Matthew 20

Matthew 20:1

I say unto you. We have here Christ’s law of divorce in contrast with that of Moses. Except [it be] for fornication. There is only one sufficient cause of divorce; that is, unfaithfulness to the marriage relation. Committeth adultery. Because he is married still to his former wife, who is still his wife in spite of the divorce; so, too, if any man marries the divorced woman, he marries another man’s wife.

Matthew 20:2

It is not good to marry. Such a rigid marriage law was too high for their loose Jewish ideas. It seemed to them as if it would be impossible to live up to so high an ideal. If a man could not get rid of his wife, if he tired of her, it were better not to marry.

Matthew 20:3

To whom it is given. Only those can receive and live up to this rule who are enlightened by Christianity. The less Christianity, the lower the ideal of marriage. This is the rule everywhere.

Matthew 20:4

There are some eunuchs. The classes are named who need not marry: (1) Those born physically incompetent; (2) those made eunuchs by mutilation, once a very common practice in the East, and (3) those who abstain from marriage to devote themselves, free from worldly cares, to Christ’s work. Paul was an example (1 Corinthians 7:7,8).

Matthew 20:5

Then were there brought unto him little children. Compare Mr 10:13-16 Lu 18:15-17. It was the Jewish custom to bring children to the synagogue on their first birthday for the Rabbi to bless them. So these persons came to one whom they regarded the greatest of all Rabbis. The disciples rebuked them. They thought it an interruption.

Matthew 20:6

Suffer little children. Do not hinder them, either by word, or by a bad example. To come unto me. Whatever mortal, young or old, wishes to come to Christ should be encouraged. For of such is the kingdom of heaven. Those who have the loving simplicity, humility, and trust of children. See Matthew 18:1-14. These words show, (1) that children are not, as some have taught, totally depraved; (2) that the earlier they come to Christ the better; (3) that they should not be hindered from coming by injudicious teaching; (4) that parents should bring them to the Savior.

Matthew 20:7

Laid [his] hands on them. And blessed them.

Matthew 20:8

Behold, one came and said. Compare Mr 10:17-27 Lu 18:18-30. We learn that (1) he was a young man (Matthew 19:20); (2) he was a ruler, probably of a synagogue, although these were usually elderly (Lu 18:18); (3) he was rich, which probably accounts for his holding office, at an unusual age (Matthew 19:22); (4) he came running to Jesus and kneeled to him (Mr 10:17). Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? Whether he had before heard Christ or not, he had learned that eternal life belonged to heirs, the heirs of God, his children, and had to be inherited.

Matthew 20:9

Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is,] God. The Revised Version, following the Siniatic, Vatican, and some other manuscripts, leaves off “good” before “Master” in Matthew 19:16, and changes this to, “Why asketh thou me concerning that which is good”? Still, Mark and Luke give the question in the form of the Common Version as here (Mr 10:18 Lu 18:19); hence we are justified in adhering to the text as above. Some have seen in these words of Christ an affirmation that he was not divine. To these, Stier replies: ``Either there is none good but God, Christ is good, therefore Christ is God; or, there is none good but God, Christ is not God, therefore Christ is not good.’’ There is no answer to these syllogisms but to deny the sinlessness of Christ. If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. The Lord had evidently asked his first question to prepare the way for this direction. He has, in saying that no man is absolutely good, said that no man can keep the commandments perfectly.

Matthew 20:10

Thou shalt do no murder. The Lord passes over the first four of the ten commandments, throws the young man back to his relations with his fellow-men, compels him to give an account of his moral goodness, and after keeping the letter of the moral commands, still to confess his sense of a lack.

Matthew 20:12

All these things have I kept from my youth up. There was, no doubt, great ignorance in this reply. What lack I yet? He was sensible of the fact that there was a lack. His soul had not found rest in outward duties.

Matthew 20:13

If thou wilt be perfect. To be good he must be perfect. Sell what thou hast. The injunction of the Lord is manifestly intended to bring out the fact that the young man had made an idol of his riches.

Matthew 20:14

He went away sorrowful. He would like to be a disciple of Christ, and an heir of life, but was not ready to pay such a price. The Lord had struck his difficulty, his besetting sin, his ruling passion. This man was required to use his wealth for God and for man; so are we to use ours. There is just one difference; he was commanded to sell and give away; we are required to turn all over to Christ and to hold it as it his stewards.

Matthew 20:15

A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. The Lord does not say that a rich man shall not enter, but that he shall enter with great difficulty. Mark says that when Christ uttered these words the disciples were astonished, and then Jesus explained by the words, “How hard it is for them ’that trust in riches’ to enter into the kingdom of God”, which shows the sense in which he spoke the words of this verse (Mr 10:24). A man may “trust in riches” who has $100, as well as one who has $100,000.

Matthew 20:16

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man (i.e., as already explained, one who trusts in riches) to enter into the kingdom of God. In other words, one whose trust is in wealth cannot enter at all.

Matthew 20:18

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. This means that human efforts alone cannot save a man. The young man was zealous in keeping the commandments, but there was a great lack. The grace of God only can save. It can break down the trust in wealth, take away the love of wealth, and fill the heart with the love of Christ. It is “the love of money”, not money, that is the root of all evil. See 1 Timothy 6:10. A pauper may love money as much as a millionaire.

Matthew 20:19

Behold, we have forsaken all. Compare Mr 10:28-29 Lu 18:28-30. The apostles had left all they had for Christ. The case of the rich young man suggested Peter’s question.

Matthew 20:20

Ye. The apostles. In the regeneration. At the coming of the Lord the second time. When the Son of man shall sit, etc. In his final triumph over all evil. Shall sit upon twelve thrones. Christ shall sit on the throne of his glory and the apostles also shall have thrones. The twelve tribes of Israel. The reference is probably spiritual rather than literal. The inspired preaching of the apostles presented the conditions of pardon under the New Covenant. Thus they “bind” and “loose”, or “judge”. In judgment, salvation will turn on whether the Jews, or the true Israel (Galatians 3:29), have obeyed the “apostles’ doctrine”. The apostles even now judge the church.

Matthew 20:21

Every one. Not only apostles, but every one who leaves all for Christ shall receive a hundred fold. An hundredfold. Mark says, “Now in this time” (Mr 10:30). They shall be taken care of in this world, and have earthly peace and joy, such as no sinner can have, and above all, “eternal life”.

Matthew 20:22

Many [that are] first shall be last, etc. There will be reversals; those rich on earth, but poor hereafter; those high in station, degraded hereafter; and the lowly on earth, exalted hereafter. The right man to follow any cause, be it what it will, is he who loves it well enough to fling to it everything he has in the world, and then think that not enough, and so fling himself after it. This last item often weighs down the scales in heaven, and the man gets what he gave himself for.

Matthew 20:24

The Laborers in the Vineyard; The Ambitious Mother SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 20: The Householder and the Laborers. Those Hired at the Eleventh Hour. The Recompense to All. The Lord’s Sufferings at Jerusalem Portrayed. The Ambition of the Mother of Zebedee’s Sons. The Baptism of Suffering. Two Blind Men Healed at Jericho. For the kingdom of heaven. This parable is added to illustrate what was said just before, in the last chapter. A man [that is] a householder. The householder represents God, the vineyard is the kingdom of Christ, the laborers his disciples. Went out early in the morning to hire. Said to be a common custom in the East. Unemployed laborers gather in the market place of the villages, waiting for an employer.

Matthew 20:25

Agreed with the labourers for a penny a day. A denarius, about sixteen cents, the usual full price of a day’s labor at that time. It would buy then more than a dollar will now.

Matthew 20:26

About the third hour. Nine o’clock. The hours were counted from six o’clock.

Matthew 20:28

Went out about the sixth and ninth hour. Twelve and three o’clock.

Matthew 20:29

About the eleventh hour. Five o’clock.

Matthew 20:30

Because no man hath hired us. These persons were idle, because they had no opportunity to work. This point must not be lost sight of. There is no promise here for willful idleness.

Matthew 20:31

Saith unto his steward. The steward, to whom the duty of paying the laborers is assigned, probably represents Christ.

Matthew 20:32

They received every man a penny. More than most of them expected. God does not measure our reward by the length, but by the faithfulness of service.

Matthew 20:34

They murmured. Those who had worked all day. Like the elder brother (Lu 15:28-30).