Matthew 20:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,

NIV: When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.

NASB: When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,

CSB: When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner:

NLT: When they received their pay, they protested to the owner,

KJV: And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

NKJV: And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,

Perspective changes everything. The group of workers hired early in the morning agreed to work a full day in exchange for a denarius each (Matthew 20:1–2). They have done their work. Now they receive their pay right on time, before the sun sets, as the law of Moses required (Deuteronomy 24:14–15). This is the pay they signed on for, given when it was due. Everyone should be satisfied.

Instead, these workers grumble at the master of house. One thing has changed. They have learned what someone else was paid. Those who worked only an hour late in the day have received the same pay as them. Worse, they had briefly expected to be paid more than the original agreement, assuming the master of the house would be generous with them instead of merely honoring their agreement. That failed expectation and change of perspective left them grumbling and complaining despite being treated exactly as they had agreed.

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 5/3/2024 11:26:07 AM