Mt. 19:16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good things shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
Mk. 10:17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
Lk. 18:18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Mt. 19:17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
Mk. 10:18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.”
Lk. 18:19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God?”
Mt. 19:18 He said to Him, “which one?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘ You shall not bear false witness,’ “
Mk. 10:19 “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”
Lk. 18:20 “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘ Do not steal,’ ‘ Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and mother,’ “
Source: Exod. 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20
Mt. 19:19 “‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Source: Lev. 19:18
It appears that Yeshua deliberately picks the commandments concerning man’s relationship with other men. He does not quote any of the commandments concerning man’s relationship with God. This young ruler probably was a very good person as far as dealing with his fellow man, but may be lacking in his relationship with God.
Mt. 19:20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
Mk. 10:20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.”
Lk. 18:21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”
Mt. 19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Mk. 10:21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack; Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
Lk. 18:22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Evidently what was getting in the way of this person’s relationship with God was his great wealth. That becomes obvious in a little while. According to Pharisaic theology, wealth was a sign of divine favor. This young man had probably started putting his trust in his wealth instead of the One who had made him wealthy.
Mt. 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Mk. 10:22 But he was sad at this word, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.
Lk. 18:23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
Mt. 19:23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Mk. 10:23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
Lk. 18:24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
There is nothing wrong with a believer being wealthy as long as we keep things in their proper perspective. The Lord blesses us so that we can be a blessing to those who are not so fortunate. Unfortunately, a lot of people who have amassed large wealth have done so at the expense of others, which is exactly the opposite of what God intended.
Mk. 10:24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
Mt. 19:24 “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Mk. 10:25 “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Lk. 18:25 “For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Mt. 19:25 When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, “who then can be saved?”
Mk. 10:26 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”
Lk. 18:26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
Mt. 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Mk. 10:27 But looking at them, Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”
Lk. 18:27 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
Mt. 19:27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”
Mk. 10:28 Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”
Lk. 18:28 Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.”
Mt. 19:28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, that in the generation, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Mk. 10:29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the Gospels,
Lk. 18:29 So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left houses or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,
Mt. 19:29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit everlasting life.”
Mk. 10:30 “Who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time – houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions – and in the age to come, eternal life.”
Lk. 18:30 “Who shall not receive many times more in this present time , and in the age to come everlasting life.”
Mt. 19:30 “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Mk. 10:31 “But many who were first will be last, and the last first.”
Mt. 20:1 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.”
The situation for the parable of the laborers in the vineyard was familiar to the original audience. The setting assumes the difficult economic conditions of first-century Israel. Many day laborers are standing in the market place to be hired for a day job. The original audience could readily identify with these workers and their real life situation. They understood how the day workers felt because many of they had similar experiences. Day laborers were at the bottom end of the economic structure. They received minimal wages for sporadic work. As the primary wage earners, they had to support their families by the odd jobs they could acquire for day service. During the time of harvest, the situation improved as landowners needed additional laborers to harvest the crops on time.
Mt. 20:2 “Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.”
The pay for a day’s work was a denarius. This minimum wage was required to meet the daily needs of each laborer’s family. The payment was given to the worker at the conclusion of each day’s work. “You shall not defraud your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night and morning.”
Source: Lev. 19:11
Mt. 20:3 “And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.”
Mt. 20:4 “And said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.” And they went.
Mt. 20:5 “And again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.”
Mt. 20:6 “And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing others idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?”’”
Mt. 20:7 “They said to him,’Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, “You go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’”
Mt. 20:8 “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.’”
Mt. 20:9 “And when those come who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.”
Mt. 20:10 “But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they each received a denarius.”
Mt. 20:11 “And when they receive it, they murmured against the landowner.”
Mt. 20:12 “Saying, These last men have worked only one hour, and you make them equal to us who have born the burden and the heat of the day.’”
Mt. 20:13 “But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?’”
By most standards of fairness, the householder was unjust. Reason and equity would dictate one of two actions. Either he would pay the workers who withstood the heat of the day in the difficult work of the vineyard more than a denarius, or he should pay the others less money because they came to the job later in the day. When the first workers saw that the latecomers received a full day’s pay, they began hoping that they would receive bonus compensation. This, however, was not the case. The landowner paid everyone the same. The paradox and irony of the parable are seen in the fact that the landowner is fair. He gives everyone what is just. The justice in the story flies in the face of propriety. The shock element of the parable challenges all reason.
Mt. 20:14 “Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give this last man the same as to you.”
Mt. 20:15 “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’”‘
The conflict of the story is a wage dispute. Yeshua used the issue of finance to capture the attention of the people. The question concerning a fair wage and the sharp disagreement about money invited the listener to become involved in the resolution of the conflict. The laborers in the parable are angry at the householder. He hired workers early in the morning, but probable because of the demands of the harvest, he hired additional day laborers later in the day. He even took on new laborers at the eleventh hour, near the end of the work period. The work of the harvest determines the need for additional man power.
Jewish theology teaches about God through real life stories that illustrate the divine nature.
The pictorial world of story parables illustrates the way God loves people. Perhaps more than any other parable, the illustration of Yeshua concerning the laborers in the vineyard teaches us about the character of God. In fact, the Jewish view of God’s grace is described in the vivid imagery of Yeshua’s story. This parable lays the foundation for all the parables. The parable beautifully portrays the grace of God, a concept so integral to Jewish thought during a time of Yeshua and yet very difficult to grasp. Without a proper understanding of Judaism the days of the Second Temple, however, we will never fully comprehend the depth of Yeshua’s message the divine character. The Jewish concept of God permeates the parables of Yeshua. In the world of Jewish Agadic (storytelling to illustrate a message), Yeshua creates striking word pictures so that everyone can understand what God is like.
Mt. 20:16 “So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”
The principal of this parable, and service with God, is that reward will not be based on seniority. Reward will be based on how well you serve the Lord in the time allotted you. The Lord gives different gifts and different levels of gifts to different believers. Our rewards will be based on how well we use those gifts to advance the Kingdom of God.
The Jerusalem Talmud gives a Rabbinic parallel to this parable: “To what may Rabbi Bunbar Chiyah be compared? To the king who hired man laborers. One of them was extremely industrious in his work. What did the king do? He took him and walked him the length and breadth of the vineyard. In the evening, the laborers came to take their wages. But, the king gave full wages to the men with whom he had walked. The others murmured and complained. ‘The king has given full wages also the one who worked only two hours, instead of two hours like us.’ The king answered them, ‘He has done more in the two hours than you did in the entire day.’ Thus, Rabbi Bunbar labored in Torah only twenty-eight years, he studied more than a mature scholar could have studied in a hundred.”
Source: JT:Berachoth 5c
In the context prior to this parable, Yeshua says, “But many that are first will be last, and the last first.” This is one of the difficult sayings of Yeshua which puzzles many students of the Gospels. In the conclusion of the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, the saying is repeated. When one studies the context, the saying’s context is clear. If the first are last, and the last are first, everyone receives the same wage. All are equal before God.
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