Episode 244: On an ass and a colt

Matthew 20-21

20 ¹ Jesus told this parable:

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

² He agreed to pay his workers a penny a day.

³ A few hours later he found some people at the marketplace with nothing to do.

⁴ He said to them, "Go work in my vineyard; I'll pay you whatever is right." And the workers went to work.

⁵ At noon he went out again and found more workers, agreeing to pay them whatever is right. He did the same a few hours later.

^6-7 An hour or so before sunset, he found more idle people, and said to them, "Go into the vineyard and you'll be paid whatever is right."

⁸ When evening came, the lord of the vineyard said to his foreman, "Call the workers and pay them their wages, from the last that was hired to the first."

⁹ Those who had worked for one hour received a penny.

¹⁰ Those who had worked for twelve hours also received a penny.

^11-12 Those who had worked all day for a penny, complained to the lord of the vineyard, saying, "We worked all day, through the heat of the day, yet you paid us the same as those who worked for only one hour at the end of the day."

¹³ He answered them, saying, “I did you no wrong. Didn't you agree to work for a penny?

¹⁴ Take your penny and go away. I'll give a penny to those that I hired last, just like I gave you.

¹⁵ Isn't it lawful for me to do what I want with my money? Is your eye evil because I am good? “

¹⁶ So the first will be last and the last first. For many are called, but few are chosen.

Jesus foretells his death (for the third time)

¹⁷ Jesus said to his disciples,

We are going to Jerusalem, where the Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death.

¹⁹ He will be delivered to the Gentiles who will mock, scourge, and crucify him. And on the third day he will rise again.

The mother of James and John ask Jesus for a favor (special seats in heaven)

²⁰ Then the mother of James and John came to Jesus, and said to him,

Let my two sons sit on your right and left sides in your kingdom.

²³ Jesus said,

The decision as to who will sit at my right and left isn't mine to give. That's up to my Father.

²⁴ When the other ten disciples heard about it, they were angry with the two brothers.

²⁵ Jesus called them, and said,

²⁶ Whoever will be great among you, will serve the others.

²⁸ The Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to die as a ransom for many.

Two blind men

²⁹ As they left Jericho, a great crowd followed them, and two blind men cried out,

³⁰ Have mercy on us, O Lord, son of David.

³⁴ Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they could see. And they followed him.

Jesus rides into Jerusalem (on an ass and a colt)

21 ¹ When Jesus and his disciples neared Jerusalem, he sent two of his disciples, saying,

² Go to the village. When you find an ass and a colt bring them to me.

³ If anyone says anything about it, say, "The Lord needs them." And he'll send them right away.

⁴ This was done to fulfill the words of the prophet, saying

⁵ Behold, thy King comes to you, meek, and sitting on an ass and a colt.

^6-7 The disciples did as Jesus commanded, and brought an ass and a colt, put clothes on them, and set Jesus on them.

⁸ A great crowd spread their clothes and branches in front of Jesus, and said,

⁹ Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Jesus's temple tantrum

¹² Jesus went into the temple and threw out everyone who was buying and selling, toppling the tables of the money changers and those who sold doves.

¹³ He said to them,

It is written, "My house shall be called the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves."

¹⁴ The blind and the lame came to Jesus in the temple, and he healed them.

Jesus kills a fig tree (by cursing it)

¹⁸ The next morning, as Jesus returned to Jerusalem, he was hungry.

¹⁹ When he saw a fig tree, he looked at it and found no fruit. So he said to the tree, "No fruit will ever grow on you." And the tree died immediately.

²⁰ The disciples said, "Look how quickly the fig tree died!"

²¹ Jesus said to them,

If you have faith and don't doubt, you'll not only kill fig trees, but cast mountains into the sea. If you believe, whatever you ask for, you'll get.

Jesus stumps the chief priests and elders

²³ When Jesus went into the temple, the chief priests and elders came to him and said, "By what authority do you teach?"

²⁴ Jesus said,

Let me ask you a question.

If you answer my question, I'll answer yours.

²⁵ Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?

²⁷ They said, "We can't tell."

Jesus said, "Then I won't tell you where I get my authority."

A parable about a vineyard

³³ Jesus said,

There was a man who owned a vineyard and leased it to tenants and went to another country.

³⁴ When it was time to harvest the fruit, he sent servants to the vineyard to get the fruit.

³⁵ The tenants beat one servant, killed another, and stoned another.

³⁶ So the owner sent more servants, and the tenants did the same to them.

³⁷ Finally, the owner sent his son, saying, "They'll respect my son."

³⁸ But the tenants said to each other, "This is the heir. Let's kill him to get his inheritance."

³⁹ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰ What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do to the tenants?

⁴¹ The chief priests and Pharisees said,

He will kill the tenants and lease his vineyard to others who will give him the fruit.

⁴² Jesus said to them,

⁴³ The kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation that will bring fruits.

^45-46 After the chief priests heard this parable, they wanted to arrest Jesus, but they feared the crowds who thought he was a prophet.