Matthew 20:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.

NIV: So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.

NASB: And so when those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.

CSB: So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each.

NLT: When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage.

KJV: But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

NKJV: But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.

In Jesus' parable (Matthew 20:1), the master of the house hired one group of men to work an entire day in exchange for a denarius. He then hired groups to work the rest of the day for "whatever is right" at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., and even 5 p.m. When the master paid those hired last, the ones who worked only an hour, a full denarius, the wheels of those hired first started spinning. They assumed that because they worked far longer, the master was about to pay them far more than what they had agreed to work for.

Now they learn that they are wrong. Instead of receiving, say, twelve denarii as an equivalent compensation for twelve hours of work, the first group each got exactly what they agreed to: one denarius. Put in the same situation, perhaps our first reaction would be the same as these men (Matthew 20:11): to claim this is not fair. Jesus, though, will show the master insisting that he has done right and fair by everyone. No one is getting anything different than that which they had agreed to.

Matthew 20:1–16 is a parable illustrating what Jesus meant in saying that some of the last will be first and the first last in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:30). When a master hires five groups of workers at different times throughout the day, he pays the last group the same amount that he pays the group hired early in the morning. Though that group grumbles, they received what they had agreed to earn and had not been cheated. The master insists he has the right to show generosity to whomever he wishes. Jesus concludes by saying, again, that the last will be first, and the first last. Themes found in this parable are echoed in the later portion of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:25–32).

Jesus illustrates His earlier comments about how some of the "first will be last, and the last first" (Matthew 19:30) with a parable about hired workers. He then clearly tells His disciples about His impending death and resurrection. The mother of James and John asks Jesus to make her sons number two and three in His kingdom. Jesus tells the disciples that true greatness won't come by flaunting authority as the Gentile leaders do. Instead, they will become great by serving each other, even as a slave does, as Jesus Himself has done. He then heals two blind men immediately before entering Jerusalem.

Matthew 20 begins with a parable that illustrates Jesus' statement at the end of Matthew 19: In His kingdom, some of the first will be last and the last first. Still on their way to Jerusalem, Jesus tells the disciples for the third time that He will be killed and then raised on the third day. When asked, Jesus explains that it is not up to Him to grant the seats on His right and left hand in the kingdom and that His disciples will not become great in the way of Gentiles. Instead, they will find greatness by serving each other. A healing of two blind men leads into the triumphal entry, the first event in the last earthly week of Jesus' ministry.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 5/8/2024 1:39:28 PM