Chapter 20:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Malachi Mark
Matthew 20
We may remark that, when the Lord answers Peter, it was the consequence of
having left all for Christ upon His call. The motive was Christ Himself:
therefore He says, "Ye which have followed me." He speaks also of those who
had done it for His name's sake. This was the motive. The reward is an
encouragement, when, for His sake, we are already in the way. This is
always the case when reward is spoken of in the New Testament.
[
59] He
who was called at the eleventh hour was dependent on this call for his
entrance into the work; and if, in his kindness, the master chose to give
him as much as the others, they should have rejoiced at it. The first
adhered to justice; they received that which was agreed upon; the last
enjoyed the grace of his master. And it is to be remarked that they accept
the principle of grace, of confidence in it. "Whatsoever is right I will
give!" The great point in the parable is that-confidence in the grace of
the master of the vineyard, and grace as the ground of their action. But
who understood it? A Paul might come in late, God having then called him,
and be a stronger testimony to grace than the labourers who had wrought
from the dawning of the gospel day.
The Lord afterwards pursues the subject with His disciples. He goes up to
Jerusalem, where the Messiah ought to have been received and crowned, to be
rejected and put to death, but after that to rise again; and when the sons
of Zebedee come and ask him for the two first places in the kingdom, He
answers that He can lead them indeed to suffering; but as to the first
places in His kingdom, He could not bestow them, except (according to the
Father's counsels) on those for whom the Father had prepared them. Wondrous
self-renunciation! It is for the Father, for us, that He works. He disposes
of nothing. He can bestow on those who will follow Him a share in His
sufferings: everything else shall be given according to the counsels of the
Father. But what real glory for Christ and perfection in Him, and what a
privilege for us to have this motive only, and to partake in the Lord's
sufferings! and what a purification of our carnal hearts is here proposed
to us, in making us act only for a suffering Christ, sharing His cross, and
committing ourselves to God for recompense!
The Lord then takes occasion to explain the sentiments that become His
followers, the perfection of which they had seen in Himself. In the world,
authority was sought for; but the spirit of Christ was a spirit of service,
leading to the choice of the lowest place, and to entire devotedness to
others. Beautiful and perfect principles, the full bright perfection of
which was displayed in Christ. The renunciation of all things, in order to
depend confidingly on the grace of Him whom we serve, the consequent
readiness to take the lowest place, and thus to be the servant of all-this
should be the spirit of those who have part in the kingdom as now
established by the rejected Lord. It is this that becomes His followers.
[
60]
With the end of verse 28 this portion of the Gospel terminates, and the
closing scenes of the blessed Saviour's life begin. At verse 29
[
61]
begins His last presentation to Israel as the Son of David, the Lord, the
true King of Israel, the Messiah. He begins His career in this respect at
Jericho, the place where Joshua entered the land-the place on which the
curse had so long rested. He opens the blind eyes of His people who believe
in Him and receive Him as the Messiah, for such He truly was, although
rejected. They salute Him as Son of David, and He answers their faith by
opening their eyes. They follow Him-a figure of the true remnant of His
people, who will wait for Him.
[
59] Indeed, reward is in scripture always an encouragement to those who
are in sorrow and suffering by having from higher motives entered into
God's way. So Moses; so even Christ, whose motive in perfect love we know,
yet for the joy set before Him endured the cross despising the shame. He
was the Leader and Completer in the path of faith.
[
60] Observe the way in which the sons of Zebedee and their mother come
to seek the highest place, at the moment when the Lord was preparing
unreservedly to take the very lowest. Alas! we see so much of the same
spirit. The effect was to bring out how absolutely He had stripped Himself
of everything. These are the principles of the heavenly kingdom: perfect
self-renunciation, to be contented in thorough devotedness; this is the
fruit of love that seeketh not her own-the yieldingness that flows from the
absence of self-seeking; submission when despised; meekness and lowliness
of heart. The spirit of service to others is that which love produces at
the same time as the humility which is satisfied with this place. The Lord
fulfilled this even unto death, giving His life as a ransom for many.
[
61] The case of the blind man at Jericho is, in all the first three
Gospels, the commencement of the final circumstances of Christ's life which
led on to the cross, the general contents and teachings of each being
closed. Hence He is addressed as Son of David, being the last presentation
of Himself as such to them, God's testimony being given to Him as such.
Chapter 20:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Malachi Mark
This version of Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1995 by L. Hodgett. Used by permission. This material may be freely copied for private use or for distribution without charge but must not be used commercially without written permission from the compiler--L. Hodgett. A special thanks to L. Hodgett for permission to create and post this version of Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament.
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
