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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | For many are called, but few chosen | Matt 20:15 | Ray | 19623 | ||
I have been looking today at Matthew 20:15 and considering how Jesus asked His disciples, "Or is your eye envious (evil) because I am generous (good)?" In Matthew 19:27 we see what led up to His question. That is, Peter and the disciples asked, "What then will there be for us?" I know that the message of the bible is one of contrasts. One of these contrasts is our sinfulness compared to God's goodness. This passage is showing us God's goodness and that we are not our own but we are Christ's. The words in parenthesis above are the literal translations as noted in my Study Bible. The passage is showing that Jesus is good (God) in much the same way that Luke 18:19 shows that He is God. Luke 18:19, "And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone." I believe that Jesus is calling Himself good here and I would, (if I were a translator/interpreter), write the literal word "good". The person in the parable would not be "good", for no one is good. It is for that reason that I would end the quotation marks for the parable at verse 14 and have verse 15 as Jesus talking to the disciples for He is the One who is good. It is His conversation with the disciples that reinforces the phrase, "So the last shall be first, and the first last." My Study Bible leads me also to Matthew 6:22-24 because Jesus talks about their eyes being envious or evil. The message that is learned is that "You cannot serve God and wealth." A comparison of Matthew 6:25-29 with Matthew 20:15 shows how generous and good the Father is to His own. It is for these reasons that I would interpret through the use of capitalization of the pronouns Matthew 20:15 to read: "Is it not lawful for Me to do what I wish with what is My own? Or is your eye envious [evil] because I am good?" I would also put in the sentence that is found in the NKJ that explains and wraps up the parable, "So the last shall (will) be first, and the first last. *For many are called, but few chosen.*" I would appreciate any discussion. Later, Ray |
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2 | For many are called, but few chosen | Matt 20:15 | Dan K. | 19669 | ||
Hi Ray, If I may, I would like to add a thought regarding Mt. 20:15. As I see it, the parable concerns the generosity of God, or, very specifically, the grace of God. If God deals with us in justice, we get what we deserve. If God deals with us in mercy, we don't get what we deserve. If God deals with us in grace, we get what we don't deserve, or, unmerited favor. In the parable, the Lord said to the prospective workers, "whatever is right, I will give you." Inasmuch as God is perfectly just, and the One who determines what is right, it follows that He will always do what is right. He is not only the Creator of all things, He is also Lord of all things. The Jews had a great deal of difficulty accepting the fact that Gentiles would be granted salvation. The disciples debated much about who would receive the greatest rewards in the upcoming Kingdom of God. If the Jews, or the disciples, could have merited salvation through self-effort, then Jesus would have died in vain. Those of us who revel in the knowledge of the grace of God know better than that. Our salvation is the gift of God - not of works. There will not be a single person in heaven who deserves to be there based on their self-righteosness. Any crowns we receive, we will cast at the feet of Jesus because if it were not for the work of Jesus, we would never have accomplished anything anyway. "Apart from me," Jesus said, "you can do nothing." Thank God that He is generous! Dan K. |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Matt 20:15 | Author | ||
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Ray | ||
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Dan K. |