Genesis 21; Matthew 20
Genesis 21
Ready:
Yesterday I read about Sarah being protected from Abimelech and how God has ensured that his purpose in Isaac being born to Sarah and Abraham precisely when he said is accomplished and this even included interrupting the will of this King who set out to lay with Sarah. Let me see the beauty of the king in this story and may you renew my mind Lord.
Reading thoughts:
I see Isaac born and Hagar put out into the wilderness with Ishmael and then Abraham enters into a covenant with Abimelech due to the distrust that came from Abraham’s dishonesty.
I see the theme here to be- A promise fulfilled and sole devotion to the promised offspring is required.
Rumination thoughts:
v1. It took divine intervention for Sarah’s womb to bear a child and so here it is documented that the Lord visited her and gave her capability where there had been none. This birth was in the keeping of a promise and is far different than the birth of Ishmael 15 years earlier when Sarah was 75. Now she was 90 was no longer menstruating. That is, until the Lord visited her.
v2-3. The conception of the child was none the less by Abraham and was a natural course so would have transpired months prior to the birth account listed here. It is unclear then if God came upon her womb prior to the King Abimelech account and this was part of the protection given to her or if this occurred after and is here just compressed in time for us.
v4-7. Sarah’s laughter of unbelief is here turned to a laughter of joy in the God who keeps covenant. Sarah laughs now at the ridiculous nature of what God has accomplished with her body.
v8-14. Here Sarah perceives a bitterness and a problem that she sets out to remove. Her desire seems to be to protect Isaac from what would be a certain battle over birthright and blessings and since she knows that Isaac is the promised child she asks Abraham to put out Hagar and Ishmael before there comes a great conflict in the future. Abraham is initially taken back and does not want such a thing but God comforts him and advises him to heed his wife’s request. It seems that Sarah must have had a proper instinct and that God was pleased to further protect Isaac and to make clear that the hope of Israel was solely upon Isaac. God promises Abraham that he will indeed bless Ishmael and that he will father a nation and that Abraham need not worry about his welfare. Trusting God, like usual, Abraham acts upon the request of his wife and puts the two out of the camp to live apart from the Israelites forever.
v15-21. Here the woman and her 15 yo child wander and end up in a bad way. It seems that they are close to death with a lack of water and that God intervenes due to the prayers of the young boy. God shows them a well and blesses them with provision to sustain them. This Ishmael grows up and takes an Egyptian for a wife. Modern Muslims claim this Ishmael as their patriarch who they say settled in Mecca. Many have doubt and it is difficult to support this with Biblical history but so goes the modern claim of the Muslims that Ishmael is the Arab patriarch.
v22-34. Here is an account of Abraham dealing with Abimelech who wants an agreement of honey dealings between the two of them. This highlights both Abimelech’s perception that Abraham is blessed by God and also that Abraham is not always completely honest. They come to an agreement regarding this and they make a covenant that secures Abraham’s peaceful dwelling in the land and his enjoyment of the provision of God in the well over which they disputed.
Meaning, Implications, and Significance
1. God overcame physical inability in Sarah to bring life that he had promised. One implication for today is that all things are possible for God and though we do not usually have announcement of his plan, we can trust that God is capable of things that seem impossible in our lives. The significance for me is that I need not be afraid of asking the impossible from God when I perceive that the request if in keeping with his revealed character and promises (John 14:14).
2. God keeps his promises exactly as he makes them and the covenant blessings from Gen 12 come specifically through the Isaac. The implication today is that God’s promises should not be skewed to fit my need but I should see them exactly as they were intended. The significance for me is that I need to use caution when claiming a promise that I see in the Bible because sometimes they were meant only for a specific person or for a specific time and to twist it into applying to me might not be right just as it was not right for Hagar and Ishmael. Yet Jesus is indeed the “yes” and “amen” to all the promises of God (2 Cor 1:20) and we do receive the blessing of Abraham as children by faith (Gal 3:5-9, Rom 9:8).
Response:
“Private”
Reaction:
“Private”
Matthew 20
Ready:
Jesus had been teaching on our need to be as children who humbly and submissively depend upon him for all things and here he picks up right were he had concluded a lesson about the first being last and the last first. The chapter division here is very arbitrary and does not present a break in the teaching at all.
Reading thoughts:
I see Jesus teaching along the train of thought of humility and of the blessings to be received in the kingdom by those who gives up what the world offers to gain what God offers. He teaches a parable about a vineyard and how the wages are paid out in full even for the time that the laborers were only idle and had not yet even been called into service. I also see Jesus correlating this teaching to his death and resurrection and to a suffering that cannot be carried by the disciples illustrated in his response to the mother of James and John.
Key Verses:
“4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’” (Matthew 20:4, ESV)
“7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’” (Matthew 20:7–8, ESV)
“10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,” (Matthew 20:10–11, ESV)
“13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.” (Matthew 20:13–14, ESV)
“15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”” (Matthew 20:15–16, ESV)
“18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”” (Matthew 20:18–19, ESV)
“22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”” (Matthew 20:22, ESV)
“26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”” (Matthew 20:26–28, ESV)
I see the theme as- Eternal life comes as a gift of mercy owed to none while the wrath of God is owed to all and will be paid in full to a measure that cannot ever be paid by man lest he is ransomed by the Son of God who received full payment on behalf of his sheep.
Rumination thoughts:
v1. Jesus begins a teaching using a parable here in response to the question by Peter in the last chapter where he asked something to the effect of “If the rich man were to receive rewards in heaven when he gives away all he owns then what are we going to receive who have given up all we own?” Acknowledging the place of the apostles in judging the tribes of Israel he then explains that there will be rewards to all who come unto him and that the better than any reward given is eternal life itself, which comes as the gift of God (Rom 6.23). Concluding the last chapter then with the reference that many who are first will be last and the last first there is here a transition to explain what he meant by that response. You see Peter was immediately about comparing rewards and wanting to know what he was “earning”. Jesus here will explain how earning works in contrast to gift receiving. He begins by telling them that this parable is a description of the kingdom of heaven. The parable begins early in the morning with a master who has charge over a vineyard and he is about the business of calling laborers to work his harvest. Sound familiar?
v2- He reaches an agreement with the laborers (sound like a covenant?) regarding what will be owed to them in the course of the day and then they are sent out about the work. I take this to be Israel given the law by Moses as a covenant that establishes that the payment of sin is death and the blessing of obedience is life. He made clear above that eternal life is inherited and not earned (Matt 19:29 and also Rom 6:23). So there are clear expectations of labor and of payment for this labor.
v3-7. During the course of the day the owner went out and called more laborers at various hours and there is no mention of an agreement with these men except that he tells them they will be paid whatever is right (in the eyes of the master is implied). I take this to be the Gentiles who do not have a covenant law with God but that are still under sin and are accountable for wages just the same. God announces to them that he will give just wages to all. The workers he brings in seem to be just waiting around and doing nothing when he finds them and they are only useful to the vineyard from the time he calls them. Claiming that they are still standing around because no one has hired them the master tells them to go to the vineyard and work. I take this to represent believers who are called into faith at different points in history and in their lives. Particularly in this case with the context I take this to be all of the Gentiles where it was the Jews who were “first” and these Gentiles are “last” to join the workforce and doing so without a specific "agreement”. (Although John Calvin takes this whole concept more generally- maybe I am just dumb!) Anyhow, Paul says that all are accountable to God because of the law, not just the Jews (Rom 3:19). If this is the case then the idle men who were waiting around have been accountable to the master (God) the whole time.
v8. Now evening comes. Evening is often used to refer to judgement and here is to be a reckoning for the wages due to each worker. I take the bringing in of the last laborer before evening to be the promise that Israel has been hardened and would remain that way until the last of the Gentiles comes in (Rom 11:25).
v9-10. Here both the original laborers working under contract and the newly invited laborers who just finished even showing up are all paid the amount that was agreed to in the contract with the first laborers! Is this justice? Praise God that he does not deal with us according to justice in view of our labor. God deals with his children only according to mercy. What the master gives to all is a full measure of mercy because they were all accountable to him from the dawn of the day and he offers them mercy in full instead of payment for their labor. Full payment, as agreed is levied, but not to them. This will come below.
v11-12. So now the original group grumbles (like in the desert) because they perceive that they have earned something. See Paul’s description on why Israel did not succeed in reaching the law that would have lead to righteousness in Rom 9:3–32. The original group perceived that they were earning something from the master when they did not understand that they owed him their very life. This agreement for wages was to show them that what God gives is not earned but a free gift of mercy. The first group is mad…they are jealous. They have been working all day long. See Rom 10:19-21 and Rom 11:13-14. They have endured this whole time in the scorching heat. See who endures in Rom 9:22-24. But Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for recognizing the scorching heat but not recognizing the coming of his mercy (Luke 12:55-56)!
v13-14. Here the master calls them friend and he tells them that he has done them no wrong. The master story teller and the author of life is now weaving for the disciples and for us the mystery of this parable. It is not their endurance that earns God’s mercy on the day of judgment but it is the blood of Jesus. The master calls them friend these laborers who he just met today I believe to make the connection to Jesus in laying down his life for his friends (John 15:13) and the fulfillment of the law is to do your neighbor no wrong (Rom 13:10) and Jesus is our fulfillment of the law (Rom 8:3-4). The master explains to them that this is what we agreed to…full payment for your wages which I put upon my Son and you are therefore the recipient of my free gift of eternal life. Do you not recognize that this is what I had covenanted to do? Do you not read your Bibles? Did you think that you could drink this cup of the wages you are truly owed? I choose these other workers to receive by gift as well and this is not concern of yours. They did not choose me as you did not. I choose and I give freely.
v15. The master rhetorically asks them if he cannot do what he pleases with what is his and I hear Jesus referring at least to Rom 9:20-23 and 1 Cor 6:19-20 and Rom 14:7-9. He owns us and we are his. His wrath is his and his mercy is his. He asks them if they begrudge his generosity and I hear Rom 2:4-5 and Rom 10:12.
v16. Jesus concludes the parable closing again with “so [this is how I mean that] the last will be first and the first last”. I can take this to be that the Jews will come into the kingdom last, once the Gentiles are all brought in. This of course excludes those that Paul refers to as the elect who do enter the kingdom based on the obedience of faith along the way. The idea being that the remaining nation of Israel will not convert until the last of the Gentiles come in. I could also take this to mean that it is the servant who will be most honored and the blessings do not depend upon order in which someone enters the race but merely the choice of God to use them and bless them. I don’t know which sense is truly meant.
v17-19. The fact that Matthew follows this up immediately with the Jesus describing his death and resurrection it seems apparent that he indeed was speaking above about the wages being paid in full by Christ rather than referring to rewards as Peter was inquiring. I take Jesus answering peter’s question about "what rewards are we earning” with something like “You do not understand. You do not want justice, believe me. You want mercy. You do not want to be judged upon your works, but mine only. You will not be given what you deserve and this is eternal life! You will be given mercy only. I am making the way for this in Jerusalem…watch for it.
v20-28. Now a proud mom gets involved here and Jesus, reading her heart no doubt simply says “What do you want?”. She wants to know if her sons can be given honor like Jesus and sit next to him when he takes his throne. Oh, gotcha…no big deal. Jesus tells her that she is clueless as to what she is asking. Conquering is through suffering. Greatness comes by humble service. Authority in heaven is given only by the Father and he loves those who lay down their life. Furthermore, he asks the rhetorical question regarding whether they can make the payment that is owed. Can they receive the wage of wrath that is owed to them…or better…the wages owed to all the sheep? Jesus concedes his argument that he knows they cannot perceive and grants them that they will suffer for the name of Christ, but not like Jesus. He explains then a conclusion and the key to the parable of the vineyard. He explains that greatness comes from service and Israel is about a great service to the world right now (Rom 11:11-12, 15). In daily life we must not seek honor but seek to honor others. There are multiple dimensions to this teaching. Jesus concludes with the key that Jesus came to serve (the one with the name above all names) and he came to offer his life as a ransom for many. This conclusion makes sense of the master of the vineyard calling the laborers friends and saying that he has done them no wrong…indeed he has done them the greatest good! He has received the wage that was due to them! He redeemed them with his own blood and now they are his inheritance.
Meaning, Implications, and Significance
Quickly- In the end whether Jesus was specifically speaking of Jews and Gentiles when he speaks of first and last does not change the main point I take which is that we are to look not for what we earn but for the free gift of mercy that comes by the blood of the one who receives our true wages on our behalf. Instead of wages we receive from the riches of the mercies of God in Christ. Let us not ask with Peter “what are we earning?” but “what are the riches you freely lavish upon us?”. And let us understand that chronology does not establish anything in the kingdom…so look behind you…there may be someone far greater behind you…maybe even in a cradle…or a manger. And let’s not think less of new comers or the thief on the cross. Full payment is made and all is mercy!
Response:
“Private”
Reaction:
“Private”
Soli Deo Gloria!
