[1] For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. [2] And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. [3] And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, [4] And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard. [5] Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. [6] And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? [7] They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard. [8] So when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. [9] And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. [10] But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. [11] And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, [12] Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. [13] But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? [14] Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. [15] Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? [16] So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Verse 1 Expanded Bible Comments
| For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| What is "the kingdom of heaven?" | Basically it refers to anything that has to do with the development of the Church class, those who will be part of the Body of Christ in the True Kingdom of Heaven. This includes references to the nominal church because, for the most part of the Gospel age, the true church was contained within the nominal church. Also, the church nominal claimed to be the true church. |
| "A man that is an householder." What is a householder? | Strong's G3617
οἰκοδεσπότης oikodespotēs oy-kod-es-pot'-ace From G3624 and G1203; the head of a family: - goodman (of the house), householder, master of the house. |
| In this parable, who is the householder? | Our Lord. |
| What is pictured by him going out "early in the morning?" | The Pastor suggested two thoughts. 1) The beginning of the Gospel Age. 2) The beginning of the Harvest of the Gospel Age. |
| Who are pictured by the "labourers [workers]?" | Those who are hired to do the Lord's work of gathering the Lord's saints, i.e., the true church. |
| The work was for a day (from "early in the morning" through at least "the eleventh hour." What period of time is here pictured? | There are two time periods generally discussed by the Lord's people.
1) The entire Gospel Age. 2) The Harvest of the Gospel Age. |
Let us begin by reading Q258:1
Verses 2 Expanded Bible Comments
| And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. | |
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| Question | Answer | What is pictured by the vineyard? | The True Church. John 15:5 |
| What were the agreed upon wages? | A penny (denarius) for the day's work in the vineyard. |
| Symbolically, what is represented by the penny? | We will save this question until near the end of the parable. |
Verses 3-4 Expanded Bible Comments
| And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, [4] And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Who is "he?" | The householder. |
| What is "the third hour?" | A little later in the day than "early in the morning." |
| What did the householder do at the third hour? | He went to the "marketplace." |
| What is pictured by "the marketplace?" | Agora, from root meaning "to collect," means a "town meeting-place," "resort of the people," so a place where the public generally met to exchange views and wares. – Biblehub.com
Our Lord used this word when he spoke of how the Scribes and Pharisees loved greetings in the markets, and be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi (teacher, teacher.) Matt. 23:7 This is also where public religious discussions were held. Acts 17:17 Thinking symbolically this would be the spiritual marketplace, the place where public religious discussions would take place. Those who were interested in learning what the Bible taught would be found here. This is where true missionary work would be done. |
| What is pictured by "others standing idle in the marketplace?" | There was work to be done but some who would do the work were unaware of the opportunity. |
| What were they told to do? What does that mean? | "Go ye also into the vineyard." It means that the Lord's missionary work of spreading the true Gospel was to be done and there was opportunity for work. C224. |
Verse 5 Expanded Bible Comments
| Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| When is "the sixth and ninth hour?" | Later than the third hour. |
Verses 6-7 Expanded Bible Comments
| And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? [7] They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| When is "the eleventh hour?" | The last hour of the work day. |
| What happened at the eleventh hour? | Basically the same as in verses 3 and 4. |
| Do verses 6-7 differ from verses 3 and 4? If so, how? | Yes. In the case of the eleventh hour the householder asked those standing idle why they were not working in the field. They answered him "Because no man hath hired us." |
Verses 8-9 Expanded Bible Comments
| So when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. [9] And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What time of day is indicated in verse 8? | Evening, i.e., at or near sunset. In other words, the work day is over. |
| Did "the lord of the vineyard" call the laborers to give them their hire? | No. He instructed "his steward" to do this. |
| How much did the laborers receive in payment? | A penny (denarius.) |
| In what order did the laborers come to receive their pay? | From the last hired to the first hired. |
| Was there any difference in the payment amount? | No. |
Verses 10-12 Expanded Bible Comments
| But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. [11] And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, [12] Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| What was the expectation of those who were first hired when they received their payment? | They expected to receive more than those who only worked near the end of the day. |
| Were their expectations met? | No. They too received a penny. |
| What did those who were first hired then do? | They murmered against the householder, i.e., they murmered against the Lord! |
| What was their reasoning? | We worked longer and during the heat of the day while these eleventh hour workers only worked one hour. Why did you make their pay equal to ours? That's not fair! |
Verses 13-15 Expanded Bible Comments
| But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? [14] Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. [15] Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What is the significance to calling him "Friend?" | Strong's G2083
ἑταῖρος hetairos het-ah'ee-ros From ἔτης etēs (a clansman); a comrade: - fellow, friend. Jesus used this word only three other times. 1) Matt. 11:16 "Whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows." 2) Matt. 22:12 (parable of the wedding garment) "Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?" 3) Matt. 26:50 (after Judas betrayed him with a kiss) "Friend, wherefore art thou come?" While the first reference appears to shed little if any light on this discussion, the other two indicate a close personal relation with our Lord. In the case of the Wedding garment test it indicates someone who had made a full and complete consecration to the Lord and had received the robe of His righteousness (the wedding garment) and then removed it. In the case of Judas it was in reference to the greatest betrayal in history. (Psa. 41:9) |
| What was the agreed upon amount? | A penny. |
| Was the master of the house wrong by giving a penny to all and not giving more to those who had "borne the burden and heat of the day?" | Absolutely not! |
| What principle is here shown to us? | There are at least two principles. 1) Justice. 2) Generosity. |
| Do we have any clues as to whether this parable applies to this side the veil or the other side? | It seems unlikely that it applies to the other side the veil. Who, upon receiving a reward of life (either immortality or everlasting) from the Lord would then complain about it? |
| Do we have any clues as to whether this parable applies to the entire Gospel Age or to just the end of it? | If this applied to the entire Gospel Age then how would we explain that the first hired were the Apostles. Would they would not be among those who murmured? This seems unlikely. |
| Why did the master of the house answer only one of them? | The fact that the master singled out not all of those first hired but only one may suggest that it was not all those first hired. This may refer to the Great Company. |
| How is the "penny" used in scripture? | Other than in this parable it is used in: Matt. 22:19; Mar. 12:15; Luke 20:24 which all are the same thing, i.e., "Render unto Caesar.." The only other place is Rev. 6:6. If our understanding of the penny in Revelation 6 be correct then the Lord's giving of the penny would picture spirit-begettal and the opportunity to run for the great prize. If this be correct it would seem the only ones doing any murmering would have to be of the Great Company class (or possibly those of the 2nd death class.) |
| Symbolically, what is represented by the penny? | To this day the brethren are debating this question. Pastor Russell pointed out that it is difficult to find an answer which completely fits all the items in this parable. There is more than one application generally discussed. Of the four answers suggested below, Numbers 1 and 2 apply to the final reward while numbers 3 and 4 apply to this side the veil. 1) It refers to the Crown of Glory given to the Little Flock. 2) The reward of Eternal Life. 3) Probationary membership in the Little Flock. 4) The Knowledge and Understanding of Present Truth. – Perhaps equivalent to the Seal in the Forehead (Rev. 7:2-8) |
Verse 16 Expanded Bible Comments
| So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Question | Answer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What is meant by "the last shall be first and the first last?" | The Greek for this text is:
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| Why does it say "for many be called, but few chosen?" | Several translations indicate this is spurious here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[17] And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, [18] Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, [19] And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Verses 17-19 Expanded Bible Comments
| And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, [18] Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, [19] And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Where was Jesus going to next? | Jerusalem. |
| What did He say would happen to him there? | That he would be betrayed, turned over to the chief priests, condemned to death, delivered to the Gentiles to be mocked, scourged and crucified. He also said he would rise on the third day. |
| To whom did he tell these things? | To his disciples. |
| Did they understand what he said? | Not according to Luke 18:34. |
[20] Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. [21] And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. [22] But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. [23] And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and 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 shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. [24] And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. [25] But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. [26] But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; [27] And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: [28] Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Verses 20-21 Expanded Bible Comments
| Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. [21] And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Who came to Jesus with a request? | The mother of James and John. However, according to the Mark account it was James and John. |
| What was the request? | For one to sit on Jesus' right hand and the other on his left when He came into his kingdom. |
Verse 22 Expanded Bible Comments
| But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| What was the first thing Jesus told them concerning their request? | You don't know what you are asking. |
| What did Jesus mean by drinking of his cup? | The cup of suffering, closely identified with the sin-offering. |
| What did he mean by being baptized with his baptism? | Attaining FULL Surrender of their self-will, even unto death (pictured by being submerged under water by baptism and then raised out of the water [death] to walk in newness of life.) |
| How did these disciples respond? | "We are able." |
Verse 23 Expanded Bible Comments
| And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and 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 shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| After James and John gave their answer, what did Jesus say regarding baptism and his cup? | That they would indeed be baptized with his baptism and drink his cup. |
| What did Jesus say about their request? | "It is not mine to give" but will be given by "my Father." |
| Is there anything in the response of Jesus that might prove difficult for a trinitarian to harmonize? | If (as trinitarians claim) Jesus was God, how then would it not be His to give, but he must defer to the Father? |
Verse 24 Expanded Bible Comments
| And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| How did the other 10 disciples react to the request of James and John? | "With indignation." |
Verses 25-28 Expanded Bible Comments
| But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. [26] But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; [27] And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: [28] Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| What was the practice of the Gentile "princes?" | Strong's G2634 To exercise dominion over their subjects, usually to the benefit of the princes and at the expence of their subjects.κατακυριεύω katakurieuō kat-ak-oo-ree-yoo'-o From G2596 and G2961; to lord against, that is, control, subjugate: - exercise dominion over (lordship), be lord over, overcome. |
| What about Gentiles that were considered "great," how did they treat those who were not considered to be "great?" | Strong's G2715 These apparently did the same thing as the "princes," only to a lesser degree.κατεξουσιάζω katexousiazō kat-ex-oo-see-ad'-zo From G2596 and G1850; to have (wield) full privilege over: - exercise authority. |
| Are the followers of Jesus supposed to follow the practice of the Gentiles in this matter? | "It shall not be so among you." |
| What practice are they supposed to follow? | "Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." |
| What does it mean to be a minister? | Strong's G1249
Looking at the definition of minister on dictionary.com there were 10 definitions used. Numbers 1-5 refer to minister when used as a noun and 6-10 when used as a verb.διάκονος diakonos dee-ak'-on-os Probably from διάκω diakō (obsolete, to run on errands; compare G1377); an attendant, that is, (generally) a waiter (at table or in other menial duties); specifically a Christian teacher and pastor (technically a deacon or deaconess): - deacon, minister, servant. When used as a noun (as our Lord is doing in this verse) definition #5 seems to be best: "A person acting as an agent or instrument of another." When used as a verb definition, number 9 seems to come the closest to the Bible definition: "To give service, care, or aid; attend, as to wants or necessities. Example: to minister to the needs of the hungry." The following all use the word "minister" (Strong's G1249): Matt. 23:11; Mark 9:35; John 2:5; Rom. 15:8; 16:1 It is interesting that the translators of our common version seem to have favored the worldly way of looking at things, i.e., to make a "minister" to be someone of special importance. |
| What does it mean to be a servant? |
Strong's G1401
The following all use the word "servant" (G1410): Matt. 8:9; 10:24,25; 24:45; 1 Cor. 12:13
δοῦλος doulos doo'-los From G1210; a slave (literally or figuratively, involuntarily or voluntarily; frequently therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency): - bond (-man), servant. |
| What is the difference between being a minister and being a servant? | In the following verse, both the word servants (G1410) and the word ministers (G1249) are used: Phil. 1:1. Here the translators realized that "minister" would not appear lofty enough for Christendom because "minister" is used with "bishops" (elders.) This attitude fits well with our Lord's remarks here about "the Gentiles." |
| How do we understand our Lord's words "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister?" | The ERV translates this as: "The Son of Man did not come for people to serve him. He came to serve others." |
| Why did our Lord say "the Son of man came.. to give his life a ransom for many?" Why not "a ransom for all" as in 1 Tim. 2:6? | Even though the word "many" is not normally used in this fashion, it can refer to all. |
[29] And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. [30] And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. [31] And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. [32] And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? [33] They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. [34] So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
Verse 29 Expanded Bible Comments
| And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| "They departed from Jericho." Does this conflict with verse 17 which says "Jesus was going up to Jerusalem?" | Not at all. They had been traveling south from around the Sea of Galilee following the Jordan River which continues down to the Dead Sea. Jericho is located just slightly north of the Dead Sea. Jerusalem is about 15 miles to the west through mountainous terrain. |
11 minute video found on youtube that shows the journey from Jericho to Jerusalem.
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Verse 30 Expanded Bible Comments
| And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Who were the two blind men? | We are not told. However, from the Mark account we know that one of them was "Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus." Mark 10:46 |
| When they heard that Jesus was passing by, what did they do? | They "cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David." |
| What does this indicate about their character? | It indicates that they had faith that he was the Messiah ("thou son of David") and that he might be able to heal their blindness. |
| Is there any symbolic meaning to the healing of Two blind men? | Perhaps picturing the giving of spiritual eyesight to two classes, little flock and great company. |
| Is there any significance to the name Bartimaeus? | Strong's G924
Looking up the Hebrew H1247 we find it means defiled or unclean. This could perhaps indicate that those who would be healed of their spiritual blindness must first acknowledge their own uncleanness.Βαρτιμαῖος Bartimaios bar-tim-ah'-yos Of Chaldee origin [H1247] and [H2931]; son of Timaeus (or the unclean); Bartimaeus, an Israelite: - Bartimus. |
Verse 31 Expanded Bible Comments
| And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Were the multitude disciples of Jesus? | We are not told directly, but their attitude of wanting to silence the blind men strongly suggests that, though they were following Jesus, in the main, they were not his disciples. |
| How did the two blind men respond when the multitude told they to be quiet? | "They cried the more" and they repeated their acknowledgement of who they thought Jesus was, "Lord, thou son of David," i.e., Messiah. |
Verses 32-34 Expanded Bible Comments
| And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? [33] They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. [34] So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What happened next? | Jesus stopped and called them. |
| What did Jesus ask of them? | What do you want me to do for you? |
| What was their response? | Open our eyes so that we may be able to see. |
| Did Jesus demonstrate any emotion? | It says "Jesus had compassion on them." |
| What did Jesus do? | He touched their eyes. |
| What happened next? | "Immediately their eyes received sight." |
| What did the two men then do? | They followed Jesus. |
| What lessons might we gain from this account? | We should acknowledge that we are defiled, unclean and in need of a Saviour. We should recognize Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. We should not be swayed by the multitude, even those who may be (to some degree at least) following Jesus, but we should indeed continue to acknowledge Him and our need for His help in order to have our Spiritual eyes opened. Having had our Spiritual eyes opened we should follow Jesus. |