already
left Jericho.
In the first there was one blind man, who isn't named. In the second
there was one blind man, called Bartimaeus. In the third there were two blind
men.
In the first the one man was
begging. In the second the one man was begging. In the third the two men were
not begging.
In the first the one man did not know what was happening. In the second
Bartimaeus heard but didn't fully understand. In the third the two men heard and
cried out.
In the first the one man cried "Jesus, you Son of David!". In
the second the one man cried "Son of David!". In the third the two men
cried "O Lord, Son of David!".
In the first Jesus commanded the man to be brought. In the second Jesus
commanded the man to be called. In the third Jesus called the two men himself.
In the first the man desired that he might be able to see (anablepo). In
the second it was the same. In the third the two men asked that their eyes might
be opened (anoigo).
In the first Jesus said "Receive your sight, your faith has saved
you." In the second Jesus said "Go your way, your faith has saved
you." In the third Jesus said nothing after the healing.
In the first one the man followed Jesus, glorifying God. In the second
Bartimaeus followed Jesus without a display. In the third the two men followed
Jesus without a display.
Despite the minute details and specific words used by God, there are
still commentators who distort and twist the Word to fit their theories as to
how they think it should read, or to 'harmonise' the accounts to make them fit
together better. But God does not need any such help!)