Presents
Matthew 20
Matthew 19:30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Presents
Matthew 20
Matthew 19:30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Do you have a purpose for being here at this time during this final hour just before the end of this flesh age? Do you have a destiny to fulfill, i.e. a job to do? You do if you are part of the family (house) of God and you have not hardened your heart to the truth of His voice (His Word) as so many in the wilderness do today.
If you have forsaken all and you follow Him (hold fast to His Word) then you are a chosen vessel and part of His house.Hebrews 3:6
But Christ as a Son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
[7] Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,[8] Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness...)
In our last study we did not complete the last verse of chapter 19 for though it is connected to the subject Christ is addressing, it makes a new statement which prefaces the analogy which follows. If that sounds complicated, it is not as we will see as we get into our study.
Let's begin.
Matthew 19:30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Christ is still giving answer to the question Peter asked back in Matthew 19:27 which was, "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? Thus far, Jesus has told His disciples that "... ye which have followed me... shall sit in the throne of His glory" and everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, etc., for His name's sake shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life".
Now in reference
to
what He just said concerning
the reward of those who have forsaken
all and followed Him, Christ makes
the
statement that "many
first shall be last; and the last shall be first"!What
does that mean?
It
simply means that many who were
first to forsake all and
follow Him, shall be the
last laborers sent into the vineyard
and those last laborers sent into the vineyard shall be the first ones
to receive their reward. In
other words, when Peter asked on behalf of the disciples what their
reward
would be, after answering the question He spoke of you,
if
you are one of His disciples in this final generation, who would be the
last laborers He sends into the vineyard, which the following analogy
will
confirm. You
"see", it was in the first earth age that
you forsook all and followed Him.
Keep in mind that this is an analogy (an "is like"), an earthly picture one can see with the flesh eyes but which concerns the "kingdom of heaven" and reveals to us more of God's plan! That should give us a pretty good idea of where the householder was when He went out to hire "labourers" to "send them" into his vineyard. This will correspond to verse eight when the day is done and the laboring in the vineyard is over and the Lord of the vineyard calls forth his labourers to receive their just reward.Matthew 20:1
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.
Don't miss the fact that they "agreed" to labour for the householder. Not only that, the penny (denarion) for which they agreed to labour was a full day's wages at that time and a generous one at that.[2] And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
The third hour of the day corresponds to 9:00 AM. One of the things that the times given in this analogy show us is that there have been labourers hired to work in the vineyard all day long, even from early on.[3] And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Our Father is completely fair and just in dealing with all of His children for as it is written, "... God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34)". If you have earned a reward in working for Him, He will see to it that you receive your reward. That is only right, right? So whatsoever is right is what you shall be given![4] And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
"Again" means He repeated the process of hiring labourers and sending them into His vineyard throughout the day. The sixth hour would be noon and the ninth hour would be about 3:00 PM.[5 ]Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Now we have come to the final hour of
the
work day, the eleventh hour of the day, where the first ones to
"forsake
all and follow Him" are sent into the vineyard. This eleventh hour,
this
final hour called "one hour" in verse twelve, is that "hour of
temptation"
spoken of in Rev. 3:10 where the sons and daughters of the brotherhood
(church of Philadelphia) shall come forth into the vineyard to "serve
Him"
(keep His Word) and declare His righteousness to this final generation.
They
are those "seed" (offspring, i.e. sons and daughters) foretold of in
Ps. 22, the entire Psalm of which Christ taught while hanging on the
cross
beginning with "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me (Ps. 22:1
&
Mat. 27:46)" and ending with "It is finished (Ps. 22:31* & Jn.
19:30)".
They shall come because the householder sends them... and He has![31] They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
To help us understand on a deeper level concerning these "others" sent into the vineyard for the "final hour" of the day we need to look ahead to verse sixteen to know that Christ is talking about the "few chosen" who receive the "first reward" in verse eight. Matthew 20:16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."[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?
The Greek word for "others" used in verse means more than "in addition to" as in "another". It also means different (in many applications). And there is something "different" about these who stand prepared and ready to be hired.
They were not lazy servants, as some suppose, but all the day were standing and ready and eagerly willing to be of service, but the householder so far had NOT YET hired them to send them forth. Now at the eleventh hour he sends them into the vineyard.others, allos, al'-los, Greek 243; a primary word; "else," i.e. different (in many applications) :- more, one (another), (an-, some an-) other (-s, -wise).[7] They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Remember this is an "is like", an analogy concerning the kingdom of heaven and how His plan works. When do the servants of God who have "forsaken all and followed Him" receive their reward along with the eternal life promised in Mat. 19:29? That is correct... at the return of Jesus Christ![8] So when even 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.
These who were the last labourers sent into the vineyard were the first to receive their reward.[9] And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
The first don't come until last. Why should they think they deserved more than that to which they agreed? We will find out in verse 15 that they have a "vision" problem! The householder is a just and fair man and has promised to give everyone "that which is right". Question: "What is the purpose of the labourers in the vineyard?" Is it not to serve Christ who came to save the lost? A servant is not someone who is sent forth to serve himself or herself but to serve their Lord and do His will. After all, whose vineyard is it anyway?[10] But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
Man can be very shallow in His understanding of our Father's plan, not to mention "self serving", i.e. thinking of "me, me, me". You know, one cannot "get" things like happiness and peace of mind, etc. They only come as a result of living (following) a certain way! Jesus Christ is that way! John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." He is the "door" by which you must enter into the kingdom of heaven. Remember that His disciples who have eyes to see and ears to hear have been given the keys to that kingdom, for the door of truth is open unto them, and they are to show their brothers and sisters the way.[11] And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Again, the kingdom of heaven is the family of God with Jesus Christ as the head of the body. It is not about who is better than someone else or greater in stature, as in "Who is the greatest in the kingdom?" It is about service, about serving Him and laboring in the field for the good of the body by growing the family and bringing forth fruit for the kingdom. So if there is only one small seed that the householder needs planted in certain place and He sends one of His elect to do the job, that task is as important as any other. After all, have we not learned that if one sheep out of an hundred goes astray that the good shepherd will leave the flock and go find that sheep and bring it home? What if He sends you to help? The point is that those in the first earth age who were the first to forsake all and stand against the great red dragon (Satan) and his angels earned the privilege to be sent and used as the householder sees fit, i.e. according to His purpose, the "good pleasure of His will", which is to save the lost! Again, verse 16 shows us that the subject here concerning those sent during the final hour to labour in the field, has to do with the few that are chosen. When were they chosen? In the first earth age before the "katabole" which is "before the foundation of the world" (see appendix 146 in the "Companion Bible".) Paul documents this for us in Eph. 1:4-5.[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.
Again, God's elect in this final generation were the first to forsake all others and follow Him in the first earth age. In other words, they stood by our Father in that first earth age (before the start of this flesh and blood age) and earned the right to be chosen to labor lastly in the vineyard. And they shall receive their reward first, not because they were last to labor in the field, but because they were first to follow Him! They agreed with Him to labor according to His will (next verse) and therefore they have a destiny to fulfill! Isn't that fantastic? Do you have a purpose and a destiny?Ephes. 1:4-5
According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:
God's elect labor according to HIS WILL, not their own! In other words, those whom He has chosen to labour in the vineyard in this final hour "keep His Word" and do according to His will! That is why He loves them so much (Rev. 3:9-10 "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. [10] Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.") They will be here labouring for the kingdom of heaven during the great tribulation and God will keep His eye upon to them to protect them from the evil one (Rev. 9:4)!
By the way, speaking of God sending forth His servants to labor according to His will (purpose), did you know the name "Jeremiah" means "Whom God launches (or sends) forth?" Jeremiah was chosen and sanctified and ordained before he was ever placed in his mother's womb to dwell in the flesh. Not only that, he was predestinated to be a prophet unto the nations. Here is your documentation from Jeremiah 1:5 where the LORD is speaking in the first person:
All this, the sanctification, the ordination, i.e. God choosing him and predestinating him to go labour in the vineyard at that time, i.e. the time of his calling to labor, was done before Jeremiah was ever placed in his mother's womb. Actually, it was done before the "foundation of this earth age" as Paul just documented in Eph. 1:4. You "see" (if you have no vision problem), it is written "God knew Jeremiah" before he was placed in the womb, as He knows all of us (His children), and "the agreement to labor" was made between the two of them.A word to the wise is sufficient for it is no different for the "few chosen" in this final generation. In other words, they were also sanctified, predestinated, and called (to labour in the vineyard during the final hour)!Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Paul documents this for us in Romans 8:
He foreknew you before you were placed in your mother's womb too! Notice that these with a destiny, call it a pre-labor agreement if you like, receive their reward first while some will have to wait until the end, even the end of the Millennium if you have understanding.Romans 8:29-31
For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
He has a purpose and a specific job to do for those who were first to forsake all and follow Him in the first earth age, even as He did Jeremiah the prophet. Part of the glory they receive is the privilege to labor in the vineyard for Him at this most exciting time in the history of the world, even at the time of the harvest![30] Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.
I don't know about you, but I certainly am speechless and in awe of His love and His plan and His fairness. And as regards the question, "If God be for us, who can be against us?"... well, Satan and his troops are against us but as we have already read, Father keeps His own from the hour of temptation, i.e. from the evil one during that hour (Rev. 9:4).[31] What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Let us now conclude Christ's analogy of the laborers in the vineyard, which concerns the kingdom of heaven.
What cause do those who made an agreement to work for a fair day's wage have when they receive that to which they agreed? The householder is completely fair and just in giving his reward and will not shortchange nor rip off any of his labourers. Their murmuring against the householder comes from a lack of trust and a lack of understanding in thinking they know the business of the householder when in fact they do err.Matthew 20:13
But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Again, how does he give unto them? Fairly, as in rightly, as in justly. Do you murmur against His plan or do you praise His work and His fairness by singing the Song of Moses that the overcomers in this final hour sing? Rev. 15:3 "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints."[14] Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Do you have a vision problem? Is your eye, your perception, evil towards the plan of God. It is His plan and it is good because He and He alone is good, remember? And we are His own if we do according to His will.[15] Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
So there you have it! Many are called but there are some who are both called chosen who have a destiny, a job to do for Him in this final hour, because of what they did in the first earth age. Again, they were first to forsake all and follow Him and kick dragon. Therefore it matters not if they are sent to plant one seed or tend a whole flock for they are part of the family working toward the same goal... laboring to help save the lost![16] So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Do you have a destiny? Have you been called according to the good pleasure of His will? Then let's hear no murmuring and get on with fulfilling the labor agreement to show forth the praises of Him who hath called you and sent you into His vineyard!
1
Peter
2:9
But ye
are a
chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
peculiar people;
that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath
called
you out of darkness into His marvellous light:
This is another "is like", an analogy acted out in the physical dimension so that we can see and understand on the spiritual level.
The time is nearing for Jesus Christ to go to Jerusalem to pay the price on the cross to make it possible for lost souls to be forgiven of their sins and through believing in Him, even enter into eternal life. Remember that with man and man's ways it is impossible to enter into life, but through Him, because He came and defeated death, even Satan himself (Heb. 2:14), it is now possible. Matthew 19:25-26 "...Who then can be saved? [26] But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." You "see", without Him there is no other way we can pass from death to life, but through Him we have the victory over death and sing the Psalm:
We do give our thanks to God for His love in making it possible through His only begotten Son because we know of the awesome sacrifice that He made. To wit, that is the subject that opens our study today.1 Cor. 15:55-57
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?[56] The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
[57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus took the twelve disciples aside for some serious talk, even to instruct them once again and lovingly prepare them for the events of the upcoming Passover that are about to take place where the sacrificial Lamb of God will be delivered up to be slain and die on the cross. That is the plan of God, the will of the Father, and you "see", that is the road they are now on and the "direction" in which they are traveling.Matthew 20:17
And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
The chief priest was a kenite, a son of Cain, who was appointed by the Roman governor. He and the religious community he represented hated the truth of God which sets men free from the bondage of their unholy traditions. Are you a follower of Jesus Christ as one who serves and labours in the vineyard to bring our brothers and sisters to Him that their eyes may be opened to the truth which sets them free? Then remember also John 15:20 where Christ says to His disciples, "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also."Persecution comes with the territory of a true servant of God. So does the joy of seeing the spiritual eyes of our blind brothers and sisters opened whereby they turn to Him, to His Word, and follow Him.[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,
Again, we have the victory over death because He was willing to come down from above and defeat death, that is,the devil. Hebrews 2:14 "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil."[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.
Consider what He has just told His disciples regarding the suffering and death He must go through before He ascends to the throne as we read the next event that takes place.
This would be James and John the sons of Zebedee. The three approached Christ together with a common purpose and with Mom as the spokesperson, to ask Christ for a favor in fulfilling a "desire" they have, which is to sit right next to Christ in the kingdom. Incredible as it is, this follows on the heal of the teaching of the parable of the labourers in the vineyard which concerned the complete fairness (righteousness) of our Father in dealing with each and every child according to that which he or she deserves, not with preferential treatment. Remember it is written in Acts 10:34, that "God is no respecter of persons!"[20] Then came to Him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping Him, and desiring a certain thing of Him.
Let's see what special request Mom is going to ask for her boys. Keep in mind that she is a loving mother and God fearing woman who worships the Lord (vs. 20) and she is not trying to hurt anyone. She only desires the best for her sons. What she hasn't done is to "count the cost" in that the best in this case comes with an awesome price of service and sacrifice!
This is given to us because it is a common thought among the disciples of Christ, both then and now, as to their position in the kingdom. If you are one who has never had that thought, then I stand corrected. Some even seem consumed by the thought as to where they fit in, i.e. amongst the 7,000, the 144,000, etc. After all, we are still in these flesh bodies and at times we let the flesh do our thinking for us instead of the inner man. One of the things we all need to learn and keep fresh in our minds is that the events that took place and the teachings of Christ are grounded in reality and apply to real life today. We especially need to be reminded at times that true servants of Christ are not of this world (Jn. 17:14-16), even as Christ is not of this world (Jn. 8:23), even as Christ's kingdom is not of this world (Jn. 18:36).[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.
Here is the Lord's response concerning the special request:
As many of us do before we ask the Lord in prayer to fulfill a desire, Mom had not really given any serious "blepo" to the consequences of what she had just asked for the boys, which would be for them to drink of the same cup as Christ would drink. That is precisely why He asked the question concerning their spiritual fitness and ability to do so. Of course Mom did not have the advantage after the fact of picturing Mary standing at the foot of the cross with her precious Son hanging to die as a criminal before her eyes. Get the point? "You know not what you ask", Mom.[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.
Anyway, John and James both said they were able to drink of the cup that He shall drink of, and so it would come to pass that they would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and serve Christ and later Herod would stretch forth his hand and kill James the brother of John (Acts 12:2) and John would be martyred (according to tradition).
Once again the former teachings of Christ must be kept in mind in order to understand more of His teachings. Pretty soon, with enough prayer and study, one can rightly divide the word of truth and become a labourer (workman) with whom God approves and is greatly pleased. (2 Tim. 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.")[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.
To that end, if we think back on what we have learned in the last few lessons we should have some pretty good insight as to the "whom it is prepared of (for)" that Christ is speaking about. It shall be given to those who are destined, as in predestinated, as in chosen before the foundation of this world! Remember we learned in the last chapter in the parable of the labourers in the vineyard that the first who followed Him in the first earth age shall be the last to be born and serve Him in this flesh age. It is they who shall receive the first rewards and sit on thrones to "rule and reign with Christ a thousand years". Here is a refresher of what Christ said.
The reason "many" is used instead of all is that some of those first, like the disciples, have already passed through the vineyard. Here is a little more to add to the subject.Matthew 19:28-30
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. [29] And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. [30] But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
There are actually two groups mentioned in this verse by John. Those that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and those in this final generation (the last to labor in the vineyard) who are called and sealed (Rev. 7) and who overcome the beast.Rev. 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Now back to the scene of the special request where things are beginning to unravel among the disciples as the other 10 disciples develop "attitude".
Christ wasn't moved with indignation against John and James, but the other disciples were. Seems things have gotten a little out of hand with the disciples and perhaps they all have momentarily lost their focus. Has that ever happen to you? It has to me and I'll be the first to admit it. And when it happens it signals the time that it's back to school with the Word of God![24] And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
That's just the way the kings and the kingdoms of this world are! For the most part they lord over people, even to the point of oppression, and most are very self-serving! But remember again that Christ's kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36) and the kings and priests of His kingdom do not lord over the people but are rather servants of the people! "Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence."[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.
Thought for the day: Do you think that a Christian government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" would work, i.e. where God fearing leaders actually served the people instead of ungodly leaders serving themselves? It would until the people were drawn away from His Word and began to allow "the beasts of the earth", like the bear, the lion, and the leopard to rise up and take over. Just a thought! Nevertheless, be assured that God is in complete control and His plan is coming to pass in these last days exactly as it is written.
So how does the kingdom of God differ from the kingdoms of this world?
Being great in the kingdom of God is not a matter of special favor but of "whosoever forsakes all and follows Him". The simple words of Christ are that if you want to be great, then serve your fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord, especially those who are hungry, and thirsty, and naked, and imprisoned (bound) by the traditions of men. That doesn't mean you have to go out and become a preacher, etc., for there are many ways that you can be a big help to the family, even with a just a few encouraging or comforting words to a brother in need, and our Father will love you for it.[26] But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
When the Lord talks about the hungry, and thirsty, and naked He isn't talking about serving them beef steaks, water and giving them trousers to wear! No,He's referring to teaching them about His Body, His Blood, and Righteousness which is the clothing of saints.
You see, the kingdom of heaven works just the opposite of the way the world operates, doesn't it? Unfortunately, it works just the opposite of the way many churches operate too, where the preachers or priests, etc., exalt themselves above the "lay people" with fancy titles and fancy robes.Show me in the Word of God where one of His prophets or disciples ever exalted himself above their brethren. Did Paul? Did Jeremiah? Did Peter? On the contrary, even the apostle John who wrote a gospel, three epistles, and the Book of Revelation, considered himself to be one of the brethren. Here is what he said:[27] And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Note: Those with eyes to see will note the striking association to the churches of Philadelphia (your brother) and Smyrna (companions in tribulation).Revelation, chapters 2 & 3. See pamphlets #1834 & #1835Rev. 1:9
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Christ came to minister, to teach and serve, and to make the ultimate sacrifice on the cross as "a ransom for many". In other words, the King of kings and Lord of lords Himself, came not to serve Himself or to be served, but to serve others! How about you His servant? Did He send you here to serve yourself, or to labour in the vineyard for the Lord by serving your brothers and sisters? Think about it! If you have a purpose and a destiny, then this walk to Jerusalem is not about you but about serving your brothers and sisters who are blind and naked and lame. We will cover more of this in chapter 25 but here's a preview.Matthew 20:28
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.
This is the time when the rewards and the just recompense is meted out with justice and fairness to all.Matthew 25:31-40
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of His glory:
Once again, the kingdom has been prepared "from the foundation of the world" which is before the overthrow of Satan![32] And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats:[33] And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
[34] Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
The multitudes read this but most cannot elevate their thinking from the flesh to the spiritual level. In other words, they think that feeding the homeless and taking up collections to give to the poor is what Christ is talking about here. They are like the rich man looking to do "good works", to benefit himself! Again, there is nothing wrong with helping the downtrodden and being charitable and for sure we are to support the widows and orphans, etc.. But it is the spiritual food, the giving of the bread of life and the living water that quenches one's thirst that Christ is talking about.[35] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: [36] Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Again, we will cover each of these as they relate to the spiritual hunger and sickness, the spiritual nakedness, and the spiritual blindness and imprisonment of our people, a few chapters hence.[37] Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? [38] When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? [39] Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
These are things that a true servant of God does. All right, lets hit the road and see an example of the kind of service Christ is talking about![40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Remember from verse one that they were on their way to Jerusalem. Jericho was along the way near the north shore of the Dead Sea in the tribe of Benjamin, located between Jerusalem and the Jordan River. Notice that a great multitude followed Him.Matthew 20:29
And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.
There are several accounts of Christ healing the blind, all of which are analogies ("is likes") to the opening of the eyes that one might have the ability to see the things that are spiritual and to know the truth. So these two blind men, sitting by the way side (no mention of them being beggars), "heard with their ears" that the Lord, the Son of David which identifies Him as The Messiah, passed by and their ears perked up! So they began to cry out and to entreat Him. Remember that the time is now drawing near to the crucifixion and they are all on the road to Jerusalem.[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.
The multitude rebuked them? What kind of service to the "blind" who desire to "see" is that?Seems they are only concerned about themselves, wouldn't you say?[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.
There is much said in this verse concerning the multitude. You see, the subject we just covered is that "he that is greatest among you" is willing to be a servant and minister unto others.Now the multitude, main stream churchianity who is "following Christ", is rebuking two "blind men" who desire to have their eyes opened that they may "see" spiritually and follow Him. But alas, they are accused of causing an uproar among the multitude just as it disturbs and bothers many in the "main stream" today when someone cries out for truth.
"Have mercy on us", they cried as they humbled themselves before the Lord!They knew that they were undeserving of His grace, even as God's elect know it all too well. But again, the multitude wants them to "shut up" and keep quiet. They just want to stay on the road and follow along! Hey, if you want to join us on the road and go to church, fine! But we don't have time to stop by the wayside and be bothered to help you "see"!Well, it seems the rebuking of the multitude did not deter the strong desire of those who know they are blind and wish to "see"! In fact, you might say the rebuking by the "don't bother us" even backfired in that it prompted the two blind men to cry out even more!
Jesus stopped what He was doing, which was to go to Jerusalem to be delivered up and pay the price for all those who are willing to humble themselves and ask for His mercy, and He stood still and called them by saying "What will ye...?", though He knew they were ready and willing to come to Him to be healed of their "blindness"![32] And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
This is another "is like", an analogy acted out in the physical dimension so that we can see and understand on the spiritual level.The point is, having spiritual eyes to see has nothing to do with having flesh eyes that see the things of this world. In fact, many times if you close your flesh eyes it helps you to "see" the things that are spiritual.[33] They say unto Him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
It sure is a good thing that the multitude didn't have their way, isn't it? Let this serve as an example for us all to see that the King of kings and Lord of lords, the greatest One of all, was willing to stop "by the wayside" and be still and listen to the crying out of two blind men who desired to know the truth. And all it took was one touch from the Living Word of God and just like that... their eyes received sight and they began to follow Christ. That little sacrifice was just too much to handle for the multitudes, wasn't it?[34] So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
Would you like to be great and sit on a throne next to Jesus Christ in the kingdom? Have you considered the cup? Well, let's bring it down to reality where the rubber meets the road and ask a different question.Are you willing to stop by the wayside and take time from your busy schedule to help a brother or sister who is spiritually blind and crying out to know the truth, or would you rather he or she not bother you so you can get on down the road and get on with "your" life? Stopping to help them wouldn't kill you, you know!
Your actions, not your answer, determines how great you really are!
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