21 And G1161 he said G2036 unto her, G846 What G5101 wilt thou? G2309 She saith G3004 unto him, G846 Grant G2036 that G2443 these G3778 my G3450 two G1417 sons G5207 may sit, G2523 the one G1520 on G1537 thy G4675 right hand, G1188 and G2532 the other G1520 on G1537 the left, G2176 in G1722 thy G4675 kingdom. G932
And G1161 Jesus G2424 said G2036 unto them, G846 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 That G3754 ye G5210 which G3588 have followed G190 me, G3427 in G1722 the regeneration G3824 when G3752 the Son G5207 of man G444 shall sit G2523 in G1909 the throne G2362 of his G846 glory, G1391 ye G5210 also G2532 shall sit G2523 upon G1909 twelve G1427 thrones, G2362 judging G2919 the twelve G1427 tribes G5443 of Israel. G2474
And G1161 he said G2036 unto them, G846 What G5101 would G2309 ye that I G3165 should do G4160 for you? G5213 G1161 They said G2036 unto him, G846 Grant G1325 unto us G2254 that G2443 we may sit, G2523 one G1520 on G1537 thy G4675 right hand, G1188 and G2532 the other G1520 on G1537 thy G4675 left hand, G2176 in G1722 thy G4675 glory. G1391
[[A Psalm H4210 of David.]] H1732 The LORD H3068 said H5002 unto my Lord, H113 Sit H3427 thou at my right hand, H3225 until I make H7896 thine enemies H341 thy footstool. H1916 H7272
Then said H559 the king H4428 unto her, What wilt thou, queen H4436 Esther? H635 and what is thy request? H1246 it shall be even given H5414 thee to the half H2677 of the kingdom. H4438
And G2532 when the daughter G2364 of the said G846 Herodias G2266 came in, G1525 and G2532 danced, G3738 and G2532 pleased G700 Herod G2264 and G2532 them that sat with him, G4873 the king G935 said G2036 unto the damsel, G2877 Ask G154 of me G3165 whatsoever G3739 G1437 thou wilt, G2309 and G2532 I will give G1325 it thee. G4671
And G2532 Jesus G2424 stood still, G2476 and called G5455 them, G846 and G2532 said, G2036 What G5101 will ye G2309 that I shall do G4160 unto you? G5213
In Gibeon H1391 the LORD H3068 appeared H7200 to Solomon H8010 in a dream H2472 by night: H3915 and God H430 said, H559 Ask H7592 what I shall give H5414 thee.
And G2532 to our beloved G27 Apphia, G682 and G2532 Archippus G751 our G2257 fellowsoldier, G4961 and G2532 to the church G1577 in G2596 thy G4675 house: G3624 Grace G5485 to you, G5213 and G2532 peace, G1515 from G575 God G2316 our G2257 Father G3962 and G2532 the Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ. G5547
When G3303 they therefore G3767 were come together, G4905 they asked G1905 of him, G846 saying, G3004 Lord, G2962 G1487 wilt thou G600 at G1722 this G5129 time G5550 restore again G600 the kingdom G932 to Israel? G2474
And G1161 as they G846 heard G191 these things, G5023 he added G4369 and spake G2036 a parable, G3850 because G1223 he G846 was G1511 nigh G1451 to Jerusalem, G2419 and G2532 because they G846 thought G1380 that G3754 the kingdom G932 of God G2316 should G3195 immediately G3916 appear. G398
Saying, G3004 What G5101 wilt thou G2309 that I shall do G4160 unto thee? G4671 And G1161 he said, G2036 Lord, G2962 that G2443 I may receive my sight. G308
And G1161 when he was demanded G1905 of G5259 the Pharisees, G5330 when G4219 the kingdom G932 of God G2316 should come, G2064 he answered G611 them G846 and G2532 said, G2036 The kingdom G932 of God G2316 cometh G2064 not G3756 with G3326 observation: G3907 Neither G3761 shall they say, G2046 Lo G2400 here! G5602 or, G2228 lo G2400 there! G1563 for, G1063 behold, G2400 the kingdom G932 of God G2316 is G2076 within G1787 you. G5216
So G3303 then G3767 after G3326 the Lord G2962 had spoken G2980 unto them, G846 he was received up G353 into G1519 heaven, G3772 and G2532 sat G2523 on G1537 the right hand G1188 of God. G2316
And G2532 Jesus G2424 answered G611 and said G3004 unto him, G846 What G5101 wilt G2309 thou that I should do G4160 unto thee? G4671 G1161 The blind man G5185 said G2036 unto him, G846 Lord, G4462 that G2443 I might receive my sight. G308
Kings' H4428 daughters H1323 were among thy honourable women: H3368 upon thy right hand H3225 did stand H5324 the queen H7694 in gold H3800 of Ophir. H211
Bathsheba H1339 therefore went H935 unto king H4428 Solomon, H8010 to speak H1696 unto him for Adonijah. H138 And the king H4428 rose up H6965 to meet H7125 her, and bowed H7812 himself unto her, and sat down H3427 on his throne, H3678 and caused a seat H3678 to be set H7760 for the king's H4428 mother; H517 and she sat H3427 on his right hand. H3225
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Matthew 20
Commentary on Matthew 20 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 20
We have four things in this chapter.
Mat 20:1-16
This parable of the labourers in the vineyard is intended,
Nothing was more a mystery in the gospel dispensation than the rejection of the Jews and the calling in of the Gentiles; so the apostle speaks of it (Eph. 3:3-6); that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs: nor was any thing more provoking to the Jews than the intimation of it. Now this seems to be the principal scope of this parable, to show that the Jews should be first called into the vineyard, and many of them should come at the call; but, at length, the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, and they should receive it, and be admitted to equal privileges and advantages with the Jews; should be fellow-citizens with the saints, which the Jews, even those of them that believed, would be very much disgusted at, but without reason.
But the parable may be applied more generally, and shows us,
We have two things in the parable; the agreement with the labourers, and the account with them.
But this may be, and commonly is, applied to the several ages of life, in which souls are converted to Christ. The common call is promiscuous, to come and work in the vineyard; but the effectual call is particular, and it is then effectual when we come at the call.
The giving of a whole day's wages to those that had not done the tenth part of a day's work, is designed to show that God distributes his rewards by grace and sovereignty, and not of debt. The best of the labourers, and those that begin soonest, having so many empty spaces in their time, and their works not being filled up before God, may truly be said to labour in the vineyard scarcely one hour of their twelve; but because we are under grace, and not under the law, even such defective services, done in sincerity, shall not only be accepted, but by free grace richly rewarded. Compare Lu. 17:7, 8, with Lu. 12:37.
To convince the murmurer that he did no wrong, he refers him to the bargain: "Didst not thou agree with me for a penny? And if thou hast what thou didst agree for, thou hast no reason to cry out of wrong; thou shalt have what we agreed for.' Though God is a debtor to none, yet he is graciously pleased to make himself a debtor by his own promise, for the benefit of which, through Christ, believers agree with him, and he will stand to his part of the agreement. Note, It is good for us often to consider what it was that we agreed with God for.
He therefore,
Mat 20:17-19
This is the third time that Christ gave his disciples notice of his approaching sufferings; he was not going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the passover, and to offer up himself the great Passover; both must be done at Jerusalem: there the passover must be kept (Deu. 12:5), and there a prophet must perish, because there the great Sanhedrim sat, who were judges in that case, Lu. 13:33. Observe,
Mat 20:20-28
Here, is first, the request of the two disciples to Christ, and the rectifying of the mistake upon which that was grounded, v. 20-23. The sons of Zebedee were James and John, two of the first three of Christ's disciples; Peter and they were his favourites; John was the disciple whom Jesus loved; yet none were so often reproved as they; whom Christ loves best he reproves most, Rev. 3:19.
It was likewise policy to ask first for a general grant, that he would do a certain thing for them, not in faith, but in presumption, upon that general promise; Ask, and it shall be given you; in which is implied this qualification of our request, that it be according to the revealed will of God, otherwise we ask and have not, if we ask to consume it upon our lusts, Jam. 4:3.
Observe,
Note,
He called them unto him, which intimates great tenderness and familiarity. He did not, in anger, bid them get out of his presence, but called them, in love, to come into his presence: for therefore he is fit to teach, and we are invited to learn of him, because he is meek and lowly in heart. What he had to say concerned both the two disciples and the ten, and therefore he will have them all together. And he tells them, that, whereas they were asking which of them should have dominion a temporal kingdom, there was really no such dominion reserved for any of them. For,
Observe,
Now this is a good reason why we should not strive for precedency, because the cross is our banner, and our Master's death is our life. It is a good reason why we should study to do good, and, in consideration of the love of Christ in dying for us, not hesitate to lay down our lives for the brethren, 1 Jn. 3:16. Ministers should be more forward than others to serve and suffer for the good of souls, as blessed Paul was, Acts 20:24; Phil. 2:17. The nearer we are all concerned in, and the more we are advantaged by, the humility and humiliation of Christ, the more ready and careful we should be to imitate it.
Mat 20:29-34
We have here an account of the cure of two poor blind beggars; in which we may observe,
They heard that Jesus passed by. Though they were blind, they were not deaf. Seeing and hearing are the learning senses. It is a great calamity to want either; but the defect of one may be, and often is, made up in the acuteness of the other; and therefore it has been observed by some as an instance of the goodness of Providence, that none were ever known to be born both blind and deaf; but that, one way or other, all are in a capacity of receiving knowledge. These blind men had heard of Christ by the hearing of the ear, but they desired that their eyes might see him. When they heard that Jesus passed by, they asked no further questions, who were with him, or whether he was in haste, but immediately cried out. Note, It is good to improve the present opportunity, to make the best of the price now in the hand, because, if once let slip, it may never return; these blind men did so, and did wisely; for we do not find that Christ ever came to Jericho again. Now is the accepted time.