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MATTHEW 20
Survey of the chapter
The chapter consists of five sections, and the first four are a commentary on the last words of chapter 19, “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first”. These words are repeated after the first section, which deals with those who are first in time and opportunity but last in reward. This is the answer to Peter’s claim that the apostles had left all for Christ, and were therefore due a reward.
The Lord then tells them what will happen to Him by way of suffering, but that He will rise from the dead to enjoy the fruit of that suffering. He was prepared to be “last” in terms of respect from men, but He shall be “first” in respect of glory from God. The apostles should have the same attitude.
Then there are those who wish to be first in position, James and John, and they are given their answer. Fourthly, there is the matter involving the ten other apostles who wanted to be first in power. Finally, two blind men are healed at Jericho. If they had been there is Joshua’s day they would have been killed, but the greater than Joshua cured them.
Structure of the chapter
| (a) | Verses 1-16 | Who is first in reward? |
| (b) | Verses 17-19 | Who is first in suffering? |
| (c) | Verses 20-23 | Who is first in position? |
| (d) | Verses 24-28 | Who is first in authority? |
| (e) | Verses 29-34 | Who “sees” these things and follows the Lord? |
(a) Verses 1-16
Who is first in reward?
20:1
For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder- the first word alerts us to the fact that this parable is the explanation of the truths stated at the end of chapter nineteen about the first being last and the last first.
The parable is not limited to being about the man. Certain features about the kingdom of heaven, the sphere of profession, are illustrated by the whole parable. The main point is that reward is at the discretion of the householder, that is Christ Himself, and is not to be calculated by appearances or opinions.
Which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard- so these will be, in one sense, the first. The fact that he hired labourers tells us that it is a question of service that is in view.
It is noticeable that vineyards feature in the last chapters of Matthew. The references are 20:1; 21:28; 21:33. This is significant, since Isaiah spoke of the nation of Israel as a vineyard, and he emphasised the work that God had put in to produce grapes from His vineyard, but it had brought forth wild grapes. He wrote, “Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry”, Isaiah 5:1-7.
It is interesting that these words are a song, and they are addressed to one who is Isaiah’s beloved, whom he calls his wellbeloved. This is surely a reference to the one who in the Lord’s parable of the son who is sent into the vineyard is called the wellbeloved, the Lord Jesus Himself, Mark 12:6.
The result of the careful tending of this vineyard should have been an abundant harvest, with a vintage causing great rejoicing. Alas it was not so, and the prophet has to describe the way that the hedge of the vineyard was broken down, and the vineyard was destroyed by outsiders, meaning that the Gentiles would overrun the nation, and take it captive.
History will repeat itself, for just as God did everything possible for Israel in the Old Testament so that they would yield fruit for Him, and then had to send them into captivity because they failed the respond, so it would be again. God’s Son had done everything possible during His ministry to encourage Israel to bear fruit, but they did not respond. As a result, they would be dispersed from the land yet again.
20:2
And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard- so all knew what the terms of service were. A penny a day was the accepted rate for those times.
20:3
And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace- they were not idle in the sense of lazy, but simply had not been hired as yet. An engine may be idling, but then can roar into life when the driver directs; so it is with these men.
20:4
And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way- there is nothing here about a penny, but the level of wages is left to the decision of the householder. They will be satisfied with what he thinks is right, just and fair.
20:5
Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise- so there are now four groups of labourers, and each group will work for a different period of time.
20:6
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? These eleventh hour men are questioned closely, for it may be that they are left at that late stage because they are not willing workers, and other employers have rejected them.
20:7
They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us- they indicate by this that they are standing in the marketplace, not to chatter among themselves, but to offer themselves for work. The only reason they are not working is because no one needs them.
He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive- they are content, like the other men except the first group, to leave the matter of the level of wages to the householder. They do not know what they will receive, but trust their employer to do what he says, namely, give them what is right, or just.
20:8
So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
So when even was come- so all five groups worked until the end of the day. It was customary for employers to pay their workers daily, in accordance with the law, which said, “Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy…at his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it”, Deuteronomy 24:14,15.
The lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward- the one who is the householder ar the beginning is now called the lord of the vineyard, for his authority is about to be questioned by some.
Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first- the first sign that things are not going to be as expected is that the eleventh hour men are called first. This is no doubt so that the first group know what has happened. If they had been paid first they may have dispersed before they heard what the others were paid. The lord of the vineyard describes these men as the last and the first, thus defining what is meant in verse 16, and its connection with the same words in 19:30.
20:9
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny- so it was the decision of the householder that these men should have a day’s wages for working just one hour. He is obviously thinking in a completely different way to other men.
20:10
But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny- the other groups do not feature in the matter of reward, showing that the parable is about contrasting the first with the last, not the first, second, third, fourth and last.
20:11
And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house- they have ignored the fact that they agreed on a penny before they started work. Why should the reward given to others be theirs too? The one who in verse 1 is called a householder, the owner of the vineyard, (emphasising who they are working for), and in verse 8 is called the lord of the vineyard, (emphasising his authority over what goes on in the vineyard), is now called the goodman of the house, for his goodness is being questioned.
20:12
Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day- they think the eleventh hour men have been made equal to them, which they have, but only in one sense. There are other considerations which concern the householder, and which are the point of the parable.
20:13
But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
But he answered one of them- did they all murmur, but only one actually complain, being their spokesman?
And said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? The householder deals with them on the basis of justice, since they think they have suffered an injustice. The payment is strictly just, since it is what both parties agreed.
20:14
Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Take that thine is, and go thy way- there is no question of another payment being forthcoming, for the householder’s decision is final, for he is lord.
I will give unto this last, even as unto thee- again the title of last is given to the eleventh-hour men.
20:15
Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? These men have forgotten that the householder is paying them with his own money. It is within his power what he chooses to do with it.
Is thine eye evil, because I am good? He had been good to the eleventh hour men in that he had paid them generously. Why should that make the first men look enviously upon that reward, since what they themselves had been paid was perfectly just?
20:16
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
So the last shall be first, and the first last- this is the main thrust of the parable, and is the answer to Peter’s question, “what shall we have therefore”? 19:27. The answer according to the parable is “Whatever the Lord decides”. No doubt Peter thought himself one of the first, but that remains to be seen at the judgment seat of Christ. The fact that he was an apostle is not the over-riding factor. High office in the church is no guarantee of high reward in the kingdom. There may be those whom men consider to be “last”, who will in fact be “first” when it comes to reward.
So we may say the following things about the first and the last:
1. The last left the level of wages to the householder, whereas the first were given opportunity to accept or reject the penny, so their opinion entered into it.
2. The last accept the verdict of the householder, whereas the first questioned his judgment.
3. The last are content with their penny, no doubt realising the generosity of the householder, whereas the first are ungrateful, and think they merit more.
4. The last had low expectations, but were surprised by the lavish reward, whereas the first were covetous, thinking they deserved more than the last men.
So the main lesson we derive from the parable is that when it comes to rewards in the kingdom, it will not depend on length of service, or what we may think is the just amount we should receive for our efforts. It is the one who reads the heart that will decide. The first men of the parable may have worked the longest, but did they work the hardest? And what was their attitude whilst they worked? Judging by the fact that their eye was evil and covetous, they clearly had wrong motives. And how did they relate to their employer? They seemed to have thought him to be unjust. The first men might have borne the burden and heat of the day, but the last men may not have been concerned about that if they had worked during the same conditions.
For many be called, but few chosen- in the parable there were many called to work in the vineyard, as is seen in the five groups that the householder engaged. But in the end, few of them, (represented by the last), were choice workers, meeting the approval of the lord of the vineyard. Whether we come to work in the vineyard at the eleventh hour of our lives, or the eleventh hour of the age, or the eleventh hour after a period of wasted time, there is opportunity for all to be choice workers.
(b) Verses 17-19
Who is first in suffering?
20:17
And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them- in Mark’s parallel account we read of the reaction of the disciples. He writes, “And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid”, Mark 10:32. He had already told them He would be killed, Matthew 17:22, so they were amazed at His determination to go to Jerusalem, the place of danger. As they followed, fear filled their hearts, for they were likely to be killed as well, they reason. So they were amazed, because of what Jerusalem would mean for Him, and afraid because of what it would mean to them.
20:18
Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
Behold, we go up to Jerusalem- the people of “the city of the great King” will have the King formally presented to them, but sadly will reject Him. He will come to His own city, and His own throne, but His own people will receive Him not. The name Jerusalem means “foundation of peace”, but men will be at war with Him. Nonetheless it will be at Jerusalem that He will lay the foundation of peace between God and men.
And the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes- little did the apostles realise that the betrayer was one of their number. That the Lord knew He would be betrayed was a warning to Judas. The decline of the nation is seen clearly in that the chief priests, who should have been in touch with God, and recognise that Christ was His approved one, and the scribes, those in touch with the Old Testament scriptures which foretold Him, both conspired against Him and sided with the Devil in doing so. The Lord said to the twelve apostles, “one of you is a devil. He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for it was he which should betray him”, John 6:70. He can justifiably be called a devil because he was doing what devils would have loved to do but could not.
And they shall condemn him to death- this is as far as they will be able to go, for the Romans had taken the right to put to death away from the Jews. As they themselves will say, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death”, John 18:31. Nevertheless “they took counsel against him to put him to death”, so that was their intention.
20:19
And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
And shall deliver him to the Gentiles- because they could not slay Him themselves, they handed Him over to the Gentile authorities. Thus Jew and Gentile were united in their hatred of Christ. As Peter said on the day of Pentecost, “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain”, Acts 2:23. They thought they were determining things, and putting their counsel into effect, but it was far otherwise. He was crucified and slain in harmony with the will of God, not of men. It did mean, though, that the Jews handed Him over to the lawless Gentiles, who were not restrained by the law of Moses in their treatment of a condemned prisoner.
To mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him- that they delivered Him to the Gentiles to do these things shows they well knew it would happen, and they are as guilty as the ones whose lawless hands did the deed.
Mocking is psychological, scourging is physical, and crucifying is both to the most intense degree. It was a famous Roman orator who said that crucifixion was the most degraded death that could be meted out to any man. But it was meted out to Him who is more than man, even God manifest in flesh.
And the third day he shall rise again- this is His answer and the Father’s answer to the wicked acts of men. He was confident that He would rise, for His testimony amongst men had been true. If it had not been, He would have been a false prophet, and His death would have been required by the law of Moses. Men thought they slew Him because He was false, but God raised Him from the dead to show He was true. They mocked Him, and mocked His claims, but God vindicated both.
This is a short-term prophecy, which when fulfilled will give His people confidence that His long-term prophecies will come to pass.
Luke adds at this point the following: “And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken”, Luke 18:34. This explains why the disciples were so slow to believe that He had risen from the dead. But this was ordered of God, so it could not be said that they were so convinced He was going to rise that they deluded themselves into thinking it had happened when it had not. They surely did not doubt that He would rise again at the resurrection of the just, but they did not believe that He would rise within such a short period of time.
(c) Verses 20-23
Who is first in position?
20:20
Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons- did she reason that if He was going to rise from the dead then He would immediately ascend the throne of Israel? It is true, as Peter said on the day of Pentecost, that God has raised up Jesus to sit on David’s throne, Acts 2:30, but not before He has raised Him to heaven to sit on the throne of heaven during this present age, verses 33,34.
A comparison between Matthew 27:56, (“and the mother of Zebedee’s children”), and Mark 16:1, (“and Salome”), shows what her name was. It is very possible that she was the sister of the mother of Jesus, which would make James and John the cousins of the Lord. She perhaps felt that this was good reason why they should have a prominent place in the kingdom.
Worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him- it was good that she worshipped, but to request a favour from Him of this sort was not in harmony with worship, for to reverence Him was to give Him total authority, including in the matter of who should be next to Him on the throne.
20:21
And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
And he said unto her, What wilt thou? He gives her opportunity to make her request, so that the answer may be given for the benefit of all. What she wanted for her sons was probably what many wanted, namely prominence in the kingdom.
She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom- we may detect the pride in this mother’s heart as she said “these my two sons”. Matthew called them Zebedee’s children, whereas the Lord had called them apostles, Luke 6:13.
20:22
But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask- they thought they were asking for a very straightforward thing, but the Lord shows them it is not as simple as they thought. They must not rely on natural ties to give them position in the kingdom.
Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of- to drink of the same cup as someone else signifies to identify with their experiences. James and John claim to want to share the experiences of Christ, but can they endure them?
And to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? Baptism is a plunging into that which overwhelms. He would be overwhelmed at Calvary by sufferings and grief, as described by the psalmist, “I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me”, Psalm 69:2. Can they endure that also?
They say unto him, We are able- they are so eager to sit on thrones that they are prepared to go through the most intense sufferings to get there.
20:23
And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup- of course they would not suffer as He suffered, for He was going to Calvary to suffer for sins, and that would entail being forsaken of God. Nonetheless, in their degree, these two would experience the same things as He would, in that James would be arrested, imprisoned, and beheaded unjustly, Acts 12:1,2, and John would be exiled on the island of Patmos because of his faithfulness to the truth, Revelation 1:9. So James was martyred, and John was in tribulation, but this was but a shadow of what Christ would endure.
The apostle Paul wrote, “It is a faithful saying…if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us”, 2 Timothy 2:11,12. So all who show the reality of their faith by suffering, or enduring, are assured that they shall reign with Him, and this is part of the eternal glory He had spoken of in the previous verse. It was those who endured the privations of life with David in his obscurity that reigned with him eventually. By the same token, those who were disloyal to David were denied a place in his kingdom. Jonathan died with Saul, whereas he could have been associated with David in the kingdom. So we, if we deny Him, in the sense of refusing to own allegiance to Him down here, will find that He will deny us the relevant reward for service in His kingdom.
And be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with- James and John lived to see much suffering. Saul of Tarsus was a ringleader in great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem, and this was where James and John were, Acts 8:1,14; Galatians 2:1,9. Later, James was killed by the sword of Herod, and later still, John was exiled on the isle of Patmos, and he was the companion in tribulation of those who were suffering under the rule of the Caesars.
But to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father- we know from His own words that all judgment has been committed to the Son, John 5:22, and this must include the decisions about rewards in the kingdom. The King here declares that He does not give those rewards independently of His Father, but they act in total harmony in the matter. As a result, position in the kingdom is granted to those whom the Father decides is worthy, and the Son administers that decision. We see this in action in the judgment of the living nations, for the kingdom is prepared by the Father, yet the invitation to come into the blessing of that kingdom is from the Son, Matthew 25:34. We should remember that the Messianic kingdom is a mediatorial kingdom, where the Son acts on behalf of His Father so that He may deliver up the kingdom after one thousand years, and then the Godhead will be all in all, 1 Corinthians 15:24-28.
(d) Verses 24-28
Who is first in authority?
20:24
And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren- we should remember that Matthew, who is writing this account, was one of the ten, so he shared the indignation. He pointedly calls James and John “the two brethren”, thus emphasising their natural relationship to one another, (and indirectly to the Lord as His cousins), and not their relationship as brothers in the Lord.
A similar situation as this had arisen in the case of Solomon. Because he had lapsed into idolatry, the Lord judged him by dividing his kingdom after he died. Ten tribes broke away from Judah and Benjamin, who remained faithful to the house of David. Thus there became friction between two and ten because of the failure of Solomon, despite his wisdom. No such failure will mark Christ the King, for He deals with the matter successfully, and on the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the eleven, Acts 2:14, presenting a united front to the world.
20:25
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
But Jesus called them unto him, and said- causes of division should be dealt with swiftly, as here, in order that the matter may not grow worse and more bitter.
Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them- James and John wanted to be princes next to the King, but this ambition was worldly. Their King is Lord of lords over those who exercise lordship, and King of kings over those who exercise authority, yet He took the low place when He was here, as He goes on to say.
20:26
But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
But it shall not be so among you- if only this command from the King had been heeded during the centuries of this age! Sadly there has been the seeking of place and prestige, together with the easy lifestyle that goes with them. The spirit of the King has been sadly lacking, in general.
But whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister- this, of course, is completely opposite to the thinking of the world, which says that greatness is measured by the number of people one has to minister to one’s needs.
20:27
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant- the Lord is not saying that if you long to be chief, then all you need to do is patiently serve for a while and your wish shall be granted. What He is saying is that those who desire the chief place must give up that desire, and become a servant instead.
It was about this time that the Lord uttered the saying , “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted”, Luke 14:11. Those words were spoken in connection with the example of a man who chose out the chief rooms in feasts, but who was told to take the lowest place. On the other hand, one who took the humble place was asked to sit up higher, and commanded respect for his attitude. But there is no promise of the highest place, for that is reserved for Christ Himself.
The Lord also spoke the saying in connection with the two men who went to the temple to pray. One went away unforgiven, for he did not abase himself in repentance. The other did humble himself, and went to his house justified, “for every one that exalteth himself”, (as the Pharisee did when he paraded his good works), “shall be abased”, (for he went down to his house unchanged); “and he that humbleth himself”, (as the publican did when he repented), “shall be exalted”, (for he was justified), Luke 18:14.
20:28
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister- as ever He is the supreme and perfect example. Though being in the form of God eternally, He made Himself of no reputation by taking upon Himself the form of a servant, Philippians 2:7. Angels are servants, but He passed them by, and was made in the likeness of men. But He went even lower, for while He was found in fashion as a man He humbled Himself still more, and became obedient unto death, even the death that being hung on a cross involved; in other words, the lowest form of death, verse 8. This is conclusive evidence that He had no urge to seek reputation, and the retinue of servants that often goes with it.
And to give his life a ransom for many- this is the ultimate way of serving; He surrendered Himself to the will of His Father, and that will was that He give Himself in the entirety of His being, (“his life”), and die upon the cross, for that was the only ransom price that could deal with the slavery to sin that men experience.
Special note on ransom
The word ransom introduces us to a set of words used in the New Testament in connection with the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. First of all, though, we must see how Scripture describes man as a slave, for the ransom was the price paid to free a slave.
Man is a slave to:
1. Sin
The Lord Jesus taught that “he that committeth sin is the servant of sin”, John 8:34. Man has a sin-tendency within him, and he is a slave to that, and cannot break free.
2. Sins
We are described as “serving divers lusts and pleasures”, Titus 3:3.
3. Traditions
Man is in bondage to his personal world-view, which prevents him from seeing things as God does. It is by the Lamb of God that men may be “redeemed…from vain traditions”, 1 Peter 1:18. In the context, this means the Jewish world-view.
4. The fear of death
Because he is helpless in the face of death, man is “through fear of death subject to bondage”, Hebrews 2:15.
5. The curse of the law
The law of Moses pronounced a curse on those who did not keep its commands perfectly, but believers can say Christ “redeemed us from the curse of the law”, Galatians 3:13.
6. Idolatry
The Gentiles in particular were held in superstitious fear of the evil spirits behind their idols, and so did “service unto them which by nature are no gods”, Galatians 4:8, wwhich means they were slaves to their idols.
7. His corrupt body
As the believer still has the body he was born with, and which is part of a creation made subject to corruption, he is held in the “bondage of corruption”, and awaits the “redemption of the body”, when the Lord comes, Romans 8:21,23.
8. The grave
Because he has a mortal body, man is destined for the grave and corruption. The psalmist laments that “none can redeem his brother that…he should not see corruption”, Psalm 49:7,9. But he also rejoices, for he is confident that God will redeem his soul from the power of the grave, verse 15.
There are seven words used in the New Testament for the process of buying a slave. Five are formed from the verb to loose, and two from the verb to buy in a market:
Stage 1. A buyer comes into the market with the necessary money, which is called the “lutron”, the means of loosing.
References:
“The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many”, Matthew 20:28.
“For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many”, Mark 10:45.
Stage 2. That sum of money is enough to buy the slave, for it corresponds to the price asked, hence is called the “anti-lutron”, the corresponding price.
Reference:
“the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all”, 1 Timothy 2:6.
Stage 3. The buyer hands the money over; this is the “agorazo”, the purchase-event.
References:
“and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood”, Revelation 5:9.
“which were redeemed from the earth”, Revelation 14:3.
“these were redeemed from among men”, Revelation 14:4.
“for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”, 1 Corinthians 6:20.
“ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men”, 1 Corinthians 7:23.
(The other 26 references to buying have not to do with slaves).
Stage 4. The buyer makes that purchase with the view to releasing the slave, so the purchase is “ex-agorazo”, to buy so as to take out of the market-place.
References:
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law”, Galatians 3:13.
“to redeem them that were under the law”, Galatians 4:5.
Stage 5. The slave is released because his ransom-price has been paid; this is “lutroo”, to release on payment of a ransom.
“But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel”, Luke 24:21.
“that He might redeem us from all iniquity”, Titus 2:14.
“ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things”, 1 Peter 1:18.
Stage 6. The whole transaction is called the “lutrosis”, the redemption-process.
References:
“she spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Jerusalem”, Luke 2:38.
“having obtained eternal redemption for us”, Hebrews 9:12.
Stage 7. The whole transaction is also called “apo-lutrosis”, for the slave is ransomed and taken away from his former master.
References:
“look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh”, Luke 21:28.
“through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”, Romans 3:24.
“waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body”, Romans 8:23.
“Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us…redemption“, 1 Corinthians 1:30.
“in whom we have redemption through His blood”, Ephesians 1:7.
“until the redemption of the purchased possession”, Ephesians 1:14.
“whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption“, Ephesians 4:30.
“in whom we have redemption through his blood”, Colossians 1:14.
“for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament”, Hebrews 9:15.
We read in 1 Timothy 2:5,6, “the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time”. His birth was not enough, for we are not saved by the birth of Christ, but by His death as a ransom. The notion that Christ united the race of man to Himself by being born, and thus man is thereby reconciled to God, is blasphemous heresy. How can the pure Son of God unite Himself to vile sinners? Yet many believers are happy to sing “God and sinners reconciled” in connection with His birth.
That He is a man tells of His incarnation; that He is Christ Jesus tells us of His ascension, implying His resurrection, and now the ransom tells of His crucifixion.
The Saviour said, “the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many”, Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45. Wonderful and beneficial as His service during His public ministry was, there was another service needed, and this He performed when He gave His life, (meaning His soul, His person in its entirety, with nothing held back), a ransom for many. The preposition “for” translates the word “anti”, meaning substitution. Those in bondage could not pay, so He paid it instead of them paying it. How else could He pay it? He cannot pay it as one who is in bondage Himself. And how could those in bondage pay it? They were spiritually bankrupt.
There are those with Calvinistic tendencies who wish to tell us that the Lord Jesus only paid the ransom instead of, (“anti”), the elect, and this is why, they say, the preposition meaning substitution is used here, and also why the Lord says “many” and not “all”. Yet when the apostle, in our passage, is speaking of these things, and tells us that Christ is the ransom for all, he deliberately uses the word for ransom which has the substitution preposition attached to it, the “anti-lutron”. In Matthew and Mark the Lord is contrasting the value of His service, and the value of His life, with the lives of those many people who are in bondage. In 1 Timothy 2 the apostle is showing the extent of the desires of God, for He has made provision for all. There is substitution in both passages, but in Matthew and Mark the substitution is in connection with the people for whom the ransom is paid, whereas in 1 Timothy 2 the emphasis is on the character of the ransom price, for it corresponds to the price demanded.
There is the same use of both “all” and “many” in Romans 5:12-21. Judgment came upon all men, and the free gift came upon all men, verse 18. Yet in verse 19 many were made sinners, and many shall be made righteous. Shall we say that because it is “many”, and not “all”, that were made sinners, there were some who were not made sinners? We are forced to the conclusion that we need to look carefully at each phrase in its context. In verse 18 the extent of the judgment and the free gift is the same, for they are both to all. But in verse 19 the contrast is between the action of one man and its effect on many men, irrespective of how many are involved.
It is the same in Matthew 20 as compared to 1 Timothy 2. In Matthew 20 the ransom is instead of many because the Lord is speaking of the purpose for which He came into the world, “the Son of man is come”, and He is looking at the end-result He knows there will be, for not all will avail themselves of the ransom He obtains. It is not that He will only pay the ransom-price for some and not for others, but rather, that not everyone will respond to what He has done, when it is preached to them. In 1 Timothy 2 the apostle is looking back, “who gave himself”, and is proving the genuineness of God’s desire that men be saved from the fact that Calvary is history. Christ acted on behalf of all men, not a limited number, and that shows that God desires all men to be saved. That all men can be saved in shown in that the price paid for them was a substitutionary-price, it matched the price demanded, so they have no excuse. They cannot plead that Christ did not pay the ransom price for them, for it was for all. Nor can they argue that the price paid was not enough for it was an anti-lutron, it exactly matched what was demanded.
(e) Verses 29-34
Who “sees” these things and follows the Lord?
20:29
And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him- there has been much discussion as to whether the blind man was healed when Christ was leaving Jericho, or when He was going towards it. Matthew and Mark make it clear that it was when He was leaving, but Luke, who is acknowledged to be a careful historian, with a concern for dates, times and places, seems to say it was when He was entering Jericho. He writes this, “And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging: and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by”, Luke 18:35-37. Notice that Luke does not specifically say that Christ was leaving Jericho, simply that He was come nigh. But it must be admitted that a plain reading of the words would suggest that Luke is recording what happens as the Lord comes to Jericho, and this is what makes the apparent disagreement with Matthew and Mark.
So how are we to think of this incident? We should remember that whilst Luke is very careful about details, he also sometimes brings together events that are apart in time to establish some link between them. So, for instance, he writes, after having recorded the wilderness temptation, “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee; and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all”, Luke 4:14,15. But we know from what Matthew tells us, that this preaching in Galilee did not take place until John the baptist was put in prison, Matthew 4:12. We also know from John the apostle that the visit to Galilee, to Jerusalem, and to Judea that he records, all took place before John the baptist was cast into prison, John 3:24. This means that although Luke records the temptation and then the preaching in Galilee, there is a period of time between them.
So could it be that Luke is recording what happened on two days? Is it the case that as the Lord approached Jericho, followed by a great crowd, the blind man, (Mark tells us his name was Bartimaeus), sensing the excitement of the people, asked what was happening. He was told that “Jesus of Nazareth passeth by”, but was not rebuked for asking. So has he missed Him as He goes into Jericho? But the next day, as the Lord comes out of Jericho, he again hears the crowd, and calls out for mercy, and is rebuked by the crowd, but healed by Christ.
There are those who explain the apparent conflict in the accounts of the healing of the blind man by reference to the fact that there was an old Jericho, a small hamlet from Old Testament times, and a new Jericho, built by Herod. The idea is that Matthew and Mark are recording what happened as the Lord left one Jericho, and Luke records it as He moved towards the other. It may be that Mark hints at this when he writes, “And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho”, Mark 10:46.
20:30
And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side- again, the critics think there is a mistake here, with Matthew saying there were two blind men, and Mark and Luke saying there was one. Only those who are intent on finding fault, (and who probably have a conscience about not turning to Christ, and wish to justify their unbelief), will refuse to see that if there were two there must have been one. It would be a better use of time to consider why Matthew tells us there were two. Is he presenting to us one of his prophetic illustrations? If the idea put forward above, that Luke tells us the story of the blind man in two parts, is correct, then we could see in this incident a looking back and a looking forward. When the Lord came to Israel the first time, He found them blinded by unbelief. When they refused to believe in Him, God blinded them judicially, and this is how He left them. Jesus of Nazareth had passed by, and “Bartimaeus” has missed the blessing. But He is coming again to them, and this time they will turn to the Lord, and their blindness will be taken away. But this will be true of the whole nation, the ten-tribed part and the two-tribed, hence Matthew, who writes about the King and His kingdom, speaks of two blind men, united in their desire to see their Messiah.
When they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David- notice the reference to the son of David, for as we have noticed before, David hated the blind and the lame, no doubt because they could not be soldiers in his army. So he presents a contrast with Christ. And not only this, the blind were those whom the Messiah would bless with sight, according to Isaiah 35:5. So these blind men have realised that He is the true Messiah, and that He is greater than David.
20:31
And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David- it is a sad fact that in the future, when Christ is about to return to the nation of Israel, that the majority of the nation will be opposed to Him and will side with the antichrist. We learn this from Zechariah 13:9, where God promises to “bring the third part through the fire…they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God”. So it is that the multitude are unsympathetic to those who desire a blessing from Christ.
20:32
And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
And Jesus stood still, and called them- how remarkable that the Son of God, on the way to the cross, should stand still. In Joshua’s day the sun stood still so that he could defeat his enemies utterly. Here the “sun of righteousness” stands still to bless, so that men may not only see the sun, but see Him also.
And said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? This shows what He could have done for the nation is they only owned up to their spiritual blindness, and recognised that He was sent by God to deal with it.
In a day to come the nation of Israel will need to acknowledge their blindness, and humbly ask the one they crucified to be their deliverer.
20:33
They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened- interestingly they attribute their blindness to their eyes being closed. This was the state of the nation, for they had closed their eyes to the light that shone in Christ. The words of Isaiah 6:9,10, in which he records how that God sent him to the nation of Israel to “shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes”, are quoted four times in the New Testament. The prophet had just seen a vision of the Lord on a throne that was high and lifted up, meaning it was in heaven, not in Jerusalem. This was an ominous sign, for when the kingly tribe of Judah was taken into captivity, God began to be called “the God of heaven”. He left Jerusalem as the centre of power. Notice the references to Isaiah’s statement in the New Testament:
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Isaiah 6:9,10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. The prophet is first of all to state the condition of the people, for they saw but did not perceive. Isaiah had just seen the Lord on His heavenly throne, but the people did not understand the implication of this in terms of losing their national sovereignty. Because of this they were to be condemned to continue in their blindness as a nation. And if they were to ask how long they would be like that, the answer is given in verses 11,12, where the prophet asks, “Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land”. In other words, until they are taken into captivity. Matthew 13:13-17 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, ‘By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them’. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them”. The disciples had wondered why the Lord had begun to speak to them in parables, and He explains that it is a sign of God’s judgment on the nation for not responding to the miracles by perceiving the doctrine behind them, and the implication of them that He was the Messiah. They saw what He did but did not perceive the meaning. The hearts of the people in Isaiah’s day were unresponsive. And this was true of Israel generally in Christ’s day, despite the fact that crowds thronged Him. The root of the problem was their heart, so it is mentioned first, being the reason they had closed their ears to the truth, and their eyes did not see because they had closed them. If they had heard and seen with faith, they would have understood, and the result would have been their conversion. John 12:37-41 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, ‘Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, ‘He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them’. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.” The prophet is writing as if the earthly ministry of Christ was over, and an assessment of its impact can be made. This makes the quotation particularly apt for this point in John’s gospel, where the Lord is about to leave the nation, His mission to them over for the time being. By describing his prophecy as a report, something heard to be passed on, Isaiah indicates that his prophecy is from God Himself, again justifying the insertion of the word Lord. How few there are who have seen in Christ the power of God in action! They were works of power, but the authorities said they were done by the power of Beelzebub, such was their blindness. There was nothing else for God to bring forward to induce their faith. In the face of this fact, they could not believe, since, having rejected God’s ultimate revelation to them, there was nothing further to believe. That individuals had lost the capacity to believe is not the sense, for in the next verse we find Jews believing, and Paul and other Jews came to faith, a fact which the apostle uses in Romans 11:1,5. The point is that a far as God having dealings with the nation as a whole was concerned, He had nothing more to say for them to get them to believe. Compare Isaiah 5:4, where God says about Israel, “What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?” In this place, however, the words are more severe, and the Lord Himself is said to close their eyes and harden their heart, for the governmental anger of God was towards them because of their rejection of His Son. Compare the similar idea in Matthew 23 where, in the parable, when the beloved Son was rejected and killed, God sent His army to destroy their city. So the Roman army becomes God’s army to destroy Jerusalem because of their rejection of His Son. Acts 28:24-29 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, ‘Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them’. Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it”. The events at Acts 28:25-29 take place just two or three years before the rejection of the nation at the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The apostle quotes Isaiah 6 to the Jewish leaders that came to him in such a way as to emphasise the closing of their eyes and ears to the truth, for they had had further opportunity to receive it during the period of the Acts of the Apostles. In the parable of the fig tree in the vineyard, the fig tree, (a figure of Israel), was given another opportunity to bear fruit, and this corresponded to the post-Pentecost period, Luke 13:6-9. This period has now elapsed, and the representatives of Israel are being given warning that this is so. Romans 11:7-10 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway”. The apostle Paul links two scriptures together in the most severe judgment upon Israel. He quotes from a traitor psalm, (for Psalm 69:25 was quoted by Peter to support the replacement of Judas Iscariot), and in that psalm the Messiah calls for judgement on the nation for betraying Him. That judgment takes the form of darkened eyes, so they may not see, and bowed back, so that even if they could see they would not look heavenward. Despite the severity of this judgment, however, the apostle goes on to say that “blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob”, verses 25,26. This will happen when the look upon Him whom they pierced, John 19:37. |
20:34
So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
So Jesus had compassion on them- this is a very intense expression, indicating His deep-seated feeling for these two men and their plight. God’s dealings with the nation of Israel in the future is on the basis that they are “beloved for the fathers’ sakes”, Romans 11:28, for God had compassion on the nation at the first, (for God said to them through Moses, that He set His love upon them because He loved them, and for no other reason, Deuteronomy 7:7,8), and this love continues. It is here expressed to these two representative men.
They had asked for mercy, and they received it, coupled with compassion. The apostle Paul, speaking of God’s sovereign dealings with the nation of Israel, quoted God’s words to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion”, Romans 9:15. This will be the case with Israel again when they receive their Messiah at His coming.
And touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight– this was an intensely personal act on the part of Christ. It made sure that everyone knew who had performed the miracle. He did not delegate the miracle to an apostle, just as in a day to come He Himself will come to the rescue of His people Israel.
Normally we do everything we can to prevent things touching our eyes, for they are most sensitive, but these men’s eyes are blind, and perhaps glazed over, insensitive to the light. It is the same with Israel at present, for they are blinded, (the word used by Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:14 for Israel’s blindness is “hardened”), and they need the touch of Christ. They will look on Him whom they pierced, and their blindness will be gone.
And they followed him- they do this even though He is travelling to Jerusalem to die, (the next verse begins, “And when they drew nigh to Jerusalem”, 21:1). Their gratitude to Him for recovering them their sight is evident in their loyalty. In verse 32 Jesus had stood still, but now He must be walking again, for they are following. So it is that as long as Israel as a nation is in blindness, there is a sense in which Jesus is “standing still”, but once the nation turns to the Lord, as they surely will, He can move forward again with His purpose, for then they will see to follow Him.