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NASB | Matthew 20:15 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?' |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 20:15 'Am I not lawfully permitted to do what I choose with what is mine? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?' |
Subject: For many are called, but few chosen |
Bible Note: 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 |
Down View Branch | ID# 19623 | ||
Questions and/or Subjects for Matt 20:15 | Author | ||
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Ray | ||
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Dan K. |