Matthew 20

Parable of the Laborers

Mark 10:31

20“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ²Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. ⁵Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. ⁶And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing ¹idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ ⁷They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, ²and whatever is right you will receive.’

⁸“So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ ⁹And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. ¹⁰But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. ¹¹And when they had received it, they ³complained against the landowner, ¹²saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ ¹³But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ^15aIs it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or ^bis your eye evil because I am good?’ ^16cSo the last will be first, and the first last. ^dFor ⁴many are called, but few chosen.”

Instruction About Jesus’ Death

Mark 10:32–34; Luke 18:31–34

^17eNow Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, ^18f“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, ^19gand deliver Him to the Gentiles to ^hmock and to ⁱscourge and to ^jcrucify. And the third day He will ^krise again.”

Instruction About Ambition

Mark 10:35–45

^20lThen the mother of ^mZebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

²¹And He said to her, “What do you wish?”

She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine ⁿmay sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

²²But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink ^othe cup that I am about to drink, ⁵and be baptized with ^pthe baptism that I am baptized with?”

They said to Him, “We are able.”

²³So He said to them, ^q“You will indeed drink My cup, ⁶and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

^24rAnd when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. ²⁵But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. ²⁶Yet ^sit shall not be so among you; but ^twhoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. ^27uAnd whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—^28vjust as the ^wSon of Man did not come to be served, ^xbut to serve, and ^yto give His life a ransom ^zfor many.”

The Blind Men Recognize the King

Mark 10:46–52; Luke 18:35–43

^29aNow as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. ³⁰And behold, ^btwo blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, ^cSon of David!”

³¹Then the multitude ^dwarned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

³²So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

³³They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” ³⁴So Jesus had ^ecompassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.