Mateus 20
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 20
Wiersbe - This parable has nothing to do with salvation. The penny (a day's wages in that time) does not represent salvation, for nobody works for his salvation. Nor is the parable talking about rewards, for we are not all going to receive the same reward. "And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor" (1 Cor. 3:8). The parable is emphasizing a right attitude in service. It is important to note that there were actually two kinds of workers hired that day: those who wanted a contract and agreed to work for a penny a day, and those who had no contract and agreed to take whatever the owner thought was right. The first laborers that he hired insisted on a contract. This explains why the householder paid the workers as he did: He wanted those who were hired first (who insisted on a contract) to see how much he paid the workers who were hired later. It was one way the owner could show those workers how really generous he was. Put yourself in the place of those workers who were hired first but paid last. They each expected to get a penny, because that was what they agreed to accept. But imagine their surprise when they saw the laborers who were hired last each receiving a penny! This meant their own wages should have been twelve pennies each! But the 3 o'clock workers also received a penny—for only three hours of work. The men last in line quickly recalculated their wages: four pennies for the day's work. When the men hired at noon also were paid a penny, this cut the salary of the contract workers considerably, for now they would earn only two pennies. But the owner gave them one penny each. Of course, they complained! But they had no argument, because they had agreed to work for a penny. They received what they asked for. Had they trusted the goodness of the owner, they would have received far more. But they insisted on a contract. We should not serve Him because we want to receive an expected reward, and we should not insist on knowing what we will get. The lesson for Christ's disciples is obvious. We should not serve Him because we want to receive an expected reward, and we should not insist on knowing what we will get. God is infinitely generous and gracious and will always give us better than we deserve. Now we can understand the perils that were hidden in Peter's question in Matthew 19:27. For one thing, we must not "suppose" (Matt. 20:10) that we will get something more if we really do not deserve it. It is possible to do the Father's work and yet not do His will from the heart (Eph. 6:6). If we serve Him only for the benefits (temporal and eternal), then we will miss the best blessings He has for us. We must trust Him unreservedly and believe that He will always give what is best. There is the danger of pride. "What shall we have?" asked Peter. This parable warned him, "How do you know you will have anything?" Beware of overconfidence when it comes to the rewards God will give, for those first in their own eyes (and in the eyes of others) may end up last! Likewise, do not get discouraged; for those who consider themselves "unprofitable servants" may end up first. Beware of the danger of watching other workers and measuring yourself by them. "Judge nothing before the time," Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 4:5. We see the worker and the work, but God sees the heart. Finally, we must beware of criticizing God and feeling that we have been left out. Had the early morning workers trusted the owner and not asked for an agreement, the owner would have given them much more. He was generous, but they would not trust him. They did not rejoice that others received more; instead, they were jealous and complained. The goodness of the owner did not lead them to repentance (Rom. 2:4). It revealed the true character of their hearts: They were selfish! Whenever we find a complaining servant, we know he has not fully yielded to the master's will. (Bible Exposition Commentary) God's Fairness The parable of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20) offends our sense of fairness. Why should everyone get equal pay for unequal work? Back in Ontario when the apples ripened, Mom would sit all seven of us down, Dad included, with pans and paring knives until the mountain of fruit was reduced to neat rows of filled canning jars. She never bothered keeping track of how many we did, though the younger ones undoubtedly proved more of a nuisance than a help: cut fingers, squabbles over who got which pan, apple core fights. But when the job was done, the reward for everyone was the same: the largest chocolate dipped cone money could buy. A stickler might argue it wasn't quite fair since the older ones actually peeled apples. But I can't remember anyone complaining about it. A family understands it operates under a different set of norms than a courtroom. In fact, when the store ran out of ice cream and my younger brother had to make do with a Popsicle, we felt sorry for him despite his lack of productivity (he'd eaten all the apples he'd peeled that day—both of them). God wants all his children to enjoy the complete fullness of eternal life. No true child of God wants it any other way. —Robert De Moor in The Banner. Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 3. See: Genesis 37:4; 1 Samuel 18:8; Matthew 20:1-16 Statistic: Jesus' Teachings on Money Jesus talked much about money. Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables were concerned with how to handle money and possessions. In the Gospels, an amazing one out of ten verses (288 in all) deal directly with the subject of money. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on money and possessions. A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit. —D. Elton Trueblood; QUESTION - What did Jesus mean when He said the first will be last and the last will be first? WATCH VIDEO ANSWER - Jesus made the statement “many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matthew 19:30) in the context of His encounter with the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16–30). After the young man turned away from Jesus, unable to give up his great wealth (verse 22), Jesus’ disciples asked the Lord what reward they would have in heaven, since they had given up everything to follow Him (verses 27–30). Jesus promised them “a hundred times as much,” plus eternal life (verse 29). Then He said, “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (verse 30). Jesus reiterated this truth in Matthew 20:16 at the end of the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, a story designed to illustrate the last being first and the first being last. What exactly did Jesus mean when He said, “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”? First, we should eliminate what He did not mean. Jesus was not teaching that the way to get to heaven is to live a life of poverty in this world. Scripture is clear that salvation is by grace through faith, not of works (Ephesians 2:8–9)—and independent of one’s financial status. Also, Jesus was not teaching an automatic reversal of roles in heaven. There is no heavenly law wherein the poor and oppressed must rule over the rich and powerful. The rich aren’t always last in heaven, and the poor aren’t always first. Nor will believers who enjoy wealth and prestige on earth be required to somehow be abased in heaven. Earthly rank will not automatically translate into an inverse heavenly rank. When Jesus told the disciples they would be greatly rewarded in heaven for what they had given up on earth, He was contrasting their sacrifice with the rich young ruler’s lack thereof—the young man had been unwilling to give up much of anything for Christ’s sake (Matthew 19:16–22). God, who sees the heart, will reward accordingly. The disciples are an example of those who may be first, and they happened to be poor (but their poverty was not what makes them first in heaven). The rich young ruler is an example of those who may be last, and he happened to be rich (but his wealth was not what makes him last). The Lord’s statement that the last would be first and the first last might also have held special meaning for Peter, who had just spoken of having “left all” (Matthew 19:27). Perhaps Jesus detected in Peter’s statement a bit of boasting—Peter was on the verge of becoming spiritually complacent—as the rich young ruler was, but for a different reason. Jesus’ response in verse 30 may have been an indirect warning to Peter to always find his sufficiency in Christ, not in his own sacrifice. After all, without love, even the greatest sacrifice is worthless (1 Corinthians 13:3). In the chapter following Jesus’ statement that the first will be last and the last will be first, Jesus tells a parable (Matthew 20). The story concerns some laborers who complain that others, who did not work as long as they, were paid an equal amount. In other words, they saw their own labor as worthy of compensation but considered their companions’ labor to be inferior and less worthy of reward. Jesus ends the parable with the statement, “The last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16). The most direct interpretation, based on the content of the parable, is that all believers, no matter how long or how hard they work during this lifetime, will receive the same basic reward: eternal life. The thief on the cross (Luke 23:39–43), whose life of service was limited to a moment of repentance and confession of faith in Christ, received the same reward of eternal life as did Timothy, who served God for years. Of course, Scripture also teaches that there are different rewards in heaven for different services, but the ultimate reward of eternal life will be given to all equally, on the basis of God’s grace in Christ Jesus. There are several ways in which “the first will be last and the last first” holds true. There are some who were first to follow Christ in time yet are not the first in the kingdom. Judas Iscariot was one of the first disciples and was honored to be the treasurer of the group, yet his greed led to his undoing; Paul was the last of the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:8–9) yet the one who worked the hardest (2 Corinthians 11:23). There are some who were first in privilege yet are not first in the kingdom. Based on the terms of the New Covenant, the Gentiles had equal access to the kingdom of heaven, although they had not served God under the Old Covenant. The Jews, who had labored long under the Old Covenant, were jealous of the grace extended to the Gentile “newcomers” (see Romans 11:11). There are some who are first in prestige and rank yet might never enter the kingdom. Jesus told the Pharisees that the sinners they despised were being saved ahead of them: “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Matthew 21:31–32). What Jesus is teaching in Matthew 19:30 is this: there will be many surprises in heaven. Heaven’s value system is far different from earth’s value system. Those who are esteemed and respected in this world (like the rich young ruler) may be frowned upon by God. The opposite is also true: those who are despised and rejected in this world (like the disciples) may, in fact, be rewarded by God. Don’t get caught up in the world’s way of ranking things; it’s too prone to error. Those who are first in the opinion of others (or first in their own opinion!) may be surprised to learn, on Judgment Day, they are last in God’s opinion. Not Counting Read: Matthew 20:1-16 The last will be first, and the first last. — Matthew 20:16 The play Amadeus tells of a composer in the 18th century seeking to understand the mind of God. The devout Antonio Salieri has the earnest desire, but not the aptitude, to create immortal music. It infuriates him that God has instead lavished the greatest of musical genius ever known on the impish Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The play poses the same question as the book of Job, only inverted. The author of Job wonders why God would punish the most righteous man on the face of the earth; the author of Amadeus ponders why God would reward someone so undeserving. Jesus’ parable of the workers and their grossly unfair paychecks confronts this scandal head-on. Some people who have been idly standing around are hired by a landowner at “the eleventh hour” (Matt. 20:6-7). The other workers, who have been serving him all day long, are shocked when each receives identical pay. What employer in his right mind would pay the same amount for one hour’s work as for 12! Lord, I forget sometimes that my efforts cannot earn Your love or grace or forgiveness. You have lavished grace on me as a gift and not a wage. Thank You. In the realm of grace, the word “deserve” does not apply Matthew 20:17 As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, KJV Matthew 20:17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, BGT Matthew 20:17 Καὶ ἀναβαίνων ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα παρέλαβεν τοὺς δώδεκα [μαθητὰς] κατ᾽ ἰδίαν καὶ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· NET Matthew 20:17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside privately and said to them on the way, CSB Matthew 20:17 While going up to Jerusalem, Jesus took the 12 disciples aside privately and said to them on the way: ESV Matthew 20:17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, NIV Matthew 20:17 Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, NLT Matthew 20:17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. Jesus: Mk 10:32-34 Lu 18:31-34 Jn 12:12 took: Mt 13:11 16:13 Ge 18:17 Jn 15:15 Ac 10:41 Related Passages: Mark 10:32-34+ They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, 33 saying, “Behold (idou), 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 will hand Him over to the Gentiles. 34 “They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” Luke 18:31-34+ Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold (idou), we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 “For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.” 34 But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said. A PRIVATE CONVERSATION BEFORE GOING UP TO JERUSALEM As Jesus was about to go up (anabaino in present tense) to Jerusalem - There is an interesting play on words (IMO), as go up is always used when ascending to Jerusalem, but of course Jesus was also going to "go up" on the Cross and 40 days later would "go up" to Heaven. From the map above you can discern they would have a steep, arduous climb of probably over 3000 ft and 14 miles, not an easy "last lap" to the finish line for Jesus.
Mateus 20
Wiersbe - "How great a forest a little fire kindles" (James 3:5, nkjv). Selfishness on the part of one believer can cause trouble in the lives of others. Jesus used this as an opportunity to teach the disciples a lesson on humility. The truly great person is one who serves others. Christ Himself is the example of this (see Phil. 2:3-11). To "exercise lordship" as the people of the world do is foreign to the spirit of the Christian life. While Christian leaders are to "shepherd the flock" (1 Peter 5:2; see Acts 20:28), they are not to govern in self-will and pride, but humbly as "undershepherds." (See Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament - Page 74) Indignant (23)(aganakteo from ágan = very much + áchthos = pain, grief) is a verb which means to be oppressed in mind, to be grieved, to be resentful, to be aroused. Aganakteo reflects intense displeasure. To be indignant against what is judged to be wrong. It describes Jesus' righteous indignation when His disciples rebuked those bringing children to Him (Mk 10:13-14). More often aganakteo is used to describe an unrighteous indignation including that manifested by Jesus' own disciples (Mt 20:24 and Mk 10:41 = of the 10 indignant toward James and John, Mt 26:8 and Mk 14:4 = indignation as the "wasting" of expensive perfume anointing Jesus!) and finally the ugly indignation of the hypocritical religious leaders (Mt 21:15, Lk 13:14). AGANAKTEO - 7V - feel indignant(1), indignant(5), indignantly(1). Matt. 20:24; Matt. 21:15; Matt. 26:8; Mk. 10:14; Mk. 10:41; Mk. 14:4; Lk. 13:14 God's Way of Justice - Our desire for justice for ourselves and for others often complicates the issues, builds up factions and quarrels. Worldly justice and unworldly justice are quite different things. The supernatural approach, when understood, is to turn the other cheek, to give up what one has, willingly, gladly, with no spirit of martyrdom, to rejoice in being the least, to being unrecognized, the slightest. —Dorothy Day, "Reflections," Christianity Today, Vol. 44, no. 10. Matthew 20:25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. KJV Matthew 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. BGT Matthew 20:25 ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτοὺς εἶπεν· οἴδατε ὅτι οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν ἐθνῶν κατακυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ μεγάλοι κατεξουσιάζουσιν αὐτῶν. NET Matthew 20:25 But Jesus called them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. CSB Matthew 20:25 But Jesus called them over and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them. ESV Matthew 20:25 But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. NIV Matthew 20:25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. NLT Matthew 20:25 But Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. called: Mt 11:29 18:3,4 Jn 13:12-17 You know that the rulers: Mk 10:42 Lu 22:25-27 exercise authority: Da 2:12,13,37-45 3:2-7,15,19-22 5:19 JESUS CONVENES THE TWELVE But Jesus called (proskaleo) them to Himself - Presumably there was a crowd so Jesus sought to give the 12 some personal instruction on what constitutes true greatness in God's eyes. The verb proskaleo is in the middle voice emphasizing that Jesus immediately summoned them to Himself for what amounts to a "face to face" encounter. This division had to be curtailed immediately. Hiebert - He acted to meet the threat to the harmony in the apostolic circle. The ten had reason to be offended, but all needed the lesson He wanted to teach. (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary) And said, “You know (eido) that the rulers (archon) of the Gentiles (ethnos) lord it over (katakurieuo = "ruling down on") them, and their great men (NET - "those in high positions" - idea of distinguished, eminent) exercise authority over (katexousiazo) them - Know (eido) speaks of knowledge one has beyond a shadow of a doubt. Jesus began with their knowledge of greatness as it operated in the Gentile world. Rulers were often known for harsh, top-down authority, wealth, and control over others and lord it over (katakurieuo) means they dominated, ruled harshly, acted like a master over slaves, exerting power in order to exalt self, control others, and maintain superiority. Note that Great is relative describing those with positions of earthly (transient) grandeur, and who are great in eyes of men but not in the eyes of God as the following context shows! Exercise authority (katexousiazo) reflects men who have charisma and control based on their popularity and personality (the cult leader Jim Jones came to mind) and in the present tense means that these men continually tyrannize others, exploiting those beneath them (prefix = kata - down), wielding power over them as tyrants (one thinks of men like Stalin, Hitler, etc). Sadly the modern church is replete with both these categories of men in leadership and pastoral positions! Woe to them at the judgment! Our human efforts at earthly greatness display our ignorance and misunderstanding of kingdom greatness. -- Stu Weber R. T. France: The question “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” was raised and answered in Mt 18:1–4 and in the portrayal of the “little ones” which followed in ch. 18; it was more obliquely addressed in the passages about the blessing of the children (Mt 19:13–15) and the rich man (Mt 19:16–26), and has come to the fore again in the discussion of rewards in Mt 19:27–29, especially in the repeated slogan “The first will be last and the last first” in Mt 19:30 and Mt 20:16 together with the illustrative parable which comes between them. Now the same question arises in its most memorable form in the request of the sons of Zebedee and is dealt with definitively by Jesus in Mt 20:25–28; it will be broached again in Mt 23:8–12. The natural human concern with status and importance is clearly one of the most fundamental instincts which must be unlearned by those who belong to God’s kingdom. (See The Gospel of Matthew - Page 755)
Mateus 20
Wiersbe: There were several things wrong with their request. To begin with, it was born in ignorance. “Ye know not what ye ask,” Jesus replied. Little did Salome realize that the path to the throne is a difficult one. James was the first of the disciples to be martyred, and John had to endure hard days on the isle of Patmos. These three believers wanted their will, not God’s will, and they wanted it their way. Another factor was their lack of heavenly direction. They were thinking like the world: James and John wanted to “lord it over” the other disciples the way the unsaved Gentile rulers lorded it over their subjects. Their request was fleshly (sensual), because they were selfishly asking for glory for themselves, not for the Lord. No doubt they felt relieved that they had gotten to Jesus with this request before Peter did! Finally, the request was not only of the world and the flesh, but it was also of the Devil. It was motivated by pride. Satan had sought a throne (Isa. 14:12-15) and had been cat down. Satan had offered Jesus a throne and had been refused (Matt. 4:8-11). Satan magnifies the end (a throne) but not the means to that end. Jesus warned Salome and her sons that the special thrones were available to those who were worthy of them. There are no shortcuts in the kingdom of God. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Lord (2634) katakurieuo from katá =an intensifier or down + kurieúo = have dominion over) means to have dominion "down" on others and includes the idea of domineering as in the rule of a strong person over one who is weak. It means to exercise dominion over, bring under one's power, bring into subjection, to become master, gain dominion over or to subdue. The preposition kata (“down”) indicates intensity and depicts a heavy-handed use of authority for personal aggrandizement, manifesting itself in the desire to dominate and accompanied by a haughty demand for compliance. It speaks of a high-handed autocratic rule over the flock, something forbidden of true shepherds. The idea of exerting lordship over others combines elements of power and authority, the root word kurios being derived in turn from a root meaning “to swell,” “to be strong,” so that kurios means “having power,” “empowered,” “authorized,” “valid.” The power denoted is a power of control rather than physical strength. Exercise authority (2715) katexousiazo (kata - down, against + exousiazo - exercise authority over) speaks of the possession and exercise of authority - rule, reign, have dominion over, possibly in a negative sense lord it over, tyrannize. to exercise lordship over. Only twice in NT - Mt 20:25, Mk 10:42. Matthew 20:26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, KJV Matthew 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; BGT Matthew 20:26 οὐχ οὕτως ἔσται ἐν ὑμῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ὃς ἐὰν θέλῃ ἐν ὑμῖν μέγας γενέσθαι ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος, NET Matthew 20:26 It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, CSB Matthew 20:26 It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ESV Matthew 20:26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, NIV Matthew 20:26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, NLT Matthew 20:26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, NRS Matthew 20:26 It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, NJB Matthew 20:26 Among you this is not to happen. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, it: Mt 23:8-12 Mk 9:35 10:43,45 Lu 14:7-11 18:14 Jn 18:36 2Co 1:24 2Co 10:4-10 1Pe 5:3 3Jn 1:9,10 Rev 13:11-17 17:6 servant: Mt 25:44 27:55 Eze 24:13 Ac 13:5 2Ti 1:18 Phm 1:13 Heb 1:14 1Pe 4:11 GREATNESS: SERVING OTHERS NOT RULING OVER OTHERS It is not (ouk - absolutely not be) this way among you - NET phrases it as "It must not be this way among you!" NLT = "But among you it will be different." What does "IT" refer to? In context, IT refers to men who lord it over and exercise authority over others. I think Grant Osborne's phrasing is accurate for he paraphrases this as “It must not be this way among you” (οὐχ οὕτως ἔσται ἐν ὑμῖν). “Must be” (ἔσται) is an example of the future with imperatival force (cf. Mt 5:21, 27, 33, 43; 23:10). The citizens of the kingdom must never be like the Gentiles in a lust for power. (See Matthew - Page 741) This brash brand of leadership style has no place among the disciples of Jesus! Dear pastor, what's your style of leadership? John