Matthew 20:1-16

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1 ``For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 ``When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 ``And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to those he said, `You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' And so they went. 5 ``Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6 ``And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, `Why have you been standing here idle all day long?' 7 ``They said to him, `Because no one hired us.' He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.'

8 ``When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, `Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.' 9 ``When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius . 10 ``When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 ``When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12 saying, `These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.' 13 ``But he answered and said to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 `Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 `Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous ?' 16 ``So the last shall be first and the first last.''

As an illustration of the previous subject of being compensated by Jesus for our work in the kingdom, Jesus tells an interesting story--"the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard." Most pointedly Jesus is elaborating on the statement that many who are last will be first and the first last.

NOTE what the landowner does. He hires laborers to work for a day for a denarius. He hires laborers to work for him at around noon. He hires laborers to work for him at 3:00 pm. He hires laborers to work for him at 5:00 pm for only an hour.

THEN, the landowner paid them all a denarius. Those who worked an entire day were paid the same as those who worked one hour.

The symbolism appears to be straightforward-the householder or owner should be taken either as God the Father or Jesus (there is no real difference in meaning whichever is understood), the laborers are those who are called to become part of the Kingdom of Heaven (as opposed to being identified as disciples-they become disciples when they agree to work in the vineyard), the wages are eternal life or 'salvation' which has already been shown to be the subject of the one sentence warning of Matthew 19:30 and the vineyard is the world or Kingdom of Heaven (where Matthew 13:38 shows that Jesus taught that the entire world is God's Kingdom).

The overall thrust is that God calls laborers to work according to His own will and purpose and that He will reward them as He sees fit-a direct comment on Peter's question about what sort of reward they should expect for leaving everything and following after Jesus (Matthew 19:27). This parable seems to cut two ways: FIRST-Jesus will bring in outcasts and worse into the kingdom--those who have had little prior experience in good behavior. SECOND-Jesus is also speaking to the issue of those who have been with Him from the beginning, thinking that they are owed a bit more than the rest.

He's God and you are not!

Matthew 19:27-30

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27 Then Peter said to Him, ``Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?'' 28 And Jesus said to them, ``Truly I say to you that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 ``And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 ``But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.

Peter's question was "What about us, Jesus?" This is not a self-promoting question, but Peter is looking for some affirmation from Jesus, looking for Jesus to confirm Peter's hope that he has made the right choices in giving up everything to follow Him.

NOTE that Jesus does give Peter (and all of us who follow Him) several benefits for following Him:

1-You will sit in judgment of the twelve tribes of Israel. 2-You will receive many times more what you give up for Him. 3-You will inherit eternal life.

Then, Jesus ends with the powerful truth and most important principle of the kingdom, "The first will be last and the last will be first." That's the way it is in the Kingdom of God versus your kingdom. All is topsy-turvy!

You see, in seeking a pleasant, conventional life, we "nullify the commandment of God by our tradition" (Matthew 15:3-6). We tend to seek wealth and possessions, even though Jesus warned of the "deceitfulness of riches" (Matthew 13:22). We seek safety and security, though Jesus taught us to live by faith. We all are kings of our own kingdoms and when we meet King Jesus, we must sign off as king of our kingdoms and bow to Jesus as the King of our lives. No matter what His orders are, we are assured by Jesus' words that we will reap major benefits for our submission to Him.

You can be assured that it will be worth it all someday when the regeneration of the world takes place and when we see Jesus face to face!

Matthew 19:16-26

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16 And someone came to Him and said, ``Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?'' 17 And He said to him, ``Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.'' 18 Then he said* to Him, ``Which ones?'' And Jesus said, ``YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; 19 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'' 20 The young man said* to Him, ``All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?'' 21 Jesus said to him, ``If you wish to be complete , go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow Me.'' 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. 

23 And Jesus said to His disciples, ``Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 ``Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'' 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, ``Then who can be saved?'' 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, ``With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.''

NOTE the contrast between the rich man and the needy children in the previous paragraph. The problem is not that this man had wealth, but that the wealth he possessed had become his god. It was that which he was depending upon and therefore, it was the obstacle between him and God. Because of this property he owned, he was unable to follow Jesus. Jesus points out that it is very difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. In fact, with people it is impossible! But God is into handling impossibilities such as this! For a rich man or anyone else entering into the Kingdom is a supernatural transformation work of God Himself.

Note that most of your translations say that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. In the Aramaic translation of Jesus' words (the language Jesus actually spoke), the word is not "camel", but "rope". Now that makes more sense and more realistic to what the people understood.

The application here is to ask yourself what it is that is between you and God-between you and following Jesus. You were created to be dependent upon your Creator and if you are not dependent upon Him, then you will naturally become dependent upon something else (that may not be all that bad in itself, but becomes that which separates you from God). So, what is it that tends to come between you and your walk with Jesus?

Here's a good way to measure whether or not you are holding on to something too tightly or when something has become your god. Anything that is non-negotiable with God is now your God. Think about it! God, you can have everything, but my business, my spouse, my kids, my security, my house or my car. Anything that is non-negotiable with God is now your God. Think it over!

Matthew 19:13-15

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13 Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, ``Let the children alone and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'' 15 After laying His hands on them, He departed from there.

The disciples seemed to feel that Jesus was too important to be bothered with little children. The term that Matthew uses refers to children in general of any age. Luke tells of this same incident that there were very little children among those brought to Jesus, nursing infants in fact, even babies. There was throughout the culture a low estimate of the importance of children. Jesus did not share that viewpoint. Jesus used the lowliness and unimportance of children to illustrate the humility that he requires of his followers. Everyone must be childlike in the sense that he understands himself to be needy, undeserving of the favor of God and man, and helpless apart from the grace of God.

NOTE: In my way of thinking children are possibly the most vivid and accurate illustration of what Jesus wants-they have nowhere else to turn. C.S. Lewis put it this way: "The gospel is not for the well-meaning, but for the desperate." The Lord made the same point in other ways when he accepted, to the amazement and absolute consternation of the Jewish religious authorities, the sick, the outcasts, Gentiles, and women.

When the blind men cry out for Jesus' attention near Jericho, later in 20:31, the crowd rebuked them for bothering the Master. Their attitude was the same as his disciples here. Jesus had better things to do, more important things, than attend to blind people, to outcasts. But Jesus' warm acceptance of all those who are in need, and now children, indicates this fundamental truth: that we do not qualify for Jesus' attention and help by some virtue or status that we have acquired. It is our need only that attracts Jesus to us. Jesus came as the great physician, looking for those who are sick and in need of Him. Whenever I think of this reference to Jesus my response is, "Over here, Jesus!"

Matthew 19:10-12

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10 The disciples said* to Him, ``If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.'' 11 But He said to them, ``Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 ``For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.''

Based upon the adulterous nature of messing up within the marriage relationship, the disciples remark that maybe it is better to not marry at all. Jesus’ response has to do with 3 kinds of eunuchs—men who have been emasculated.
1. Born a eunuch.
2. Made a eunuch.
3. Choose to be a eunuch for the kingdom.

There is a myth making the rounds in some circles, that those people identified as eunuchs in scriptures were homosexuals. This is a totally ridiculous idea and nothing could be further from truth. It is indeed astounding that any learned person could come to such a conclusion.

THREE OBSERVATIONS:
FIRST--Remaining single and not entering into marriage is OK with Jesus.

SECOND--Jesus points out that some men (or women) may choose to be “not married” for the sake of the kingdom. To be single gives you a great opportunity minister full-time without consideration of your mate.

THIRD--Each person must choose, because it is a personal choice.

The bottomline and most important of all is the phrase “for the sake of the Kingdom”. Remember, Jesus said earlier to “seek first the Kingdom of God” and everything else will take care of itself. “For the sake of the Kingdom”. Does that phrase reflect how you evaluate your life decisions? FOR THE SAKE OF THE KINGDOM.