Matthew 20
1 “You see,a the Heavenly Reign is like someone who was a landowner and went out right at dawn to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After he made an agreement with the workers of a denarius for a day’s work,b he sent them to his vineyard. 3 He also went out mid-morningc and saw others standing in the town squared without work. 4 To them, he said, ‘You go to the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever is just,’e 5 so they went. Then he went out again around noon and again mid-afternoon and did the same thing.
6 “Then in the late afternoon, he went out and found others standing there, and he asked them, ‘Why are you standing here all day without work?’
7 “‘Because no one hired us,’ they answered.
“‘You go to the vineyard too,’ he told them.
8 “At the end of the day,f the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting from the last hired and going until the first.’ 9 When they came, each of the workers who started late in the afternoon received a denarius. 10 So when the workers who were hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but they also each received a denarius.
11 “When they received it, they started complaining against the landowner. 12 ‘These last workers worked one hour,’ they said, ‘and you made them equal to us, who endured the burden of the whole day and the burning heat!’
13 “‘Friend,’ he answered one of them, ‘I’m not mistreating you. Didn’t you make an agreement with me for a denarius? 14 Take yours and go, but I want to give this person who was hired last the same as you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I want with what’s mine? Or is your eye corruptedg because I’m generous?’h 16 In the same way, the first will be last, and the last will be first.”i
17 While going up to Jerusalem,j Jesus took the Twelve aside, gathering them close on the road. He said to them, 18 “Look, we’re going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Humanity is going to be handed over to the lead priests and Bible scholars, and they will sentence him to death. 19 Then they will hand him over to the foreign authoritiesk to be mocked, severely whipped, and crucified. And on the third day, he will be raised up.”
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedeel came to him with her sons, bowed down to him, and made a request of him.
21 “What is it you want?” he asked her.
“Say that these two sons of mine may sit with one on your right and one on your left as you reign,”m she said.
22 “You don’t understand what you’re asking,” Jesus responded. “Can you drink the cup I’m about to drink?”n
“We can,” they answered.
23 “You certainly will drink of my cup,” he told them, “but sitting on my right or my left is not mine to give. Rather, it’s for those for whom it’s been prepared by my Father.”o
24 When the other ten heard all this, they were angry with the two brothers, 25 so Jesus called them over and said, “You see how the leaders of other peoples lord overp them, and the powerful peopleq impose controlr over them. 26 It will not be that way with you. Instead, whichever of you wants to become importants among you will be a servant among you, 27 and whichever of you wants to be firstt will take on the role of a worker enslavedu to the rest of you— 28 just as the Son of Humanity did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as the price of freeing many enslaved people.”v
29 As they were setting out from Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Notably, two people who were blind were sitting by the road, hearing Jesus pass by. “Lord! Son of David, give us your compassion!”w they shouted.x
31 The crowd scolded them, trying to silence them, so they shouted louder.
“Lord!” they called out, “Son of David, give us your compassion!”
32 Jesus stopped. “What do you want me to do for you?” he called to them.
33 “Lord,” they answered, “for our eyes to be opened!”
34 Jesus was deeply moved, so he touched his hand to their eyes. They could see again immediately, and they followed him.
FOOTNOTES:
a This is not a start of a whole new thought. It’s a story to illustrate what he is discussing in chapter 19.
b A denarius was the standard wage for one day of labor.
c The way the Greek describes time is ‘first’ to mean dawn, and here, it says ‘the third hour,’ which would have been the third hour of daylight rather than a precise moment on the clock.
d The Greek agora is traditionally translated ‘marketplace.’ It served many purposes, including booths for selling, but it’s also where court was held and town council meetings convened. It’s the place people used for any public gathering.
e Or ‘right’ (in the sense of ‘fair’ and ‘aligned with Torah,’ not ‘correct’ or ‘accurate’)
f Literally, ‘when it became evening.’
g See Matthew 6:19-24.
h In Greek, agathos generally means “good,” but more often implying what is beneficial, useful, or constructive, rather than merely “good” in an abstract or moral sense. In literature outside the Bible, agathos often describes things that serve a beneficial purpose or contribute positively to well-being. This meaning is also reflected in the Septuagint, where agathos describes both moral goodness and practical benefits.
i Parallel to Matthew 19:30
j No matter the starting point, going to Jerusalem is always described as ‘going up’ in scripture. It’s not about location on the map or elevation; it’s about it having the highest spiritual and religious significance.
k Traditionally, ‘Gentiles.’ The word ethnoi literally means ‘nations’ (like ‘nationalities’ not ‘countries’) or ‘people groups’ and is where the English word ‘ethnicity comes from. It is usually—but not always—used in the Bible to refer to people groups other than the one the speaker belongs to, so typically to people groups other than Jews since most speakers/authors are Jewish. In this case, it’s referring to the Roman occupation force.
l i.e. John and Jacob (James). See Matthew 4:21.
m Literally, ‘in your reign.’
n See reference to ‘drink from the cup’ in Isaiah 51:16-23
o The Greek is not completely clear here. It says literally, ‘rather, for/to those it has been prepared by my Father.’ Different translations leave it more ambiguous like I have it, and others choose to make it explicit that the spots at right and left are in view; however, with the Greek as it is, it could be referring either to those honored roles or to the right to be the one who gives those honored roles.
p Or ‘subjugate.’ This is the word for ‘to lord’ (kurieuo) with an added prefix kata- that intensifies and adds a top-down dimension to it, a sense of the use of force.
q Traditionally, ‘great.’ Most literally, ‘large’
r This is the word for ‘to use authority’ (exousiazo) with an added prefix kata- that intensifies and adds a top-down dimension to it, a sense of the use of force.
s Traditionally, ‘great.’ Most literally, ‘large’
t Literally, ‘first,’ meaning ‘highest status’ or ‘most honored’
u The cultural baggage regarding enslaved people was different than in our culture, but it was still the lowest social status possible.
v ‘Enslaved people’ is not explicitly worded in the text; however, the word lutron, means ‘price paid for an enslaved person’ and is traditionally translated ‘ransom’ as a shorter term, but the context of culturally acceptable human trafficking—which Jesus is emphasizing needs to be remedied—is lost with the word ‘ransom.’
w Traditionally, ‘have mercy on us.’ The English word ‘mercy’ is sometimes used to communicate compassion, which is what is in view here. However, ‘mercy’ can also be used to refer to ‘pity’ or ‘relenting from enacting a punishment’ which has nothing to do with this Greek word. It is used of taking care of people. The Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the “Septuagint,” using this word to translate the Hebrew word hesed, which means something along the lines of ‘loyal love,’ ‘compassionate faithfulness,’ ‘lovingkindness,’ ‘committed love/kindness.’ It carries a commitment to pursue good for others based in care. The Greek word is eleēmones, related to the word for olive oil, which was used as a medicinal ointment in caring for the sick.
x Compare to Matthew 9:27-31