Mat 20 | Comm | STEP | "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

Matthew 20

1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius 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 to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 So when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘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.’ 13 But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as I gave to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

17 Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 "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, 19 and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day."

20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to him with her sons and, kneeling down, asked something of him. 21 And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." 22 But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." 23 He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right or my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you must be your servant. 27 And whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, two blind men sitting by the roadside, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be quiet; but they cried out all the more, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, saying, "What do you want me to do for you?" 33 They said to him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." 34 And Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.