The Evidence Bible - Mattheus - Evangelisatie-materiaal.nl

Matthew 19 200
29 And every one that has forsaken houses,
or brethren, or sisters, or father, or
mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for
my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold,
and shall inherit everlasting life.
30 But many that are first shall be last;
and the last shall be first.
F
CHAPTER 20
OR the kingdom of heaven is like to
a man that is an householder, which
went out early in the morning to hire laborers
into his vineyard.
2 And when he had agreed with the laborers
for a penny a day, he sent them into
his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour,
and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 And said to them; Go also into the vineyard,
and whatsoever is right I will give
you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and
ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went
out, and found others standing idle, and
said to them, Why do you stand here all
the day idle?
7 They said to him, Because no man has
hired us. He said to them, Go also into
the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that
shall you receive.
8 So when even was come, the lord of
the vineyard said to his steward, Call the
laborers, and give them their hire, beginning
from the last to the first.
9 And when they came that were hired
about the eleventh hour, they received
every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed
that they should have received
more; and they likewise received every
man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they
murmured against the goodman of the
house,
12 Saying, These last have wrought but
one hour, and you have made them equal
to us, which have borne the burden and
heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and
said, Friend, I do you no wrong: did not
you agree with me for a penny?
14 Take what is yours, and go your way:
I will give to this last, even as to you.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I
will with mine own? Is your eye evil, because
I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first
last: for many be called, but few chosen.
17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took
the twelve disciples apart in the way, and
said to them,
18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and
the Son of man shall be betrayed to the
chief priests and to the scribes, and they
shall condemn him to death,
19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles
to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify
him: and the third day he shall rise again.
20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s
children with her sons, worship-
19:24 The eye of a needle. A common interpretation is that Jerusalem had a main gate, beside
which was a smaller gate called “the eye of a needle.” When the main gate was closed, a camel
had to forsake its load, then get on its knees and crawl through the smaller gate to enter the city.
This is what a rich man must do to enter the celestial city. He must forsake his riches and humble
himself to enter. Interesting though it may sound, it is unlikely that this is correct, because of the response
of both the disciples and Jesus. If that’s what Jesus was saying, the disciples would have
more than likely responded with something like, “That makes sense.” Instead, they were “exceedingly
amazed.” What Jesus had said astonished them. He didn’t then respond to their astonishment
by saying that it was “difficult” for a camel to get through the eye of the needle. Rather, He used
the word “impossible.” It would seem therefore that the analogy was to a literal camel and a literal
needle.
“The gate of heaven, though it is so wide that the greatest sinner may enter, is nevertheless so low
that pride can never pass through it.” Charles Spurgeon