Matthew 20

What is bring described in the first parable of Matthew 20? (v1)

When did a master of a house go out? (verse 1)

What was the master of the house going out to do? (verse 1)

What was agreed on by the master and the laborers? (verse 2)

Where did the master send the laborers? (Verse 2)

When the master went out about the third hour, who did he see? (verse 3)

Where did the master see them? (Verse 3)

What did the master say to those in the marketplace? (Verse 4)

When the master went out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, what did he do? (Verse 5)

What did the master do at about the eleventh hour? (verse 6-7)

What did he ask? (verse 6)

What was their response? (Verse 7)

What did the master say to them? (verse 7)

When did the master of the house tel the foreman to call the laborers and pay them their wages? (Verse 8)

How did the master say that they should be called and payed? (verse 8)

What had those who were hired about the eleventh hour receive? (verse 9)

What did those who were hired first think? (verse 10)

What did each of them also receive? (verse 10)

When they received it, what did they do? (verse 11)

Who did they do this to? (Verse 11)

What did the workers who were hired first say? (verse 12)

What did the master say to them? (verse 13-16)

How did the master address the workers who were hired first? (Verse 13)

What did the master remind the workers who were hired first of? (verse 13)

What did the master tell them to do? (verse 14)

What two questions does the master leave with the first workers? (verse 15)

What is the end or punchline to the whole story? (verse 16)

Verse 17

And as Jesus was going up to _______________, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, we are going up to _______________. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

When did the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something? (verse 17-20)

What did Jesus ask her? (verse 21)

What did she ask Jesus for? (verse 21)

What did Jesus answer with? (verse 22)

What does Jesus tell the brothers that they will do? (verse 23)

What is not for Jesus to grant? (Verse 23)

Who will sit at Jesus' right hand and at his left? (Verse 23)

What was the response of the other ten disciples? (verse 24)

To whom did they respond this way? (verse 24)

In verse 25, who exercises authority over the gentiles and lords it over them? (verse 25)

Does Jesus say it will be like this? (verse 26)

What are two distinct qualities or positions in verses 26 and 27? 

Who is used as an example of a servant or a slave? (verse 28)

When did the two blind men sitting by the roadside hear that Jesus was passing by? (verse 29-30)

How did the two blind men address Jesus? (verse 30)

What was the crowd's response to the two blind men? (verse 31)

What were the two blind men's responses to the crowd? (verse 31)

What physical action did Jesus do? (verse 32)

What does Jesus ask the two blind men? (Verse 32)

What did the two blind men say? (Verse 33)

What was Jesus' response to them? (verse 34)

What physical action did Jesus do? (verse 34)

When did the two blind men recover their sight? (Verse 34)

What did the two blind men do after they recovered their sight? (verse 34)

Application

Lord, thank you for your generosity

have pity on us and open our eyes

because when we see

we will follow you

Matthew 20English Standard Version (ESV)

Laborers in the Vineyard

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius[a] a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went.Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’[b] 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

A Mother's Request

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?”They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 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. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,[c] 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,[d] 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord,[e] have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 20:2 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer
2. Matthew 20:15 Or is your eye bad because I am good?
3. Matthew 20:26 Greek diakonos
4. Matthew 20:27 Or bondservant, or servant (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)
5. Matthew 20:30 Some manuscripts omit Lord