How do equal wages, requested seats and service appear together?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The vineyard parable and the request of Zebedee’s sons precede teaching that greatness among the disciples means service, then the restoration of sight.

Chapter breakdown

# Matthew 20

Jesus likens heaven’s kingdom to a householder hiring workers for his vineyard. Early workers agree to a penny a day. At the third hour he finds others idle in the marketplace and promises what is just; he does similarly at the sixth and ninth hours. At the eleventh hour others say nobody has hired them, and he sends them too. In the evening he orders his steward to pay from last to first. The eleventh-hour workers each receive a penny. The first expect more but receive the same. They complain that the last worked one hour while they bore the day’s burden and heat. The master tells one that he has done no wrong because the penny was agreed, tells him to take his own and go, and says he wishes to give the same to the last. He asks whether the worker’s eye is evil because he is good. Jesus concludes that last will be first and first last, with many called but few chosen. **Source commentary:** the note limits the householder’s doing what he wills to his own property and matters of his own bounty; it does not state a general labor-law rule.

Going up to Jerusalem, Jesus takes the twelve apart and predicts betrayal to the chief priests and scribes, their condemnation to death, delivery to Gentiles for mockery, scourging and crucifixion, and resurrection on the third day. The mother of Zebedee’s sons comes with her sons, adoring and asking. She requests seats for them at his right and left in his kingdom. Jesus says they do not know what they ask and asks whether they can drink his chalice. They answer that they can. He says they will drink it, but the seats are for those for whom his Father has prepared them. The other ten become indignant with the brothers. Jesus contrasts the Gentile princes’ exercise of power with the disciples’ calling: the greater must be their minister and the first their servant, as the Son of man comes to minister and give his life as a redemption for many.

Leaving Jericho with a crowd, Jesus passes two blind men by the roadside. Hearing of him, they call him Lord and Son of David and ask mercy. The crowd rebukes them into silence, but they cry the more. Jesus stops, calls them, and asks what they want him to do. They ask for their eyes to be opened. He has compassion and touches their eyes. They immediately see and follow him. No further motive for their following is stated.

The story inside

A dispute about equal payment is followed by the passion announcement and requested seats; the final scene follows the departure from Jericho.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The agreed wage is a penny, without a supplied claim that it is the standard market wage.
2
The annotation concerns the owner’s property and bounty.
3
The restored men follow; gratitude and the route’s pilgrimage purpose are not stated.

Test your recall

Penny for each; last to first; chalice and seats; minister and servant; two blind men.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 112814–112868
Matthew Chapter 20 The parable of the labourers in the vineyard. The ambition of the two sons of Zebedee. Christ gives sight to two blind men. 20:1. The kingdom of heaven is like to an householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 20:2. And having agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 20:3. And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the marketplace idle. 20:4. And he said to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and I will give you what shall be just. 20:5. And they went their way. And again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did in like manner. 20:6. But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he saith to them: Why stand you here all the day idle? 20:7. They say to him: Because no man hath hired us. He saith to them: Go ye also into my vineyard. 20:8. And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward: Call the labourers and pay them their hire, beginning from the last even to the first. 20:9. When therefore they were come that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 20:10. But when the first also came, they thought that they should receive more: And they also received every man a penny. 20:11. And receiving it they murmured against the master of the house, 20:12. Saying: These last have worked but one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, that have borne the burden of the day and the heats. 20:13. But he answering said to one of them: friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny? 20:14. Take what is thine, and go thy way: I will also give to this last even as to thee. 20:15. Or, is it not lawful for me to do what I will? Is thy eye evil, because I am good? What I will.... Viz., with my own, and in matters that depend on my own bounty. 20:16. So shall the last be first and the first last. For many are called but few chosen.
Lines 112870–112928
20:17. And Jesus going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples apart and said to them: 20:18. Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes: and they shall condemn him to death. 20:19. And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified: and the third day he shall rise again. 20:20. Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and asking something of him. 20:21. Who said to her: What wilt thou? She saith to him: say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom. 20:22. And Jesus answering, said: You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? They say to him: We can. 20:23. He saith to them: My chalice indeed you shall drink; but to sit on my right or left hand is not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared by my Father. 20:24. And the ten, hearing it, were moved with indignation against the two brethren. 20:25. But Jesus called them to him and said: You know that the princes of the Gentiles lord it over them; and that they that are the greater, exercise power upon them. 20:26. It shall not be so among you: but whosoever is the greater among you, let him be your minister. 20:27. And he that will be first among you shall be your servant. 20:28. Even as the Son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a redemption for many. 20:29. And when they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 20:30. And behold two blind men sitting by the way side heard that Jesus passed by. And they cried out, saying: O Lord, thou son of David, have mercy on us. 20:31. And the multitude rebuked them that they should hold their peace. But they cried out the more, saying: O Lord, thou son of David, have mercy on us. 20:32. And Jesus stood and called them and said: What will ye that I do to you? 20:33. They say to him: Lord, that our eyes be opened. 20:34. And Jesus having compassion on them, touched their eyes. And immediately they saw and followed him.