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BIBLE STUDY MATTHEW 20:1-34 REVIEW: Chapter 19 (after a brief “interlude section” about large crowds following Jesus and his healing many people) began with the Pharisees asking Jesus about the circumstances when divorce was permissible. One Rabbinical school held that adultery (unchastity) was the only justifiable grounds for divorce, while another maintained that divorce could be for almost any reason. Jesus, however, focused on God’s intention regarding marriage – that it was a union that should never be broken. Divorce may be “allowed” because of sin (our hardness of heart), but it is NOT what God desires. The next section dealt with the question of celibacy – with Jesus making it clear that this condition was not for everyone. It is rather a “gift” for some that will enable them to focus more completely on the kingdom of heaven. For most people, however, marriage is the norm through which God blesses people by joining them together into a special, intimate union. Yet another passage was about Jesus blessing little children – those whom society regarded as having little or no value. Jesus, however, loved them and made it clear that they were worthy of his attention. Indeed, he stated that the kingdom of heaven belongs to persons such as them (who are regarded as lowly by the world). The next passage was about a rich young man who wanted to know what he had to “DO” to have eternal life. His problem was that he thought that this life was something to be earned rather than received as a gift. Finally, Jesus tells him that if he wants to be “perfect” (that is, if he wants to persist in trying to “earn” his way to eternal life), he should sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. The man was unwilling to do this, and he went away grieving. Jesus then spoke about the dangers of wealth – saying that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. It is not “impossible” for a rich person to be saved – but it is much harder because wealth keeps us focused upon this life rather than God’s eternal life. Finally, Jesus encourages his disciples about the “rewards” that they will receive for following him – not necessarily in this age but in the new world to come. In the new world at the end of time, they will share in his glory and receive much more (“a hundredfold”!) more than they have ever given up or lost in this life. As I mentioned, this section would be of special comfort and encouragement to Matthew’s original community of Jewish Christians who were being excluded and even persecuted by many of their fellow Jews for following Jesus. CHAPTER 20:1-16 “The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard” “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” This parable is unique to Matthew. In it, there are two main groups of laborers – 1) those who worked all day for an agreed upon wage (literally “a denarius”), and 2) those who worked less and trusted that the landowner would pay them “whatever is right”. The first group obviously represents the Pharisees whom Jesus (and Matthew’s Jewish Christian community) were in conflict with. They – like the rich young man in Mt. 19:16-22 – saw the kingdom of heaven as something to be earned. They agreed with the landowner for a certain wage. They then did the work that they had agreed to do, and the landowner in turn paid them the wage he had promised them. So far, so good as far as they (the Pharisees) were concerned! The rest of the laborers represent the less “religious” people. These could be non-religious Jews, but some commentators have even speculated that some of them could be Gentiles as well. The point is that they – unlike the Pharisee – were leaving it entirely up to God as to what “payment” they should receive. They knew that they did NOT “deserve” the full daily wage that the first laborers were promised. The landowner knew that those who did not receive the usual daily wage would end up going hungry – and that their families depended upon them. Therefore he gave them more than they deserved or expected in order to provide for their needs. This parable emphasizes both God’s justice and mercy in regarding the kingdom of heaven at the last judgment. For those who place their trust in works for earning it, they will receive the kingdom – God will not “short change” them! At the same time, for those who do not deserve the kingdom by their works, God will also give the kingdom as a gift to all who trust in him – even to those who trust in him at the very last moment! CHAPTER 20:17-19 “Jesus’ Third Prediction of Suffering” “While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.” This is the third and final of Jesus’ predictions of his suffering and death. The account is taken from Mark 10:32-34, but Matthew “edits” it to eliminate the reactions of the disciples and also to emphasize that Jesus’ death will be by the Roman method of crucifixion. This and the other two passion predictions (Mt. 16:21 and 17:12) emphasize that Jesus was very much in control of his destiny. He knew what awaited him in Jerusalem and yet decided to continue his journey. Indeed, in Mt. 20:28 shortly following this passage, Jesus clearly states that he was going to “give his life (as) a ransom for many.” This understanding answered the critics of the Christian movement that Jesus was somehow a “failure” because he suffered and ended up being killed – it was rather very much his foreknowledge and intent that this should happen. Finally, of course, the prediction ended on a positive note that “on the third day he will be raised.” Both for Jesus personally (and by implication also for Matthew’s community), suffering and death will eventually be turned into resurrection glory. CHAPTER 20:20-28 “James and John Seek Honor in Jesus’ Kingdom” “Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, ”Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” Matthew, as he does consistently throughout his gospel, seeks to put the disciples in a somewhat better light – so he portrays James and John’s mother (rather than themselves personally as in Mark’s account (Mk. 10:35-45)) as making this request that Jesus give them the places of honor in his kingdom. Some commentators believe that the mother of James and John was Salome, the sister of Jesus’ mother Mary (compare the lists of the women who were at Jesus’ cross in Mt. 27:56, Mk. 15:40, and Jn. 19:25). If this is so, then she was Jesus’ aunt and therefore James and John were literally Jesus’ cousins. James and John may have therefore felt that their “family connections” with Jesus entitled them to special places of honor ahead of the rest of the disciples. In reply, Jesus asks them if they are able to drink the cup that he was about to drink. James and John apparently think that he is referring to the cup of joy and success in the messianic banquet in the kingdom of heaven (Mark in his account explicitly has them thinking of sitting next to Jesus in his glory – Mk. 10:37)), but Jesus is rather referring to the cup of suffering (see Mt. 26:39, Jeremiah 25:15, 49:12, 51:7, Ezekiel 23:32-33, Isaiah 51:17). Old Testament passages about the “cup” of suffering and wrath are prophetic images describing the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its leaders in the early 6th century B.C. Daniel Harrington in his commentary on The Gospel of Matthew notes that the image of “the cup” would have been significant to Matthew’s original Jewish-Christian readers because it connected Jesus’ passion with the tradition of Israel’s suffering in the past – thus “fulfilling” it as Jesus had “fulfilled” many other aspects of Israel’s history. Harrington also notes that the “cup” image provides an important dimension to understanding the Eucharist (Mt. 26:39) in that sharing the “cup” of Jesus involves sharing in his passion and death and in Israel’s suffering. Eventually, James (and possibly also John) later did “drink the cup” of suffering. James was martyred by Herod Antipas (Acts 12:1-3), and there is a tradition that his brother also suffered a similar fate. Jesus specifically disclaims any responsibility or authority for determining “places of honor” in his kingdom – leaving that to his heavenly Father. By implication, the same should also be true for us – it is not our concern to be concerned about this! “When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life (as) a ransom for many.” The other disciples were naturally upset about James and John’s bid for power. In response, Jesus reminds them that with him the values of this world are reversed – that social status counts for nothing (reiterating what he had told them previously by telling them that they had to become like children – Mt. 18:1-5), and that in his kingdom true greatness comes about through serving rather than being served. He points to himself as being the example of a “servant-leader” – it is his serving and offering his life for us that makes him “great”. Jesus’ reference to giving his life as a ransom for many alludes to the “Suffering Servant” theme in Isaiah 53:11-12. It is by serving others and even giving his life for them that the Son of Man will bring the kingdom of heaven into the world. As his disciples, Jesus bids us to do likewise. CHAPTER 20:29-34 "Healing of Two Blind Men" “As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even more loudly, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” Jesus stood still and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.” This passage is based upon the healing of the blind beggar Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52. Matthew in his version has two blind men instead of one (he has also done this previously with two demoniacs (Mt. 8:28) and two blind men (Mt. 9:27)) – even though the stories in Mark’s gospel only have one person in each account. Why Matthew “doubles” the characters in these accounts is unclear. “Son of David” was a messianic term – but every time it is used in Matthew’s gospel it is associated not with power but with healing. Previously, Jesus was addressed in this way by two blind men whom he healed in Mt. 9:27-31; by the crowds after he healed the blind and mute demoniac in Mt. 12:22-24; by the Canaanite woman whose daughter he healed in Mt. 15:21-28; and now in the healing of the two blind men at Jericho in this passage. Healing of physical, emotional, and spiritual infirmities is what Jesus’ Messiah ship is about – it is the manifestation of the kingdom of heaven breaking into our world. So may it be for us as his disciples! -------------------- George R. Karres, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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