Matthew20

Matthew 20 begins with the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, where all, regardless of hours worked, receive the same wage, illustrating God's sovereign generosity and the principle that the last shall be first. Jesus then foretells his crucifixion and resurrection to his disciples. Following this, he teaches on humble servanthood after the mother of James and John requests positions of honour for her sons, emphasizing that the Son of man came to minister and give his life as a ransom. The chapter concludes with Jesus healing two blind men near Jericho who earnestly seek his mercy.

The Parable of the Laborers

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`For the reign of the heavens is like to a man, a householder, who went forth with the morning to hire workmen for his vineyard,
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and having agreed with the workmen for a denary a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
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`And having gone forth about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market-place idle,
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and to these he said, Go ye--also ye--to the vineyard, and whatever may be righteous I will give you;
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and they went away. `Again, having gone forth about the sixth and the ninth hour, he did in like manner.
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And about the eleventh hour, having gone forth, he found others standing idle, and saith to them, Why here have ye stood all the day idle?
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they say to him, Because no one did hire us; he saith to them, Go ye--ye also--to the vineyard, and whatever may be righteous ye shall receive.
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`And evening having come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward, Call the workmen, and pay them the reward, having begun from the last--unto the first.
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And they of about the eleventh hour having come, did receive each a denary.
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`And the first having come, did suppose that they shall receive more, and they received, they also, each a denary,
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and having received it , they were murmuring against the householder, saying,
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that These, the last, wrought one hour, and thou didst make them equal to us, who were bearing the burden of the day--and the heat.
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`And he answering said to one of them, Comrade, I do no unrighteousness to thee; for a denary didst not thou agree with me?
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take that which is thine, and go; and I will to give to this, the last, also as to thee;
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is it not lawful to me to do what I will in mine own? is thine eye evil because I am good?
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So the last shall be first, and the first last, for many are called, and few chosen.'

Jesus Predicts His Death Again

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And Jesus going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples by themselves in the way, and said to them,
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`Lo, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered to the chief priests and scribes,
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and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the nations to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify, and the third day he will rise again.'

The Request of James and John

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Then came near to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, bowing and asking something from him,
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and he said to her, `What wilt thou?' She saith to him, `Say, that they may sit--these my two sons--one on thy right hand, and one on the left, in thy reign.'
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And Jesus answering said, `Ye have not known what ye ask for yourselves; are ye able to drink of the cup that I am about to drink? and with the baptism that I am baptized with, to be baptized?' They say to him, `We are able.'
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And he saith to them, `Of my cup indeed ye shall drink, and with the baptism that I am baptized with ye shall be baptized; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but--to those for whom it hath been prepared by my father.'
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And the ten having heard, were much displeased with the two brothers,
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and Jesus having called them near, said, `Ye have known that the rulers of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those great do exercise authority over them,
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but not so shall it be among you, but whoever may will among you to become great, let him be your ministrant;
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and whoever may will among you to be first, let him be your servant;
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even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

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And they going forth from Jericho, there followed him a great multitude,
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and lo, two blind men sitting by the way, having heard that Jesus doth pass by, cried, saying, `Deal kindly with us, sir--Son of David.'
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And the multitude charged them that they might be silent, and they cried out the more, saying, `Deal kindly with us sir--Son of David.'
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And having stood, Jesus called them, and said, `What will ye that I may do to you?'
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they say to him, `Sir, that our eyes may be opened;'
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and having been moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
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