Matt.20.1 - For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
Matt.20.2 - And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Matt.20.3 - And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Matt.20.4 - And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Matt.20.5 - Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Matt.20.6 - And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Matt.20.7 - They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Matt.20.8 - So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
Matt.20.9 - And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Matt.20.10 - But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
Matt.20.11 - And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Matt.20.12 - Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Matt.20.13 - But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Matt.20.14 - Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Matt.20.15 - Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
Matt.20.16 - So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Matt.20.17 - And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
Matt.20.18 - Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
Matt.20.19 - And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Matt.20.20 - Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
Matt.20.21 - And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
Matt.20.22 - But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Matt.20.23 - And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
Matt.20.24 - And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
Matt.20.25 - But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Matt.20.26 - But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Matt.20.27 - And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Matt.20.28 - Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Matt.20.29 - And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
Matt.20.30 - And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
Matt.20.31 - And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
Matt.20.32 - And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
Matt.20.33 - They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
Matt.20.34 - So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

What does Matthew chapter 20 mean?
Matthew 20 records Jesus' teaching, interactions, and healing as He and the disciples continue to travel toward Jerusalem. It begins with the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. The parable follows Jesus' statements about the disciples' eternal rewards for following Him. He told them that everyone who leaves behind much to follow Him will be richly rewarded and receive eternal life. He added, though, that many who are first will be last, and the last first (Matthew 19:29–30).

Now Jesus tells a parable to illustrate what this means. He pictures the master of a household in need of workers for his vineyard, likely for the harvest. He goes out early in the morning and hires a group of day-laborers for the agreed-upon price of one denarius a day. Needing still more workers, the master of the house returns to the market place every three hours or so, hiring another group each time for "whatever is right" as compensation (Matthew 20:1–7).

When the time to pay the workers comes, the group hired early in the morning is excited when they see the master pay those hired at 5 p.m. a full denarius. They assume he will pay them much more. They grumble at the master when he pays them a denarius, as well. However, this is exactly what they had agreed to work for. The master insists he has the right to be generous to whomever he chooses. Jesus concludes the story by repeating His teaching that the last will be first, and the first last. This message is somewhat parallel to the end of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:25–32): if God seems to be even more generous to others than He is to us, that does not mean we're being cheated or treated unfairly (Matthew 20:8–16).

Next, Jesus clearly tells the disciples for the third time (Matthew 16:21; 17:22–23) that when they reach Jerusalem, He will be condemned to death by the Jewish religious leaders and then handed over the Gentiles to be mocked, flogged, and crucified. He adds that He will be raised on the third day (Matthew 20:17–19).

Then Jesus is approached by the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Some scholars think this woman is Salome (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1; John 19:25), and possibly Mary's sister. This would make her Jesus' aunt. She asks that her sons be chosen to sit at Jesus' left and right hands in His kingdom. This means they will have the highest positions under Jesus Himself. Jesus turns to James and John and says they don't know what they're asking. He asks if they can drink His cup, meaning the suffering that He will experience. He agrees that they will drink His cup—enduring their own trials and persecution—but answers that the Father is the one who will grant such positions in the kingdom (Matthew 20:20–23).

The other disciples are furious. They recognize this as an attempt by James and John to elevate themselves above the rest and grab power in the kingdom. Jesus explains that greatness in His kingdom is not about ruling over others as the Gentiles do. Instead, those who would be great should serve the others. Whoever would be first must be a slave to the others. After all, Jesus has come to serve and not to be served. This is a lesson He will demonstrate in a very personal way when He washes the disciple's feet during the Last Supper (John 13:12–17). As with His lesson on rewards, Jesus continues to challenge assumptions about greatness and power (Matthew 20:24–28).

Finally, two blind roadside beggars call out to Jesus while He is passing them on the way to Jerusalem. They ask Him to have mercy on them and call Him the Son of David, the name for the Messiah. Jesus heals their blindness. Mark's account (Mark 10:46–52), like Luke's (Luke 18:35–43), focuses on only one of the men, named Bartimaeus. The "Jericho" in question is not the exact same one featured in the book of Joshua (Joshua 6), but a long-removed resettlement nearby. Modern preachers often bring up this event, noting that this is the last time Jesus will pass by this location. The blind men don't know it, but this was their last chance to meet Christ. We never know when a call to follow Jesus in faith will be the last one of our lives (Matthew 20:29–34).

Copied:BibleRef