The Parable of the Jealous Vineyard Workers
Matthew 20“For the Empire of Heaven is like a human landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had agreed to pay the laborers a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. At about nine in the morning, he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace not working. He told them, ‘Y’all go and work in the vineyard too, and I will pay y’all whatever is right.’ So they went. He went out again around noon and near three in three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon, he went out and found others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why do you stand here all day without work?’
“They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
“He said to them, ‘Y’all go and work in my vineyard also.’
“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired to the first.’ “When those who were hired at five in the afternoon came, they each received a denarius. When those hired first came, they expected to receive more. But they each also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to complain against the landowner, saying, ‘These who were hired last have worked one hour, and yet you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’
“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for a denarius? Take what is yours and go. I want to give to the last one hired just as much as I gave to you. Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want with what I own? Or is your eye envious, because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately, and on the way he said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Humanity will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death, and will hand him over to the ethnic groups to be mocked, flogged, and crucified. And on the third day, he will be raised up.”
The Mother of James and John Makes a Request
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling down and asking him for a favor. He said to her, “What is it that you want?”
She said to him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right and one on your left, in your empire.”
But Jesus answered, “Y’all don’t know what you are asking. Are y’all able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”
They said to him, “We are able.”
He said to them, “Y’all will indeed drink my cup, but to sit on my right or left is not mine to give. Rather, it is for those whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
But Jesus called them and said, “Y’all know that the rulers of the ethnic groups lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. It not so among y’all. Instead whoever desires to become great among y’all must be y’all’s deacon, and whoever desires to be first among y’all will be y’all’s slave; just as the Son of Humanity came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Two Blind Men Restored
As they went out from Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the road, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
Jesus stopped and called them, and asked, “What do y’all want me to do for you*?”
They told him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”
Feeling gut-wrenching sympathy, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.