He maintains His sovereign title to do good, to do as He will with His own. The evil eye was a jealous, envious eye. Note, First, The church is God's vineyard; it is of his planting, watering, and fencing; and the fruits of it must be to his honour and praise. They have treated the Bible either with levity, or as too awful a book to be apprehended really; not with the reverence of faith, which waits on Him, and fails not in due time to understand His word. a. It does not seem exactly as a pictorial view of what the Lord was doing, or going to do, but rather the repeated pledge, that they were not to suppose that the evil He had judged in the elders of Jerusalem, or the grace freely going out to the Gentiles, in any way led Him. Historical Books Historical Books Modern disciples of Jesus should view heavenly rewards the same way. It was really after the transfiguration recorded in chapter 17 of our gospel. With God, as nothing is impossible, so no one, small or great, is despised: all is seen and put in its just place; and grace, which rebukes creature pride, can afford to deal divinely with the smallest as with the greatest. Deliver Him to the Gentiles: Jesus knew that the religious leaders of the Jews did not have authority to carry out capital punishment themselves; yet sometimes they executed men despite this prohibition (Acts 7:54-60). We can be assured that God will never, ever be unfair to us, though He may for His own purpose and pleasure bestow greater blessing on someone else who seems less deserving. But Christ does not explode at their obtuseness, or blaze at their blindness, or despair at their unteachableness. There is hope of old sinners, that they may be brought to true repentance; nothing is too hard for Almighty grace to do, it can change the Ethiopian's skin, and the leopard's spots; can set those to work, who have contracted a habit of idleness. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brothers. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. The grace of God does not give us more blessing than we deserve it gives blessing to us completely apart from the principle of deserving. He went out again about nine o'clock in the morning, and saw others standing idle in the market-place. Yet He confidently announced to His disciples that this would happen. It is not a thing that can be settled by a mere assertion. It was not more truly Christ's kingdom as man than He was God's own Son, His beloved Son, in whom He was well pleased, who was now to be heard, rather than Moses or Elias, who disappear, leaving Jesus alone with the chosen witnesses. There is no question of to whom the ransom was paid. "In God's economy," as someone has said, "there is no such thing as a most favoured nation clause." And they joined the crowd following Him on up to Jerusalem.Remember at this point the heart of Jesus is very heavy, because He knows that He soon is going to be betrayed, mocked, scourged, crucified. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a He will never be less than fair, but reserves the right to be more than fair as pleases Him. Far different this was from the errand on which He was intent; but He was there for faith. For they needed someone to help Him bear the cross. Next, the storm follows. And then they would take a leather whip, with little bits of lead and glass, embedded in it. It often happens that we are easily discouraged from seeking the presence of God. The Rabbis had a saying, "Some enter the Kingdom in an hour; others hardly enter it in a lifetime." One of the great fundamental facts to which we must hold on, even when we hate and loathe and despise ourselves, is that Jesus believes in us. Secondly, Till we are hired into the service of God, we are standing all the day idle; a sinful state, though a state of drudgery to Satan, may really be called a state of idleness; sinners are doing nothing, nothing to the purpose, nothing of the great work they were sent into the world about, nothing that will pass well in the account. All this is what happens when men take the poetry of love and try to turn it into man-made theories. Secondly, Others are savingly wrought upon in middle age; Go work in the vineyard, at the third, sixth, or ninth hour. In Matthew 16:1-28 we advance a great step, spite (yea, because) of unbelief, deep and manifest, now on every side. In our gospel we have not seen the apostles called and ordained. Parallel use in Matthew 19:30 where the closing expression of chapter 19 opens the parable in chapter 20. Compare Luke 17:7; Luke 17:8; Luke 12:37. Lord cometh, his reward is with him, to give unto every man according as his work shall be, as one star differeth from another star in glory, so shall it be. a. Imagine a slave being given leadership! (Carson). Such is the perversity of man, that he who is not called thinks he can follow Jesus whithersoever He goes. Something of affinity there is between this parable and that of the prodigal son, where he that returned from his wandering, was as dear to his father as he was, that never went astray; first and last alike. Take that which is yours, and go your way: and I will give unto this last even as unto thee. In this, as I believe, that He never employed the virtue that was in Him to meet sickness or infirmity as a matter of mere power, but in deep compassionate feeling He entered into the whole reality of the case. WATCH TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CHALLENGE WAS Hey, Im Tia and my aim is to travel the world with my camera and of course my wonderful partner is coming along and enjoying the ride with me ! The reason I consider to be plain; and the same principle applies to various other parts of our gospel where we have two cases mentioned, where in the other gospels we have only one. Here is the account with the labourers. [3.] All rights reserved. The Lord, however, in the same chapter, shows that it was not a question alone of what was to be done, or to be suffered, or is to be by-and-by, but what He was, and is, and never can but be. "Christ demands that the driving force in your life must be love. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. a. Recognizing the value of consistent reflection upon the Word of God in order to refocus one's mind and heart upon Christ and His Gospel of peace, we provide several reading plans designed to cover the entire Bible in a year. He, on the contrary, insists not only that He was bound for the cross, but that its truth must be made good in any who will come after Him. "On his first night he was asked to share his bed with a man suffering from contagious itch. Many of them bleed to death. ii. (i) These two blind men were waiting, and when their chance came they seized it with both hands. The deity of Christ was the hook; his flesh was the bait; the bait was dangled before leviathan; he swallowed it and was taken. Matthew 19. But the future is in view also. And so anti what Jesus has declared. (Matthew 20:24-28) The disciples reaction; Jesus sets forth true greatness. Anyone who took this parable as a practical basis for employment would soon be out of business." Passwords should have at least 6 characters. Those first hired are actually paid least in proportion to their labor and receive the least pleasure from their pay. Successful service to God is the gift of His grace. Here again is found a fresh case of the same remarkable principle of selection of events to form a complete picture, which I have maintained to be the true key of all. What an anticipation of the walk by faith, not by sight, in which the Gentiles, when called, ought to have glorified God, when the rejection of the Messiah by His own ancient people gave occasion to the Gentile call as a distinct thing! Usually they hated and despised them, and hoped for nothing but their destruction. for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. After this (what makes it still more unquestionable) comes the case of the demoniac. Finally, we have all wound up, after the going forth of a testimony which was truly universal in its scope, by the judicial severance at the close, when it is not only the good put into vessels, but the bad dealt with by the due instruments of the power of God. Now according to the historians, this scourging was such an awful taxing thing upon the person that many people never made it to the cross. Nevertheless, His ear was open to the call on behalf of Israel perishing, dying, dead. Sometimes a man dies full of years and full of honour, with his day's work ended and his task completed. 1 Corinthians 6:2; Revelation 2:26). (iv) Here, also, is the infinite compassion of God. "That by His stripes you may be healed." Here is the first mention of the mode of Jesus death and of the Gentiles part in it (only the Romans could crucify people). (Carson). . to forget His ancient people. There is no note of the time when he came, but simply the fact that he did come. i. Apart from the method of payment, the parable describes the kind of thing that frequently happened at certain times in Palestine. a. Would any man make of the Messiah a mere man and a mere subject of the law given by Moses? There were many that followed Christ now in the regeneration, when the gospel kingdom was first set up, and these Jewish converts seemed to have got the start of others; but Christ, to obviate and silence their boasting, here tells them. It is true that in this particular instance Mark no more surrounds the leper with notes of time and place than do Matthew and Luke. It shows us his trust in men. Now, it was an established principle, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word should be established. Note, The unchangeableness of God's purposes in dispensing his gifts should silence our murmurings. A man is not a Christian if his first concern is pay. 1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire a labourers into his vineyard. It was very different with the hired day-labourers. This is the prerogative of the King of kings. Those last hired receive the most pay and are paid first. 20:17-19 As he was going up to Jerusalem, Jesus took the twelve disciples apart, and said to them, while they were on the road, "Look you, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the Scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify; and on the third day he will be raised.". If you do, you have a different concept of God than I do. General Epistles Jesus laces this point throughout the parable. So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Major Prophets i. James had to be ready to be the first to die among the disciples; John had to be ready to live the longest Christian life and testimony among them. i. The "calling" of which the New Testament almost invariably speaks is what divines call effectual calling, carrying with it a supernatural operation on the will to secure its consent. It was clearly a question of connection with the apostle of the circumcision ( i.e., Peter's wife's mother). He makes some more useful than others, without regard to the time which they serve, and he will reward them accordingly. (3.) A double action follows. It is a saying of R. Simeon ben Jochai F4. The New Testament Jesus recognized that they didnt really understand, but they would. HEARTLIGHT is a registered service mark of Heartlight, Inc. | Privacy Policy. iii. c. For many are called, but few chosen: This was said in the context of this illustration of grace. And then he repeats this again. Sorrow would come full soon when He, the Bridegroom of His people, should be taken away; and then should they fast. Once you scratch off the challenge, you have to do it. But they in turn will deliver Him to the Gentiles, who will first of all mock Him. And he went out about the third hour ( Matthew 20:3 ). few chosen; in Christ from all eternity, both to grace and glory; and in consequence, and as an evidence of it, but few among the Jews; as also in the Gentile world, comparatively speaking: and even but a few of those that are outwardly called, are inwardly and effectually called by the powerful grace of God, out of darkness into marvellous light, into the grace and liberty of the Gospel, into communion with Christ, and to the obtaining his kingdom and glory, according to the eternal purpose of God. Therefore let him who would meet God visit the prison cell before going to the temple. 13. without holiness no man shall see the Lord. So in this case there was brought to Him a paralytic man, lying upon a bed, "and Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." Where did they come from? Again he went out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, [noon and three in the afternoon], he did likewise.