Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Matthew
Chapter 20: To Give His Life a Ransom for Many
Matthew 20 continues the road to Jerusalem and the great reversals of the kingdom. In the parable of the labourers, a householder pays those hired at the eleventh hour the same as those who bore 'the burden and heat of the day,' teaching that God deals not by our merit but by His grace: 'the last shall be first, and the first last.' A third time Jesus tells His disciples plainly that He must be betrayed, condemned, mocked, scourged, and crucified, and rise the third day. When the mother of James and John asks the chief seats for her sons, Jesus turns their eyes from thrones to a cup and a cross, and lays down the law of true greatness: 'whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant,' for 'the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.' At Jericho two blind men cry to Him as 'Son of David,' and He opens their eyes. The chapter unveils the grace of God, the servant-heart of the King, and the ransoming purpose of the cross.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Matthew chapter 20. For each section you will find the KJV text, word studies that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Jesus teaches the grace of the vineyard, foretells His cross a third time, defines true greatness, and heals two blind men. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
The Last Shall Be First
God pays not by our reckoning of merit but by His own generous grace.
We Go Up to Jerusalem
A third time Jesus tells plainly of His betrayal, death, and rising.
Not to Be Ministered Unto
The King defines greatness as service and gives His life a ransom for many.
Lord, Thou Son of David
Two blind men see who Jesus is, and He opens their eyes.
Is Thine Eye Evil, Because I Am Good? (Matthew 20:1-16)
A householder's generosity to the last-hired exposes the murmuring heart that measures God by merit instead of grace.
The Last Shall Be First
"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. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 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? 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. 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. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 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. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."
Word Study
"a penny," Greek denarion (δηνάριον). The denarius was a normal day's wage for a labourer. The first workers "agreed" for it, a fair, contracted wage; the later workers were promised only "whatsoever is right," and trusted the master's goodness. When all receive the same denarius, the first-hired feel cheated, though they received exactly what was just. The point is that God gives some their due and gives others, out of pure grace, far more than they earned, and no one is wronged. The kingdom runs not on wages but on grace.
Explanation
The parable of the vineyard laborers scandalizes our sense of fairness: those hired at the eleventh hour receive the same wage as those who bore the day's heat. The grumbling workers are answered not with injustice but with generosity -- "is thine eye evil, because I am good?" The kingdom does not pay wages by merit but gives gifts by grace, and grace by definition cannot be earned or compared. "The last shall be first, and the first last" rebukes every calculating heart that would turn salvation into a payroll. God owes no one, and gives lavishly to all who come.
Gospel Focus
This parable overturns our instinct to measure God by fairness and merit. A householder hires workers through the day, some at dawn, some at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, and some at the "eleventh hour," with only one hour left. At settling time he pays them "beginning from the last," and gives every man a denarius, the same wage to the one who worked an hour as to those who "borne the burden and heat of the day." The all-day workers "murmured," feeling cheated: "thou hast made them equal unto us." But the master answers, "Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?" They received exactly what was just. Their complaint was not that they were treated unfairly, but that others were treated generously. "Is thine eye evil, because I am good?" Here is the searching truth: God owes no one anything, and He delights to give freely. Salvation is not wages earned by long service but a gift of grace, and grace by its nature is not measured out by the clock. The thief on the cross, saved at the eleventh hour, receives the same Paradise as the apostle who labored for decades. This should crush two things in us. First, all pride in our own service, as though we had earned a special claim on God, for even our best labor is met not with wages we deserve but with grace we do not. Second, all envy at God's generosity to others, the latecomer, the deathbed convert, the one whose story looks easier than ours. "The last shall be first, and the first last." Let the goodness of God make you grateful, not grudging, and rejoice that the God you serve is generous beyond all our reckonings of merit.
A Ransom for Many (Matthew 20:17-28)
Jesus foretells His death a third time, redirects the disciples' hunger for thrones, and reveals the servant-purpose of His life and death.
Not to Be Ministered Unto, but to Minister
"And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, 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, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 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. 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. 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. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. 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. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
Word Study
"a ransom," Greek lutron (λύτρον). A ransom is the price paid to set a captive or a slave free. Jesus says He came "to give his life a ransom for many", His life laid down as the redemption-price to free sinners from the bondage and penalty of sin. The little word "for" (Greek anti) means "in the place of", His life given in exchange for ours, a substitution. This single sentence is the heart of the gospel: the cross is not a tragedy that befell Him but the purpose for which He came, the one true God in flesh laying down His life to buy back His people.
Explanation
On the road to the cross Jesus foretells His death a third time, yet James and John's mother asks for the best thrones -- glory without the cup. Jesus redefines greatness against every worldly instinct: "whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister," for the Son of man Himself "came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." The word ransom points to His death as the price paid to free captives. The path to the throne runs through the servant's towel and the cross, and the disciple follows the same road.
Gospel Focus
For the third time Jesus tells His disciples plainly what awaits Him in Jerusalem, and now in fullest detail: betrayed, condemned, "delivered to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him," and "the third day he shall rise again." He walks toward the cross with open eyes. Yet how little the disciples grasp it: right after this, the mother of James and John comes asking that her sons might sit at His right and left "in thy kingdom." They are still dreaming of thrones while He speaks of a cross. Jesus does not crush the request harshly but redirects it: "Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of?", the cup of suffering. They will indeed share His sufferings, but the places of honor are the Father's to give. When the other ten are "moved with indignation," jealous for the same honor, Jesus gathers them all and overturns the world's whole idea of greatness. Among the Gentiles the great "exercise dominion" and lord it over others; "but it shall not be so among you." In the kingdom, "whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister... your servant." Greatness is measured not by how many serve you but by how many you serve. And then He points to Himself as the pattern and the ground of it all: "even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Here the servanthood He teaches meets the cross He predicted. The King of glory came not to be waited on but to wait on us, and to lay down His very life as the ransom-price for sinners. This is who Jesus is and why He came: the God who serves, the Lord who redeems. And it is the mold into which He would press His people. If you want to be great in His kingdom, take the towel and the basin; follow the One who gave His life to set you free.
Lord, That Our Eyes May Be Opened (Matthew 20:29-34)
Two blind beggars see by faith what the crowd cannot, and their persistent cry to the Son of David is answered with sight.
They Followed Him
"And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 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. 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. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him."
Word Study
"Son of David," Greek huios David (υἱὸς Δαυίδ). This was a recognized title of the promised Messiah, the King from David's line. It is striking that two blind beggars, who could not see Jesus with their eyes, "saw" by faith who He truly was, and confessed Him as Messiah, while the seeing crowd only tried to silence them. Their physical blindness hid nothing of the spiritual truth; their inward eyes were open before their outward ones. Jesus, "the Son of David," answers the confession by giving them sight, and they follow Him.
Explanation
Two blind men at Jericho cry, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David," and refuse to be silenced by the crowd. Jesus, "moved with compassion," touches their eyes and restores their sight, and they follow Him. The men who cannot see perceive clearly who Jesus is -- the Messianic Son of David -- while the seeing multitudes miss it. Their persistent, believing cry is answered on the very threshold of the passion, a last public sign that the One going up to die is the promised King who opens blind eyes.
Gospel Focus
The chapter that opened with grace and centered on the ransom now closes with a picture of both. As Jesus leaves Jericho on His way to the cross, two blind men by the roadside hear that He is passing and cry out, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David." They cannot see Him, yet they see the truth the crowd misses: this is the promised Messiah, the Son of David. The multitude "rebuked them," telling them to be quiet, but "they cried the more." Real faith is not silenced by the crowd; when Christ is passing and mercy is near, it will not be shushed. Jesus "stood still", the One walking to Jerusalem to give His life stops for two blind beggars, and asks, "What will ye that I shall do unto you?" Their answer is simple and earnest: "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." And "Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes," and at once they could see. There is gospel in every line. Christ is moved with compassion by the cry of the needy; He is never too busy, even on the road to His own death, to stop for the desperate. The men who confessed Him as Lord and cried for mercy received their sight, and then "they followed him", the fruit of every true opening of the eyes is to follow Christ. Here is a parable of salvation itself: we are all blind beggars by the roadside; when we cry to Jesus for mercy, refusing to be silenced, and ask Him to open our eyes, He touches us with compassion, gives us sight, and we rise to follow Him. Cry out to the Son of David, and do not stop until He has opened your eyes.
Chapter 20 in Review
Matthew 20 gathers the reversals of the kingdom around the coming cross. In the parable of the labourers, the householder pays the eleventh-hour workers the same as the first, teaching that God deals in grace, not merit: "Is thine eye evil, because I am good?" and "the last shall be first, and the first last." A third time Jesus foretells His betrayal, mocking, scourging, crucifixion, and rising. When the mother of James and John seeks the chief thrones for her sons, He turns their eyes from crowns to a cup, and lays down the law of true greatness: "whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant," for "the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." At Jericho, two blind men confess Him as "Son of David," cry for mercy through the crowd's rebuke, and receive their sight, and follow Him.
For the Apostolic reader the center of the chapter is the ransom. The cross Jesus keeps predicting is here explained: He came "to give his life a ransom for many," His life laid down in the place of sinners to buy them back from sin. The King of glory is the King who serves; the God who made us stooped to redeem us. Around that center the chapter presses two great truths into the heart of every disciple. First, salvation and reward are of grace, so put away both pride in your labor and envy at God's generosity to others, and simply be grateful that He is good. Second, true greatness is servanthood, patterned on the Lord who washed feet and shed blood, so lay down the world's ladder-climbing and take up the towel. And the blind men show the way in: cry to the Son of David for mercy, refuse to be silenced, ask Him to open your eyes, and when He does, follow Him, all the way to the cross where He gave His life a ransom for you.
- God deals by grace, not merit; He is generous beyond our reckonings of fairness (20:15).
- Pride in our service and envy at God's goodness to others are both rebuked (20:11-12, 16).
- Jesus walked to the cross knowingly, foretelling it in full detail (20:18-19).
- True greatness is servanthood: "let him be your servant" (20:26-27).
- Christ came to give His life "a ransom for many," in the place of sinners (20:28).
- Faith cries to the Son of David for mercy and will not be silenced (20:30-31).
Questions for Reflection
- Does God's grace to others make you grateful, or grudging?
- Are you seeking thrones, or taking up the towel of a servant?
- Have you grasped that Christ gave His life as a ransom in your place?
- Will you, like the blind men, cry to Christ for mercy and refuse to be silenced?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. Christ our ransom and redemption: 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Titus 2:14. The cup of suffering: Matthew 26:39. Greatness as servanthood: John 13:12-17; Philippians 2:5-8. The Son of David, the promised Messiah: 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 11:1. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The parable of the labourers in the vineyard: Matthew 20:1-16.
- The third passion prediction, the sons of Zebedee, and the ransom: Matthew 20:17-28; Mark 10:32-45; Luke 18:31-34; 1 Timothy 2:5-6.
- The two blind men at Jericho: Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43.