The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
1. “For the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a householder, who went out in the morning to hire workers into his vineyard.
2. And when he had agreed with the workers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3. And going out around the third hour, he saw others standing in the market idle;
4. And he said to these, ‘Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatever is just, I will give you.’ And they departed.
5. Again coming out about the sixth and ninth hour, he did likewise.
6. And going out about the eleventh hour, he found others standing idle, and says to them, ‘Why do you stand here all the day idle?’
7. They say unto him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He says to them, ‘Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatever is just, you shall receive.’
8. And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, ‘Call the workers, and pay them the hire, beginning from the last unto the first.’
9. And when they came that [were hired] about the eleventh hour, they received each a denarius.
10. And when the first came they supposed that they should receive more, and they also received each a denarius.
11. And receiving, they murmured against the householder,
12. Saying, ‘These last have done one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, who have borne the weight of the day, and the heat.’
13. But he answering said to one of them,’ Fellow, I do not treat thee unjustly; didst thou not agree with me for a denarius?
14. Take thine own and go thy way; but I will to give to this last [one] even as unto thee.
15. Is it not permitted for me to do what I will with what is mine? Is thine eye wicked, because I [am] good?’
16. So the last shall be first, and the first last; for many are called, but few chosen.”
As we have seen, Jesus uses parables to describe the kingdom of heaven. At various times in this gospel, Jesus has described the kingdom of heaven as a man sowing seed, as a woman hiding leaven in bread, as treasure hidden in a field, and as a pearl of great price (see Matthew 13:18-46). And, most recently, while speaking to the disciples about what life would be like in that new kingdom, Jesus said, “When the Son of Man will sit on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).
While the disciples understand this promise literally, Jesus means something much deeper. The question arises, therefore, “Why does Jesus use parables to describe the coming kingdom?” On one level, Jesus speaks in parables so that prophecy might be fulfilled. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “I will open My mouth in parables” (Psalm 78:2).
On a deeper level, however, Jesus speaks in parables so that the Word can be understood at a number of different levels, depending upon each person’s ability to live according to the truth and not depart from it. The Word is given in this way because the greatest spiritual danger we can ever face is that of profanation. This occurs when we first acknowledge truth and live according to it, but later deny it and live according to our own desires. To guard against this peril to our spiritual well-being, Jesus speaks to His disciples — and to us — in parables. 1
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When Jesus tells His disciples that they will “sit on thrones,” He knows that this promise will appeal to them and be seen as a great reward for their faithfulness. Nevertheless, as they continue to follow Jesus throughout their lives and afterward into their lives beyond death, the more interior meaning of “sitting on thrones” will gradually be revealed to them. They will discover that Jesus has been speaking to them in the language of parable, using a familiar concept about earthly rule to convey a spiritual message about heavenly government. As stated earlier in chapter thirteen of this gospel, “Without a parable He did not speak” (Matthew 13:34). 2
The workers in the vineyard
As this next episode begins, Jesus continues to speak to His disciples in parables. This time He compares the kingdom of heaven to a vineyard, and the Lord as the owner of that vineyard. As it is written, “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard” (Matthew 20:1).
In those days, a normal workday began at dawn, which was called “the first hour.” According to this method of measuring time, the third hour was mid-morning, the sixth hour was mid-day, the ninth hour was mid-afternoon, and the twelfth hour was at sunset, the end of the workday. Throughout the day, workers would gather in the marketplace hoping to be hired so that they might earn a day’s wage. When sunset came, the workday ended, and the workers were paid for their labor.
In that culture, prompt payment for a day’s work was considered not only a civic responsibility but also a religious duty. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “You are to pay him his wages each day before the sun sets, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise, he will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be held guilty” (Deuteronomy 24:15).
The first people who are hired agree to work for one denarius — the equivalent of one day’s wages. By contrast, those who are hired at the third, sixth, and ninth hours are only promised that they will be paid, but no amount is specified. The landowner simply says, “Go work in my vineyard and whatever is just I will give you” (Matthew 20:4).
Then, at the eleventh hour, one hour before sunset, the landowner approaches the last group of workers and says to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” (Matthew 20:6). They answer, “Because no one has hired us” (Matthew 20:7). This time, the landowner does not speak about what he will give them. Rather, he speaks about what they will receive. As he says, “Go work in my vineyard and whatever is just you will receive” (Matthew 20:7).
When the time comes to pay the workers, they are all given one denarius — regardless of how many hours they have worked. Those who worked twelve hours murmur against the landowner, saying, “These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day” (Matthew 20:12).
At first glance, it seems unfair that this landowner would pay every worker the same wage regardless of how many hours each had worked. The parable, therefore, challenges our normal sense of fairness and bids us to look more deeply into its spiritual meaning. And, as we do, we notice that this is a continuation of the previous episode when Jesus told His disciples that they would sit on thrones and then added, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:30)
In fact, in this parable, this reversal actually takes place. We read, “When evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first’” (Matthew 20:8). The last to be hired are the first to be paid; and the first to be hired are the last to be paid.
When we lift our eyes above the literal level of this parable, we come into a new understanding of who are “the first” and who are “the last.” Seen spiritually, these laborers — the first and the last — are parts of ourselves. Those who have worked all day long, and complain about the burden and the heat of the day, represent our lower nature — the part of ourselves that works primarily for personal reward and selfish gain, rather than from a love of serving others.
In this context, it should be noted that those who had worked all day had negotiated a specific wage — one denarius. In other words, they were working for money. As long as recompense for their labors is their primary concern, their labors are experienced as hard and burdensome. In the language of sacred scripture, this is why these workers complain, saying, “We have borne the burden and the heat of the day” (Matthew 20:12). 3
This is the way each of us begins our spiritual life. We think of heaven as a reward for good works. Like the young man in the previous chapter, we ask, “What good thing shall I do that I might have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16). And then, in the very next episode, Peter has a similar request. He says to Jesus, “We have left all and followed You. Therefore, what shall we have?” (Matthew 19:27).
At the beginning of our regeneration, this kind of reward-seeking attitude is acceptable. It’s where we all begin. But if we are to advance to higher levels of spiritual life, we must move beyond reward-seeking behavior. This is represented by those who are hired at the third, sixth, and ninth hours. They agree to work based on the simple promise that the landowner will pay them “whatever is right.”
This is a more advanced stage in our spiritual development. In this stage, we know that the Lord will indeed reward us in some way for our dutiful efforts to live according to His will. We don’t know what the specific reward will be, but we trust that it will be “whatever is right.” While the idea of being rewarded for doing the Lord’s will is present, it is not what predominantly motivates us. Instead, we are serving the neighbor because it is the right thing to do, trusting that we will receive a fair reward for our labors.
The eleventh-hour workers
Finally, when the landowner approaches the last group at the eleventh hour, he does not specify a wage, nor does he promise to pay them whatever is right. He simply says, “Go and work in my vineyard.” And they do. This represents an even higher stage in our spiritual development. In this stage, we serve the Lord from love. In other words, we are no longer motivated by a desire for a reward, nor are we motivated by a sense of duty. Instead, we are inspired by love. 4
Whenever we labor out of an unselfish love for others, we lose all sense of time. Instead of saying, “I have to do this,” which suggests that we are doing it for profit or from a sense of duty, we say, “I get to do this,” which suggests that we are doing it from love. To put it another way, whenever we are motivated by love, the work of an entire day seems but an hour, and a minute flies by in a second. This is what is meant by a “labor of love,” or to labor from love, in love, because of love.
We may not realize it, but whenever we are working from love, it is really the Lord who is working in us and through us. And since He is doing the work — not us — it does not seem hard or burdensome. As Jesus said in an earlier episode, “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart. And you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).
This idea, that when we are inspired by love, work can be regarded as relatively easy and the burden can be seen as relatively light, is also taught in the Hebrew scriptures. When Jacob met Rachel, he offered to work for her father for seven years before he could marry her. For Jacob, who loved Rachel deeply, the seven years of service did not seem to be a long time. As it is written, “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel. And yet, the seven years seemed but seven days because of the love he had for Rachel” (Genesis 29:20).
Returning to the parable of the workers in the vineyard, it’s interesting that the workers who were chosen at the eleventh hour are questioned about being “idle.” As the landowner says to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” (Matthew 20:6). They respond, “Because no one has hired us” (Matthew 20:17). It isn’t that they did not want to work. In fact, they had been waiting all day but had not been hired until now. In the literal sense, it’s merely a story about people who want to work but are not employed. More deeply, however, this is a story about those qualities that have, so to speak, remained “idle” through the years.
These qualities that have been idle for so long are the innocent, trusting states we once had during infancy and early childhood. These states, which were freely given by the Lord, laid an important foundation for the innocent trust that we might eventually develop towards God in our later years. During the course of our growth into adolescence and adulthood, however, these receptive states which were prevalent in our earlier years begin to recede and seem to be lost. That which once was “first” becomes, for a while, “last.”
While these earliest states may be temporarily forgotten, they are never really lost. The reality is that they remain with us, idle for now, but waiting to be re-employed. In this context, the landowner’s question, “Why have you been idle?” takes on new meaning. And the response of the eleventh-hour workers who say, “Because no one has hired us” takes on greater significance. 5
The response of the eleventh-hour workers reminds us that we have untapped resources within us. Our early experiences of love and trust, stored up in tender states of infancy and childhood, remain with us, waiting to be remembered and employed. These earliest states can serve as the foundation for those later, eleventh-hour states when total reliance on caregivers for food and shelter becomes total reliance on the Lord for goodness and truth. As Jesus said earlier in this gospel, these “little ones” should not be despised because “in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost” (Matthew 18:10-11).
“Is your eye evil because I am good?”
When the landowner hears the murmuring of the unhappy workers, he says, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with what is my own? Or is your eye evil because I am good” (Matthew 20:15). These workers can’t understand why they would get paid the same wage for twelve hours of work as someone else for working only one hour. Even though they had received exactly what was agreed upon, they can’t appreciate the landowner’s generosity or the plight of those who had to wait all day before they were called into employment.
To the extent that the all-day laborers see everything from the perspective of self-interest, they will continue to be dissatisfied. Similarly, we often find ourselves dissatisfied with things in life that are unfair. We wonder why bad people succeed and good people suffer. The prophets of old had similar concerns when they asked, “Why do the wicked prosper? Why do the faithless live at ease?” (Jeremiah 12:1). We should of course do all we can to see that innocent people are protected, that workers receive their fair compensation, and that justice prevails in the world.
At the same time, however, we should not doubt the wisdom of God who is constantly providing for each of us at every moment in unseen ways. While it is true that bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people, it is also true that the Lord is working within each of us — no matter what is happening on the outside — to continually refine our spirits. In other words, the Lord can use whatever happens, whether we perceive it as good or bad, to strengthen our faith and expand our capacity to love. 6
The choice is always ours. It is, therefore, to our benefit to give up all forms of grumbling against the Heavenly Landowner who loves us all equally. Instead of complaining and criticizing, we need to keep our spiritual eyes open, learning to see how the Lord will turn every burden, no matter how difficult, into an opportunity to deepen our faith, increase our love, and reach out to others.
Therefore, rather than think evil in our hearts towards Him who can bring the greatest good out of every situation, we need to trust in the Lord who is Goodness itself. Even if we do not get what we desire, and even when we see injustice in the world, this is never a reason to think evil of the Lord. As the landowner in the parable says to those who complain about his method of payment, “Is your eye evil, because I am good?” (Matthew 20:15). 7
Stages of spiritual development
In this parable, each group of workers represents an important stage in our spiritual development. If we have been faithful servants, laboring in the vineyard as the Lord has called us, learning truth and diligently performing the tasks which are appropriate to the various stages of our spiritual journey, we will come to our eleventh hour. This is a state in which we have returned to the innocence and trust of our early years, ready to receive the Lord’s goodness. In this state, we trust that the Lord is not only leading and guiding us, but also that He is always with us, and can bring great good out of any situation. 8
When we reach this stage in our spiritual development, the selfish concerns that had once made our days seem so long and our labors so heavy are no longer in first place. Instead, they have been banished to the periphery of our consciousness and are now in last place. At the same time, as our reward-seeking attitude departs, it is replaced by a trusting and receptive state. In this later state, represented by the “eleventh hour,” we find ourselves motivated by love to the Lord and love to the neighbor. These “labors of love,” which were in last place for so long, are now in first place, as they should be. Repeating what He said at the end of the previous chapter, Jesus again says, “the first shall be last, and the last first” (Matthew 20:16 see also Matthew 19:30).
At the literal level, this parable describes the business philosophy of a generous landowner who paid each worker the same, regardless of how long they worked. At the same time, it also contains wonderful teachings about our spiritual development. It describes how the Lord calls each of us into His vineyard throughout our life, providing spiritual blessings along the way to all who are willing to work, whether for a reward, or out of a sense of duty, or from love.
Just a few verses earlier, towards the end of the previous episode, Jesus described this eleventh-hour blessing as “a hundredfold” better than anything the disciples could imagine. But it would involve putting self-love and the love of the world last, and the things of heaven first. As Jesus said at that time, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or wife or children, or lands for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit everlasting life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:29-30).
The internal delight we experience and the love we feel whenever we are engaged in unselfish service without thought of reward is surely “a hundredfold” better than any reward the external world can offer. This is because the feelings we experience when involved in these eleventh-hour labors are communicated to us through the angels who are with us. At the deepest level, whenever we are feeling genuine love for others and experiencing the inward joy of service, we are inmostly experiencing the Lord’s love and joy, even though we are feeling it as our own. 9
Many are called, but few are chosen
As Jesus concludes the parable of the workers in the vineyard, He says, “many are called but few are chosen” (Matthew 20:16). This could be taken to mean that God predestines some people to heaven and some people to hell. But how could this possibly be true? After all, it is unthinkable to believe that any father would predestine any of His children to hell — let alone our Heavenly Father. The truth is that we are all born for heaven. Moreover, God does everything He can to get us there. This includes giving us His Word along with the ability to understand it and the power to live according to it. 10
At the same time, the Lord also gives us freedom of choice. This is the freedom to believe and do what He teaches, as well as the freedom to turn away and do whatever we want. In essence, then, God is continually calling us to follow Him along the path that leads to heaven. If we do not choose to follow the Lord’s call, it is not because the Lord is not calling. It is because we have freely chosen not to respond to that call and are unwilling to cooperate with the Lord. To put it another way, all people are accepted into heaven who freely accept heaven into themselves. 11
In this sense, then, everyone is called, and this calling is continual. It is a calling into His vineyard where we can learn the truths that will enable us to become the people God intends us to be. In fact, our spiritual growth, from the first dawning of truth in our minds until the sunset of our life, is represented by the several times that the Lord called workers into His vineyard.
Each calling represents the fulfillment of a certain and necessary stage in our spiritual development. As we learn truth and progress through the various stages of our spiritual journey, represented by the first, third, sixth, and ninth hours, we eventually come to the eleventh hour. When we have advanced this far, something wonderful takes place. We return to the receptive, innocent state characterized by our infancy and early years. 12
This time, however, the innocent willingness to be led by parents and caregivers becomes an innocent willingness to be led by the Lord. When this takes place, the innocence of infancy becomes the innocence of wisdom. 13
One of the chief characteristics of this later stage of spiritual development is not only the willingness to be led by the Lord, but also loving to do His will. We no longer have to compel ourselves to do what is right; we simply love to do so. In this advanced stage of our spiritual journey, we no longer work for the rewards of profit, prestige, and power. Nor do we learn truth to sharpen our intellect or enhance our reputation. Instead, we love truth because we not only see how it can be used to identify and overcome evil in ourselves, but also because it can be used to serve others. 14
Because there are few who reach this level of receptivity, freely choosing to be led by the Lord, it is written that “many are called, but few are chosen.” This does not mean that the Lord’s kingdom is in any way exclusive or limited to a “chosen few.” On the contrary, it is the Lord’s will that everyone comes into His kingdom. But we can only enter the kingdom of heaven by first learning the laws of that kingdom and then living them. As Jesus said when He taught His disciples how to pray, “Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10). The more we do this, the more we experience the blessings of heaven. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “God almighty will bless you with the blessings of heaven.” 15
It should also be added that the heavenly kingdom consists of many qualities. These include qualities such as loyalty, courage, perseverance, and patience. Because these qualities and others like them all have their origin in the Lord, they are limitless. Nevertheless, there are a few qualities which are of special importance. These are the qualities that comprise the inmost of heaven and are, therefore, the most essential. These include an absolute trust in the Lord, and a willingness to be led by Him. Associated with these essential qualities is the assurance that God is always with us, and no matter what happens, God can use it for our eternal well-being. Therefore, among the many qualities that are always available to us, these states of innocent trust in the Lord are, first of all, the “few” that should be chosen. 16
A practical application
When Jesus was on earth, He called many to follow Him into a life of selfless service. Similarly, the owner of the vineyard went into the marketplace throughout the day to call many to work in his vineyard. At the beginning of our spiritual lives, we might consider responding to the Lord’s call, but only if we know what the reward will be. This is represented by the payment of a “denarius.” Eventually, we might respond to the Lord’s call out of a sense of duty, trusting that we will receive a fair reward in the end. This is represented by the workers at the third, sixth, and ninth hours. Finally, however, we respond to the Lord’s call simply out of love. This advanced state in us is represented by the “eleventh hour.” It is in this eleventh hour state that the innocence implanted in us during infancy and childhood, and which seemed to be lost, re-emerges. This first and earliest state, which is the last to be accessed and employed, takes first place once again. This is yet another way of understanding Jesus’ promise that “the first shall be last.” As a practical application, then, be aware of the various ways that the Lord is calling you to serve in His vineyard. Perhaps it’s as simple as putting aside your own interests for a moment so that you might listen to or help out someone else. Then notice your response. Are you responding to that call in the hope of obtaining an earthly reward? Are you responding out of a sense of duty? Or are you responding in an eleventh-hour state? If you are responding from love, with the willingness to be led by the Lord and with no thought of reward, you have reached the eleventh hour.
Learning to Serve
17. And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took aside the twelve disciples by themselves in the way, and said to them,
18. “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man shall be delivered up to the chief priests and scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death,
19. And shall deliver Him up to the nations to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day He shall rise again.”
20. Then came to Him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, worshiping, and asking a certain thing of Him.
21. And He said to her, “What willest thou?” She says to Him, “Say that these my two sons may sit, one on Thy right hand and one on the left, in Thy kingdom.”
22. And Jesus answering said, “You know not what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup which I am about to drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They say to Him, “We are able.”
23. And He says to them, “You shall indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism which I am baptized with, but to sit on My right hand, and My left, is not Mine to give, but to those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”
24. And when the ten heard, they were indignant toward the two brothers.
25. But Jesus calling them, said, “You know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them, and the great exercise authority over them.
26. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever wills to become great among you, let him be your minister;
27. And whoever wills to be first among you, let him be your servant;
28. As the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His soul a ransom for many.”
In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, we learned that we are called to do whatever is set before us, with love in our hearts. This remains true, even when times are difficult and the tasks before us seem arduous. This truth serves as a most appropriate beginning for the next episode.
In this next episode, Jesus takes His disciples aside and reminds them for a third time that they are going up to Jerusalem where “the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death” (Matthew 20:18). Jesus knows what lies ahead. He is aware of the cup of sorrow that He must drink, and He knows there is no other way. It’s a good lesson to remember during our own times of trial.
While we can rest in the assurance that God sees a bright future for us, we should also keep in mind that the path to that bright future is not a downhill coast. Rather, it must necessarily lead us upwards to Jerusalem. Sometimes our only solace in this uphill struggle is the assurance that the Lord will see us through.
Even while Jesus is delivering this troubling message to His disciples, the mother of two of the disciples comes to Him and begs that her two sons be allowed to sit at His right hand and at His left hand when He reigns in His kingdom. Although the sons are not named in this passage, the woman who comes to Jesus to advocate for her sons is called “the mother of Zebedee’s sons.” In other words, she is the mother of James and John.
When Jesus says to her, “What do you desire?” her response is simple and straightforward. She replies, “Say that these my two sons may sit, one on Your right hand and one on the left, in Your kingdom” (Matthew 20:21). Even though Jesus has just predicted His coming betrayal, trial, and death, this mother and her two sons are still thinking about the earthly kingdom that they believe Jesus is about to establish. Therefore, Jesus offers a mild rebuke, saying, “You do not know what you ask” (Matthew 20:22).
Then, turning to the two disciples whose mother has just interceded for them, Jesus says, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Matthew 20:23). Jesus is here speaking about the fierce temptations and grievous struggles that await Him in Jerusalem. The two sons answer, simply, “We are able” (Matthew 20:22). They seem to have forgotten that Jesus has just told them about the terrible suffering He is about to undergo when they reach Jerusalem. It’s quite likely that their minds are still pre-occupied with Jesus’ more pleasing prediction — that they will soon be “sitting on thrones.”
Aware that this is what they are thinking about, Jesus says, “You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28).
No response is recorded to this statement. The silence of the two disciples and their mother suggests that they might be confused and disappointed. Only recently, Jesus had told them that the “Son of Man” would sit on “the throne of His glory” (Matthew 19:28), and now He is telling them that the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.
Similarly, Jesus had promised His disciples that they too would sit on thrones, but now He says that whoever desires to become great among them should be their servant, and whoever desires to be first among them, should be their slave. This is a very different message than the one about sitting on a throne and being a ruler. Jesus is now talking about serving and being a slave. It is no wonder, then, that the stunned disciples give no response.
When understood spiritually, there is really no conflict between the Son of Man ruling and the Son of Man serving. When the Son of Man is ruling, it refers to the rule of divine truth in our lives. However, when the Son of Man is serving, it refers to the fact that truth must be seen as the servant of goodness. While truth is first in time (we must first learn the truth), the goodness of life is first in terms of the end-in-view — that is, a life of useful service. In other words, truth serves by teaching us the path to goodness. While goodness is the goal, truth is what gets us there.
In the beginning of our regeneration, truth is seen as primary. Its function is compared to that of a king who rules his kingdom according to law. Therefore, in one sense it is most appropriate to speak about the “Son of Man” sitting on a throne and ruling because this is what the truth of the Word should do in our mind. It should rule — especially at the beginning of our regeneration.
This is especially true at the beginning of our regeneration when we need truth to subdue the masses of unruly thoughts and emotions that clamor for expression and satisfaction. This is why Jesus can truly say that the disciples will “sit on thrones.” As they come to understand the truth of scripture more deeply, they will be able to use those truths to subdue their own unruly emotions and desires. This, in the language of sacred scripture, is what it means by “sitting on thrones.”
But truth, which is so necessary in the beginning of regeneration, must eventually be seen as subordinate to the deeper qualities of humility, forgiveness, goodness, and mercy. For the divine truth, which Jesus calls “the Son of Man,” does not come to be served, but to serve. In other words, the divine truth of the Word is not an end in itself. Rather, it serves in leading us first of all to see, and then to do what is truly good. Although we all must begin with truth, which is meant by sitting on thrones, we must eventually regard truth as a servant. This is because truth serves to lead us to a life of goodness. Truth is first in time, but the goodness of life is the goal. It is the first in end. 17
At this point, it’s not about thrones and power; it’s about service and humility. At the beginning of chapter eighteen the disciples had approached Jesus and asked, “Who shall be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus answered by setting a little child in their midst and then speaking to the disciples about humility. This time Jesus is more direct. “Whoever will be first among you,” He says, “let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:27).
Jesus’s message is clear. Whether we serve in a high political position or as good neighbors, the inner blessings of heaven flow in whenever we are serving others from love. 18
A practical application
When Jesus told His disciples that if they wanted to be “first,” they should strive to be servants to each other. This was an indirect answer to the mother’s request that her two sons sit on thrones to the left and right of Jesus. For Jesus, it’s not about honor, glory, and power. It’s about service. This does not mean, however, that we should abandon truth and simply turn ourselves into servants who strive to fulfill every request and demand that comes our way. If we do, we are sure to burn out, just like the workers who had to bear the “burden and heat” of the day. That’s why we have truth. It is truth that serves to show us the way. It is truth that helps us distinguish between that which is helpful for others. that which is less helpful, and that which is harmful. It is truth that rescues us from being led astray by love alone without the guidance and direction of a doctrinally informed understanding. This is how truth serves to lead us into goodness. As a practical application, then, use truth as a servant. Let it guide you as you make your decisions about how you will serve and how you will utilize the energy and resources God has blessed you with. In any situation, be careful about blindly and indiscriminately loving without truth. Use truth, especially the truth you find in the internal sense of sacred scripture, to open your eyes. It will serve to show you how to respond from love and what to do from truth. 19
Opening Blind Eyes
29. And going out from Jericho, a crowd of many followed Him.
30. And behold, two blind [men] sitting by the way, hearing that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David.”
31. And the crowd rebuked them, that they should be silent; but they cried out more greatly, saying, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David.”
32. And Jesus standing called them, and said, “What do you will that I should do unto you?”
33. They say to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”
34. And Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and straightway their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
As mentioned in the preceding episode, we begin the process of regeneration by first learning truth so that it might rule over our selfish desires and ignoble impulses. Truth ruling, in the language of sacred scripture, is compared to a king, or the rational, masculine principle in our lives. This principle is recorded in one of the earliest and most well-known stories of the Hebrew scriptures. It’s the story of Adam, Eve, and the serpent in the Garden of Eden. In the story, Eve represents our undisciplined affections, and the serpent, because it crawls on the ground, represents our lowest, most sensual desires, especially the desire to do whatever we want apart from revelation. 20
When the Lord learns that Eve has listened to the voice of the serpent, it means that she is allowing herself to be ruled by her lowest desires and the false reasonings that justify those desires. Therefore, the Lord says that she will no longer be able to do whatever she likes. In the future, she will have to be obedient to her husband. As it is written, “He shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). 21
Generations of sincere believers have understood this passage to mean that husbands must rule over their wives. As Paul says, “Wives submit yourselves to your husbands” (Ephesians 5:22). We can understand, however, that this passage, like all sacred scripture, contains truths that relate primarily to our individual regeneration. In this case, the story of Adam and Eve speaks about that point in our regeneration — whether we are male or female — when higher truth must rule, and lower desires must obey.
But if we continue to live our lives by the truths revealed in the Lord’s Word, the time comes when our unruly desires have been disciplined. Our unregenerate nature begins to exert less pressure as it submits to the guidance of a new understanding. At this point a new nature can be born in us; it is a new will which strives to live in accordance with the Lord’s will. This, however, can only take place when we first consent to be ruled by truth. 22
It is fitting, therefore, that in this next episode, two blind men receive their sight. As it is written, “Two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!’” (Matthew 29:30 ). Jesus asks, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32). And they reply, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened” (Matthew 20:33). Jesus, moved by compassion, touches their eyes. As a result, their eyes are immediately opened “and they followed Him” (Matthew 20:34).
This is not the first time in this gospel that Jesus has opened blind eyes. In chapters nine, ten, eleven, twelve, and fifteen, mention is made of Jesus’ ability to open blind eyes. All of this is in fulfillment of the prophecy written through the prophet Isaiah, “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened” (Isaiah 35:5).
In the context of this episode, however, the opening of blind eyes has a specific meaning. Jesus has just taught His disciples that if they want to be first they should be servants. For the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. In essence, Jesus is opening their eyes to what spiritual life is all about. It’s not about glory and honor, nor is it about riches and wealth. It’s about love and service. This is the kind of truth that we can see when our spiritual eyes are opened. And this is why truth is so necessary. It shows us what the kingdom of heaven is all about, and what it means to be a citizen of that kingdom.
The healing of two blind men, then, represents a further opening of our spiritual eyes in the process of our regeneration. Although we had previously believed that truth was primary, we begin to see that truth serves as a means for what is truly primary, that is, living a life of unselfish service.
Throughout this gospel, Jesus has frequently referred to Himself as the “Son of Man.” This is a phrase that stands for both Jesus and the divine truth. Like the two blind men whose eyes are opened by Jesus, we are beginning to see that the Son of Man does not come to be served, but to serve. We are beginning to see that in the kingdom of heaven greatness is not about ruling, but about serving. When our eyes receive sight in this way, we willingly follow Jesus. Therefore, this episode closes with the words, “Their eyes immediately received sight, and they followed Him” (Matthew 20:34). 23
A practical application
The brief episode about a mother who begs Jesus to let her two sons sit on thrones beside Him in His coming kingdom is followed immediately by another brief episode about two blind men who ask Jesus to restore their sight. At first glance, there seems to be little connection between these two episodes. And yet, in the internal sense, they are both part of a seamless, divinely arranged narrative. The desire to sit on thrones, when seen more deeply, represents the desire to receive the truth that enables us to rule over our lower nature. Whenever this takes place, it can be said that Jesus has opened our eyes and given us spiritual sight. For example, when Jesus says that “The Son of Man does not come to be served, but to serve,” it is a truth that opens our spiritual eyes. We realize that we are not here to get as much as we want, but to give as much as we can. As a practical application, then, allow truth to open your eyes so that you might receive spiritual sight. Let the Lord open your eyes to the needs of those around you. If a neighbor needs help, reach out. If a friend needs comfort, give a listening ear. Use truth to guide you. And then, whatever service you choose to offer, let it be from love.
Footnotes:
1. Divine Providence 231:7-9: “The worst kind of profanation is committed by those who first acknowledge divine truths and live according to them, but afterwards depart from them and deny them…. Therefore, the Lord spoke in parables, as He Himself says: ‘Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand’” (Matthew 13:13).
2. Arcana Coelestia 3857:7: “If the disciples had been told that in the Lord's kingdom there are no thrones, nor positions of government and dominion, as in the world, and that they would not be able to pass judgement on even the smallest aspect of any one person, they would have rejected that saying, and each would have left the Lord and gone back to his own employment. The reason why the Lord spoke in the way He did was so that they would receive those things and through them be introduced into internal truths. For within the external truths which the Lord spoke internal truths lay stored away which in course of time are laid bare. And when these are laid bare, those external truths are dispelled and serve solely as the objects or the means for thought about internal ones.”
3. True Christian Religion 439: “In taking credit, we have a continual focus on our own reward, and a perception of it as our first and last goal. This stifles and extinguishes love for the Lord and love for our neighbor.”
4. Arcana Coelestia 9193: “A life of faith consists in doing the commandments from obedience and a life of charity consists in doing the commandments from love.” See also Apocalypse Explained 295:12: “Divine love wills nothing else than that love from itself may be with angels and men, and His love is with them when they love to live according to His commandments.”
5. True Christian Religion 677:4: “When infants are baptized, angels are placed over them, by whom they are kept in a state of receiving faith in the Lord; but as they grow up, and become independent and able to reason for themselves, they leave their guardian angels, and they draw to themselves such spirits as make one with their life and faith.” See also Arcana Coelestia 5979: “In the case of people who are in the lusts and delights of the love of self and of the world, and regard these as the end, evil spirits are so near them as to be in them, and to rule both their thoughts and their affections. When this is taking place, angels from heaven cannot possibly be within that sphere, but remain outside. Therefore. the angels recede as the infernal spirits approach nearer. Nevertheless, the angels from heaven in no case recede altogether from people, for then all would be over with them, because if people should be without communication with heaven by means of angels, they could not live.”
6. Arcana Coelestia 6663: “Most spirits who come from the world and have lived the life of the Lord’s commandments, before they can be uplifted into heaven and joined to societies there, are infested by the evils and falsities pertaining to them, to the end that these evils and falsities may be removed…. While this is being done, not only are the truths and goods strengthened which had been implanted before, but more are instilled; this being the result of every spiritual combat in which the combatant is victorious…. From all this it can now be seen how it is to be understood that truths [and goods] grow according to infestations, which is signified by the words, ‘The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.”
7. Arcana Coelestia 6574:3: “In the universal spiritual world reigns the end which proceeds from the Lord, which is that nothing whatever, not even the least thing, shall arise, except that good may come from it.” See also Arcana Coelestia 10618: “Evil is something that resides in a person, but never in the Lord. This is because the Lord is Goodness itself. Even so, evil is attributed to the Lord, because it seems that evil is attributable to God when people do not obtain what they desire.”
8. Apocalypse Explained 194: “‘Laboring in the vineyard’ is acquiring for oneself spiritual life through the knowledge of truth and good from the Word when applied to the uses of life…. A ‘vineyard’ in the Word signifies the spiritual church, and with a person spiritual life…. ‘Three’ signifies a full state, or what is complete even to the end, likewise ‘six’ and ‘nine.’ But ‘eleven’ signifies a state not yet full, and yet a receptive state such as there is with well-disposed children and infants. The ‘twelfth hour,’ to which all labored, signifies truths and goods in their fullness.”
9. Arcana Coelestia 5094:3: “A person does not live from oneself, but by an influx of life through heaven from the Lord.” See also Arcana Coelestia 548: “The laws of the Lord’s kingdom are based on the one great law that people shall love the Lord above all things and their neighbor as themselves, and now even more than themselves, for if they would be as the angels this is what they must do…. The possibility of such love is evident from the conjugial love that exists with some persons, who would suffer death rather than let their married partner be injured; and also, from the love of parents for their children, in that a mother will endure starvation rather than see her infant hunger…. And finally, the possibility of loving the neighbor more than oneself is evident from the very nature of love, which finds its joy in being of service to others, not for the sake of self but for the sake of love.”
10. Apocalypse Explained 802:4: “All are predestined for heaven, and those are called the chosen are those who learn truths and do them.” See also Brief Exposition 66: “What more hurtful, or more cruel notion could have been hatched out and believed concerning God, than that any part of the human race is predestined to damnation? For it would be a cruel belief, that the Lord, who is love itself and mercy itself, willed that a multitude of people should be born for hell … and that, out of His Divine wisdom, which is infinite, He would not and did not provide for those who live well, and acknowledge God, that they should not be cast into everlasting fire and torment; whereas the Lord is the Creator and Savior of all, and He alone leads all, and wills not the death of any.”
11. True Christian Religion 580:3: “Everyone can be regenerated and thus saved. This is because the Lord is present with all people in His divine good and truth … [giving them] the ability to understand and will, together with freedom of choice in spiritual things. In no person are these things lacking…. From all this it follows that everyone may be saved. Consequently, it is not the Lord’s fault if a person is not saved; it is the person’s fault, because the person does not co-operate.” See also Heaven and Hell 420: “Let them know, therefore, that everyone is born for heaven, that people are accepted into heaven who accept heaven into themselves in this world.”
12. Heaven and Hell 278: “Those who are in a state of innocence attribute nothing of good to themselves, but regard all things as received and ascribe them to the Lord. They wish to be led by Him and not by themselves. They love everything that is good and find delight in everything that is true, because they know and perceive that loving what is good, that is, willing and doing it, is loving the Lord, and loving truth is loving the neighbor… These for the most part outwardly appear simple, but inwardly they are wise and prudent. This is what is meant by the Lord’s words, ‘Be as wise as serpents and simple as doves’ (Matthew 10:16). Such is the innocence that is called the innocence of wisdom…. It does not take credit for anything good but ascribes it all to the Lord, and loves to be led by the Lord. It is this innocence which enables people to accept everything good and true that leads to wisdom. Therefore, people are created in such a way that they may be in external innocence during childhood, but in internal innocence when they are in old age, and to come to the latter through the former.”
13. Conjugial Love 413: “The wiser the angels are, the more innocent they are. What the innocence of wisdom is like can be seen in some measure from the innocence of early childhood, provided that the Lord is substituted for the parents there as the Father by whom such people are guided and to whom they attribute all that they receive.”
14. De Verbo 9[1-2]: “When people have self and the world as their focus, they fasten their mind on them, and think continually in accord with their self-interest, which is in darkness regarding everything connected with heaven. For human self-interest is nothing but evil, with its resulting falsity…. I have seen many spirits like this, and all of them longed for heaven with all their might. They have also been let into heaven. But when they got there, they were examined to see whether they knew anything of the truth possessed by angels, and they knew no more than just the words of the literal text, without any idea at all of the deeper meaning. This is what happens with those who study the Word with honor, reputation, or material gain as their objective. It is entirely different with those who study the Word out of an affection for truth, or who in reading the Word find delight in the truth because it is true. Such people have the love of God and love of the neighbor as their goal, and their focus is on life rather than on themselves. Because they love what is true, they receive an influx from the Lord, and they see and discover genuine truths in the Word. For they are enlightened intellectually, and in their enlightenment they perceive these things as if of themselves, even though it is not of themselves. After death they are raised into heaven, where truth exists in its own light; and they become spiritual, and are angels.”
15. Apocalypse Revealed 744: “By the ‘called’ indeed all are meant, because all have been called …. But by the ‘chosen’ it does not mean that some have been chosen as a result of predestination…. Those who are with the Lord in the external things of the church are termed ‘called’ while those in its internal things are termed ‘chosen.’” See also Arcana Coelestia 10762: “The Lord’s church is internal with those who do the Lord’s commandments from love.” See also Arcana Coelestia 6430: “The words ‘And He shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above” signifies a blessing with goodness and truth from within. This is evident from the signification of ‘blessings’ as being the multiplication of truth and the fruitfulness of good. In the spiritual sense, ‘blessing’ means nothing else. Also, ‘heaven above,’ means from within. This is because heaven with people is in their interiors. Therefore, people who are in the good of life are as to their interiors in society with angels, thus in heaven, and as to their exteriors they are in society with people, thus in the world. Therefore, when people receive the good and truth which flow in from the Lord through heaven from within, they are ‘blessed with the blessings of heaven above.’”
16. Arcana Coelestia 1906:1-3: “When people are born, they have not a particle of good of themselves, but are wholly defiled throughout with hereditary evil, and all that is good flows in, such as their love for parents, guardians, and their companions; and this from innocence. Such are the things that flow in from the Lord through the heaven of innocence and peace, which is the inmost heaven, and thus people are imbued with these states in their infancy.
Afterwards, when they grow up, these good, innocent, and peaceful states of infancy recede little by little; and so far people are introduced into the world, they come into its pleasures and lusts, and thus into its evils. As this takes place, the celestial things of infancy begin to disappear, but nevertheless they still remain…. Without these states, which are secretly given by the Lord and implanted in one’s natural disposition, a person could never become fully human.”
17. True Christian Religion 336:2: “Faith, by which is also meant truth, is first in time, while charity, by which is also meant good, is first in end [primary purpose]. And that which is first in end [purpose], is actually first, because it is primary; therefore, that which is first in time, is not actually first, but only apparently.” See also The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Teachings 303: “The ‘Son of Man’ signifies the divine truth.”
18. True Christian Religion 736:3: “Christ’s kingdom, which is heaven, is a kingdom of useful service. The Lord loves everyone, and wants us all to have what is good. What is good is being useful. Because the Lord does good and useful things indirectly through angels and in the world through people, He gives those who are performing useful service a love for being useful, and also a reward for being useful, which is inner bliss; and this inner bliss is eternal happiness.”
19. Arcana Coelestia 3820:2, 4: “They who are in external truths know the mere general truth that good is to be done to the poor; and they do not know how to discern who are truly poor, and still less that by the ‘poor’ in the Word are meant those who are spiritually so. In consequence of this, they do good alike to the evil and the good, not being aware that doing good to the evil is doing evil to the good, for thus there is given the evil the means of doing evil to the good. Therefore, they who are in such simple zeal are subject to the greatest infestations from the cunning and deceitful. They, on the contrary, who are in internal truths know who are the poor, discriminate among them, and do good to all people according to their quality…. Hence it is manifest how weak in understanding are they who are only in external truths; and that internal truths are what give to these essence and form, and also give quality to the good with them.” See also Conjugial Love 406: “When they come into the next world, most fathers call to mind their children who have passed away before them, and when the children are presented to them, there is mutual recognition. Spiritual fathers merely look at them and ask as to their state, rejoicing if it is well with them and grieving if it is ill. After some conversation, instruction, and counsel respecting heavenly moral life, they part from them, saying that they are no longer to be remembered as their fathers because the Lord is the only Father of all who are in heaven…. In contrast, natural fathers cling to their children like a bundle of sticks…. If it is told them that some of their children are satans and have brought injury upon good people, they nevertheless keep them in a circle around them, or in a group in front of them. If they see that their children inflict injury and do evil deeds, they still pay no heed and do not dissociate themselves from them.”
20. Arcana Coelestia 195: “Reasoning about divine things from sensuous things … is signified by the ‘voice of a serpent.’”
21. Arcana Coelestia 233: “In Genesis it is written, ‘Thine obedience shall be to thy man [vir], and he shall rule over thee.’ The word ‘man’ here does not mean ‘husband’; rather it means the masculine [principle] — which signifies ‘rational truth.’” See also Apocalypse Explained 721:26: “Because the natural [level in a person] is full of lusts from the love of self and of the world, and these can be removed only by means of truths, therefore it is said “Thy obedience shall be to thy man, and he shall rule over thee.” Here, as elsewhere in the Word, ‘man’ signifies the truth…. This is because a person is reformed and regenerated by means of truths and a life according to them.”
22. Conjugial Love 305: “There are in human minds three regions, the highest of which is called celestial, the intermediate one spiritual, and the lowest one natural. People dwell by birth in the lowest region, but they ascend into the next higher one, called spiritual, by living according to truths of religion, and into the highest one by achieving a marriage of love and wisdom. All kinds of evil and lascivious lusts reside in the lowest region, which is called natural. In the next higher region, however, which is called spiritual, there are no evil and lascivious lusts, for this is the region into which people are led by the Lord when they are born anew.”
23. Divine Love and Wisdom 46: “It can be seen from this how sensually — that is to say, how much from the bodily senses and their opaqueness in spiritual matters — those people think who maintain that nature exists of itself. They think from the eye, and are unable to do so from the understanding. Thought from the eye closes the understanding, whereas thought from the understanding opens the eye.”
