KINGDOM STANDARDS (Matthew 20)

KINGDOM STANDARDS (Matthew 20)

H. A. IRONSIDE

MATTHEW 20:1-16 - As this is a likeness of the kingdom of heaven in its mystery form, the householder necessarily represents the Lord Himself. The laborers are those who hear His call for service in the great harvest-field. 

  The lesson for us is evident. Every disciple of Christ is expected to act upon His bidding and to heed His call for service. At the day of manifestation every man shall be rewarded for his own work according to its character and not merely for the amount of time put in. Jesus Himself did not live long, but He lived deep; and in His three-and-a-half years of service He accomplished far more than anyone else in a long life. In this, many of His followers have imitated Him. 

  “The mother of Zebedee’s children.” That is, the mother of James and John. She evidently expected Jesus to proclaim Himself as the promised Messianic King in Jerusalem and she was ambitious for her children that they might have two of the best portfolios in the new government. Mark tells us that James and John themselves concurred in her request (10:35). 

Christ’s Cup and Baptism. He referred to the cup of rejection and hatred He was to drink, and the baptism of death He was to endure. To a certain extent all His disciples share in both of these. There is another sense in which none but He could go through them. The cup of judgment which He drained to the dregs for us, and the baptism of the divine wrath against sin which He endured upon the cross were His alone.

Those for Whom It Is Prepared. The displayed kingdom of God upon earth will be the sphere in which His saints will reign with Him. In that kingdom each one will be rewarded according to the measure of his devotedness during the time of association with our Lord in His rejection. To them the Father has decreed that precedence shall be given in that day of glory. 

  “It shall not be so among you.” In the heavenly kingdom it is meekness and unselfish service that have the pre-eminence. To prefer others before oneself, to minister in grace rather than to rule in power, is to exemplify the spirit of our Royal Leader. There is no room for earthly pomp or worldly glory in the circle of Christ’s followers. To seek for personal advancement and to endeavor to lord it over one’s brethren is thoroughly contrary to the spirit of Him who became Servant of all, though He created the universe. The spirit of a Diotrephes (3 John 9) is far removed from the spirit of Christ and should be avoided by all His servants, but that of an Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25–29). 

  Our Lord, who, because of His very nature, had every right to assert Himself and seek recognition and honor from the men whom He created, chose to take the place of Servant of all. He humbled Himself to become Man, but that was not enough. As Man, He took the servant’s place, and at last gave Himself up to death for us in the sacrifice of the cross, that He might redeem us to God. He has glorified and exemplified the dignity of service and self-abnegation in such a way as to give an altogether new standard of greatness. He has stained the pride of all earthly glory (Isaiah 23:9) and shown it to be mere selfishness, and thus opposed to that which has the approval of God. To serve, not for present gain, but to bless and help others, and thus to express our gratitude to God for His grace and love so freely bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus, should be the laudable ambition of all who know Him as Saviour and Lord 

  MATTHEW 20:29-33 - Matthew tells us here that there were two blind men sitting by the way side; whereas Mark and Luke speak of only one, and that one named Bartimaeus. There were two. The Holy Spirit guided Matthew from any error in regard to this, but it is very clear that Bartimaeus was the stronger character of the two, and the one upon whom attention is focused in the accounts of Mark and Luke. 

   While the great and the mighty in Israel refused Him, these two, who for years had been blind mendicants, recognized Him as the rightful King of Israel and gladly owned Him as such.