20:9-16
So all the workers received the same day’s wage. This outraged the early workers. Why should they not get paid more!? But God’s kingdom is founded upon grace, not works. If we try to work things out on the basis of merit we will get nowhere, we will never understand Jesus. All the workers received what they were paid what they were promised. All who come into the kingdom receive eternal life, all of us.
We also have the message that God decides who gets saved, and He can do what He likes. We so want to turn things around and make it dependent upon us. If it is dependent upon us then we are all doomed, for we all deserve hell. But the kingdom is dependent upon the grace of God. “So the last will be first, and the first will be last”.
20:17-19
The title in the NIV is “Jesus predicts His death a third time”. “Predicts” is not the right word here, foretells would be better. Jesus is predicting what would happen, but telling them what would happen. The cross was the deliberate plan of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, carried out according to their plan. Jesus told the twelve why they were going up to Jerusalem and that He would be handed over to the chief priests and teachers of the Law. Then He would be condemned to death and handed over to the Gentiles. They would mock and flog Him, then crucify Him. “On the third day He will be raised to life”. The disciples never seemed to hear this last bit!
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