Matthew chapter20

Matthew chapter20

Scripture:

Today I will summarize Matthew chapter 20 where Jesus described the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus speaks for the third time about his death and the healing of two blind men.  Jesus said the kingdom of heaven can be partially understood with the following parable.  A landowner went out early in the morning to hire people to work in his vineyard.  The owner agreed to pay them the regular wage, a silver coin a day.  And sent them to work in his vineyard.  He went out again to the marketplace at nine O’clock and saw some men standing there idle. 

He asked them to go and work in his vineyard and that he would also pay them a fair wage.  Then at noon and again at three O’clock, he did the same thing.  It was nearly five O’clock when he went to the marketplace and saw some other men standing there doing nothing.  He asked them why they were they wasting time the whole day doing nothing.  They replied that nobody hired them.  The owner told them also to go to the vineyard.  One hour later at 6:00 in the evening the land owner told his foreman to call everyone in the vineyard over here to get their pay starting with the last to arrive and ending with the first to arrive. 

The workers arrived to receive their pay.  The workers who only worked 1 hour received a whole day’s pay. Down the line, the workers received the same pay.  Finally, the workers who worked all day since 6:00 in the morning arrived thinking they would get more than everyone else.  But they received one day’s pay as well.  They grumbled at the landowner and thought that he was unfair.  They said we worked for twelve hours in the scorching sun and you paid us the same as the men who only worked 1 hour. Isn’t that unfair?  The landowner said that no it was not unfair.  He said did we not agree before you started on how much I would pay you. 

You are jealous because I am generous? I can do whatever I like with my property.  I want to pay them as much as I pay you.  And I made a decree that the last shall be first and the first shall be last.  After Jesus said this he was going up to Jerusalem.  He took his twelve disciples aside and spoke to them privately.  He said we are going up to Jerusalem where the son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of, they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the gentiles who will mock him, whip him, and crucify him; but three days later he will be raised to life.     

Then the wife of Zebedee came to Jesus with her two sons.  Bowed before Jesus and asked him a favor.   She said promise me that my two sons will sit on your right and the other on the left side when you rule in the kingdom.  Jesus said you don’t know what you are asking for?  Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?  Jesus said I do not have the right to choose who will sit at my right and my left.  These places belong to those for whom my father has prepared them.  When the other disciples heard this, they were annoyed with the two brothers. 

Jesus called them all to himself after recognizing another teaching moment.  He said you know the rulers of the Gentiles having power over them.  And the leaders have complete authority.  This is not the way it shall be among you.  If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest.  And if you want to be first, he must be your slave like the son of the man who did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.  As Jesus and his people were leaving Jericho, a large crowd was following them.  Two blind men who were sitting by the road heard that Jesus was passing by, so they began to shout “Son of David! Take pity on us!”.  The crowd scolded them and asked them to be quiet.  But they shouted even more loudly Son of David! Take pity on us, Sir! Jesus stopped and called out to them.  What do you want me to do for you? He asked them.   They answered we want you to give us our sight! Jesus pitied them and touched their eyes.  At once they were able to see and they followed him.

Observation:

The thing I think the lord wants us to understand after reading this chapter is, he will reward Christians as he sees fit like in the parable of the landowner paying his workers reflects.  He wants us to see that the father has prepared places of honor at Jesus’s right and left hand for the people he has chosen.  God wants us to see that his way of thinking is the opposite of the world’s way.  Whoever wants to be a leader in the chief must be a servant to all and they must not load their authority over anyone.  The Lord wants us to see that Jesus prophesied about his crucifixion, death, and resurrection many times and repeatedly told his disciples about this.  They could not understand what they were talking about until the Holy Spirit gave them wisdom after Jesus’s resurrection. 

They still thought they were an army commander who would conquer the Roman armies and God wants us to see that Jesus healed blind men after they told Jesus specifically what they wanted.  He wants us to make specific prayer requests to him as well.  Would you get upset with the Lord if he gave someone else the same blessings that he gave you?  Even though you thought you worked harder for it.  Doesn’t God have the right to give whatever he wants whenever he wants?  Shouldn’t we be grateful that he shed his grace on us?  Indeed, we should.  We don’t work hard to earn anything in God’s kingdom.  It’s all grace.  Perhaps you have not accepted God in your life yet and you haven’t experienced God’s grace personally.  Now is the time to accept the true God in your life and experience his grace and mercy.  He doesn’t force anyone.  Listen carefully he is still knocking and waiting at your doorstep for you to open the door of your heart and let him in.  He wants to heal you. 

He wants to talk to you. How many times we don’t recognize the voice of the lord and we snap the door at him? You can’t listen to him in all the chaos.  Go to your room and shut the door.  And wait upon him in silence.  Then you will hear a very calm, sweet, and polite voice talking to you.

Prayer:

Loving father, you have loved me when I was unlovable.  I am so amazingly grateful that I know you and that I can experience your wonderful presence in my life.  Give me this day your grace in how I live my life.  Give me wisdom and gentleness in how I interact with others.  Make me pure and gentle.  May I have a mind that is open to reason and show mercy.  In all of today’s tasks, grant me the wisdom and grace to be sincere and meek.  Thank you for your grace.  O God, you are my God and I long for you.  My soul is thirsty for you.  My whole being desires you like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land.  Your constant love is better than life itself and so I will praise you.  I will give you thanks as long as I live.  I will raise my hands to you in prayer and I will sing glad songs of praise to you.  As I lie in bed, I remember you all night long.  I think of you because you have always been my help.  In the shadows of your wigs, I will sing for joy.  I cling to you and your hands keep me safe.  Lord, I look up to you, up to the heaven where you rule.  As a servant depends on his master, and a maid depends on her mistress I will keep looking to you O lord my God till you have mercy upon us.  Be merciful to me my father.  I ask this all in the name of your beloved son our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.