Daily Writing

Friday, 5 June 2026

Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, Matthew 20:17

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And ascending, the ‘Jesus to Jerusalem’, He took twelve disciples apart alone, and in the road, He said to them,” (CG)

In the previous verse, the final thought concerning the parable of the workers in the vineyard was given. With that complete, a new direction takes place, beginning with, “And ascending, the ‘Jesus to Jerusalem’.”

Regardless of the elevation where one is, the Bible always describes the journey to Jerusalem as an ascent. In fact, there are many locations with a higher elevation in the land itself. The highest among them is Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, which sits at 7,336 feet above sea level.

After that, many peaks are higher than Jerusalem, a few of them are Mount Ha’Ari, Mount Ramon, Mount ‘Arif, Mount ‘Ofa’im, Mount Hilla, Mount Zafrir, and Mount Hillel. These and other points exceed the elevation of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which sits at 2,430 feet. Despite this, the trek there is considered an ascent.

Of this trek, Charles Ellicott says, “The narrative is not continuous, and in the interval between Matthew 20:16-17 we may probably place our Lord’s ‘abode beyond Jordan’ (John 10:40), the raising of Lazarus, and the short sojourn in the city called Ephraim (John 11:54). This would seem to have been followed by a return to Persea, and then the journey to Jerusalem begins.”

If this is correct, it can be found in what is known as a harmonization of the gospels, which several reliable sources have taken the time to put together, showing the exact chronology of events throughout the four gospels. Of this ascent, the narrative continues, saying, “He took twelve disciples apart alone.”

At this time, there were probably many people with them on the trek, but Jesus wanted to specifically provide information to the twelve that the others were not yet to be privy to. Therefore, Matthew continues, “and in the road, He said to them.”

The verse excitedly ends as if a breath is needed before continuing to the precious words of Jesus to His twelve selected apostles.

Life application: It is important to confirm information in commentaries, not taking them at face value until verified and considered in relation to what the Bible says. In John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, he records the following concerning this verse –

“Which was situated (f) in the highest part of the land of Israel: the land of Israel, is said to be higher than any other land whatever; and the temple at Jerusalem, higher than any part of the land of Israel; wherefore Christ’s going to Jerusalem, is expressed by going up to it.”

His footnote says his information was derived from “T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 87. 1.” When John Gill recorded this, in the 1700s, he was using what information was available to him. Unfortunately, the Babylonian Talmud presented him with erroneous information, which has since been passed on to the minds of those who have read it.

At many times, the ascent to Jerusalem is not a physical ascent at all. However, it is always a theological ascent as one moves closer to the point where man meets with the God of Israel. That is why it can be said that a person on Mount Hermon, high above Jerusalem in elevation, will ascend as he makes the trek to Jerusalem.

Remember this as you read the Bible. John Gill certainly didn’t intentionally provide wrong information, but for some reason, the compilers of the Babylonian Talmud did. They probably knew what was said was incorrect, but they recorded it anyway.

Understanding that this biblical elevation of Jerusalem is stated as it is, it then becomes more pertinent when considering Paul’s words in Galatians –

“For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— ²⁵ for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— ²⁶ but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Galatians 4:24-26

At one point, the city of Jerusalem was considered the pinnacle of elevation because it was where God was dealing with men, interacting with them through temple rites and rituals. That ended with the completed work of Christ. The veil was torn, and access to God through Jesus Christ was made available.

The temple in Jerusalem, which ministers the law of Moses, is not, nor will it ever again be, the pinnacle of God’s interactions with man. It is a place of bondage leading to death. It is a place of enmity with God. Wherever Jesus Christ is, that is the place where the spiritual ascent is now realized. That is because He fulfilled the law, set it aside, and introduced the New Covenant in His blood.

To miss this point has led to incredibly bad theology in relation to end times events (eschatology) within the church. People openly applaud the coming construction of the temple in Jerusalem, which will reintroduce sacrifices based on the Law of Moses. It is the very thing Christ came to abolish, and yet Christians actively support this diabolical event. This should not be.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus alone, mourning over Israel’s failure to see the One they have missed for so long. Pray for them. Many will die before their time of realization comes about. Pray to God that eyes will be opened before that tragic day which lies ahead comes upon them.

Lord God, we lift up the lost in the world, knowing that a day of judgment lies ahead for all unless the word gets to them before it arrives. May You work mightily through missionaries, social media, and the simple but effective words of believers around the world to just open their mouths and speak about Your goodness as seen in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, 4 June 2026

So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” Matthew 20:16

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Thus, they will be the last, first, and the first, last. Many, then, they are called; few, also, selected.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus finished His parable concerning the workers in the vineyard. His words now sum up the overall thought. They are words that go back to Matthew 19:30, and which closed out that chapter. He says, “Thus, they will be the last, first, and the first, last.”

In Matthew 19:30, it said, “Many, also, they will be: first, last, and last, first.” We can see that Jesus specifically built this parable around that thought to explain what prompted that statement in the first place. That was based on Peter’s words. There, it said, “Then answering, Peter, he said to Him, ‘You behold! We, we left all, and we followed You! What hence it will be to us?’”

Only by following the progression of the narrative can the explanation for the parable be properly understood. Various views have been proposed as to Jesus’ intent. Some find the laborers to indicate the beginning of the gospel, meaning the selection of Jesus’ disciples at the outset of His ministry. That is then followed by those who labor throughout the church age. Those coming at the end of the age would be those who were hired at the eleventh hour.

Others also see it as the church age, but the pay is rewards for the followers, suggesting a connection to 1 Corinthians 3 and 2 Corinthians 5, meaning the judgment seat of Christ. These and other views don’t look back to what precipitated Peter’s question to Jesus.

Jesus counseled the rich young ruler who was trying to earn his way to perpetual life. He left sad because he realized he could not do so through law observance. That is when Jesus brought in the difficulty of entering the kingdom with the example of the camel going through the eye of a needle. The apostles were floored, asking who could be saved.

Jesus told them that with man, it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. This is what brought about Peter’s question to Jesus. As such, the vineyard is what is spoken of throughout the Old Testament and into the New. It is highlighted in Isaiah and summed up in Jesus’ words of Matthew 21:40, 41 –

“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers? ⁴¹ They said to Him, ‘He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.’”

The vineyard is the economy where God is dealing with man in order to bring about a result. Israel was chosen to bring about that result, but they failed to understand that, despite the law, it was not law observance that would bring them restoration with God. This is what Jesus demonstrated in His words with the young ruler.

The laborers who were hired early were those in this vineyard who labored for God, be it Moses, Isaiah, Amos, etc. John the Baptist was the last of these. They were promised a certain wage and went into the field. At the time of Jesus, laborers were called to go into the field, starting with the disciples. As noted in the Matthew 20:8 commentary –

“Those who came last are to be paid first. It seems contradictory to the way one would normally think, but it is a demonstration to all concerning grace. Grace is getting what one does not deserve. The housemaster wants all of the laborers to see that he will treat the last with care and respect, despite their being late into the field.”

The pay is not the issue. It is the grace of what is received that is being conveyed. Those who worked in the field during the heat of the day were those who labored under the law. Their wages were set based on their state under the law. At the end of the day, the laborers who came last were given grace in what they received.

Israel could say, “We labored for all that time under the law, and yet, you are giving those who came later what we had to work for.” That thought is well expressed in Jesus’ words about John –

“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:11

Jesus, using a harvest of grain instead of labor in the vineyard, essentially explains the parable in John 4 –

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! ³⁶ And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. ³⁷ For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ ³⁸ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” John 4:35-38

Understanding this, Jesus completes this thought saying, “Many, then, they are called; few, also, selected.”

The meaning is that there were people called to work in the field for eons, laboring until the time of the kingdom, Moses, for example. However, they were not selected for that dispensation. They were of the dispensation of law. John, despite being the greatest of all under the law, was not selected for the dispensation of grace. He was called to service but died before it was ushered in.

One cannot merit grace. Israel entered into the labor, the time of grace came, and eventually the vineyard was taken from them and given to others to tend to. God is doing something in the world (expressed by the vineyard), many are called to tend to it, but only when Jesus came, fulfilled the law, and allowed grace to be imparted can people be selected to truly receive what God has promised. That is seen in the final word of the verse, a new word, eklektós, selected.

HELPS Word Studies says, “Typically, eklektós (‘select, chosen’) describes people who choose to follow the Lord, i.e. become God’s choice by freely receiving faith (pístis) from Him. Accordingly, these two terms are directly connected (see Tit 1:1; Lk 18:7,8).”

Entering the kingdom only comes through faith, and it only comes apart from the law, even if those under the law have faith. For those of Israel who are selected for the kingdom Jesus is describing in the parable, it is (just like Gentiles) only for those who have faith since Christ’s fulfillment of the law, coming to Him by faith.

Life application: Laboring for something that is already earned is a waste of time. If you are caught up in adherence to the Law of Moses and expect to receive God’s favor, you will be sorely disappointed when you find yourself excluded from what God has offered those who are willing to come to Him by faith alone.

Lord God, we are lost sinners. You have done all that is necessary to reconcile us to Yourself. Why would we think we could do better than that? May we never presume to do so, but to trust wholly in the shed blood of Jesus Christ for our reconciliation with You. Amen.

Wednesday, 3 June 2026

Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ Matthew 20:15

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Or not it permits me, what I will to do in ‘these, mine’? Or the ‘eye, you’ evil, it is, because I – good, I am?” (CG)

In the previous verse, the housemaster told the grumbler to take what was his and go on his way, noting that he wanted to give the last man the same as those who came first. Before the man could exit, he had a bit more to say, beginning with, “Or not it permits me, what I will to do in ‘these, mine’?”

He is the housemaster and the one who decides what goes on in the labor related to his house, including the vineyard where the laborers were hired to work. The possessions were his. The only thing that no longer belonged to him was the wages he promised to pay, a denarius for each laborer who began work in the early hours.

As they were guaranteed that sum, they were owed that amount. According to the law, he was to settle accounts by the end of the day, which he did. Everything that was due to those he hired had been paid. That means as the next came forward to receive his wages, it was up to the housemaster to pay him what was right, even though no specified amount was stated.

As they came forward, he could have given three-quarters of a denarius, half of a denarius, a quarter of a denarius, or even one-eighth of a denarius for those who came at the last hour.

However, if he wanted to give them anything above that, because it was his own money, he was fully within his rights to do so. Understanding this, and having fully detailed the situation, he asks, “Or the ‘eye, you’ evil, it is, because I – good, I am?”

The evil eye is something that goes back to Deuteronomy 15:9. It is seen again in Proverbs 28:22. In these instances, there is the sense of greed being conveyed –

“Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and it become sin among you.” Deuteronomy 15:9

“A man with an evil eye hastens after riches,
And does not consider that poverty will come upon him.” Proverbs 28:22

Such references show that the eye is like an open channel leading right to the heart filled with greed. The eye sees, the mind considers, and the heart impels the person to covet, betray, etc. This is even the case with someone who has gotten just what he agreed to, but who sees someone else supposedly getting more than he “deserves” from someone who has good and honorable intentions.

Both men are at the end of their day. Both have needs to be met. How can a man live on an eighth of a denarius? Therefore, the housemaster had mercy on his situation and tended to his needs out of a willing heart.

Life application: There is a difference between these men who were paid, even those who were paid more than those who started work earlier, and most of those who are on welfare in the world today. What is that difference?

These men were out waiting for work to come to them. The problem with welfare is that it rewards people for doing nothing. As people will normally follow the easiest path, they will sit at home and do nothing for as long as the stream of money keeps coming in.

Unless there is an incentive for them to get up and get out, they will not do so. Instead, they will become as dependent on their monthly checks as drug addicts are on their daily dose. In fact, the dependence on welfare leads to dependence on alcohol, drugs, etc.

Governments have built systems to enslave their own citizens in this manner for one simple reason: power. As long as they keep the money flowing to indolent people, they are assured of their votes. And with their votes come favorable outcomes in elections.

With those election wins, there is power to continue and expand the cycle. Thus, from one seemingly good and “helpful” program, a country moves from producers to lazy do-nothings. And the structure of the government leans more and more towards socialism and eventually communism.

All the while, the people who are supposedly being helped are caught in slave chains of dependence. Lives are wasted, human potential is taken away, and families are destroyed. This is the power of the liberal agenda. It is a power of corruption and wickedness toward human beings.

Lord God, help us to carefully consider who we will support when we cast our votes for our leaders. May we never withhold voting if it is our right to do so. In not voting, we default to the lowest common denominator in our society. May we be responsible citizens of the nations in which we live. Amen.

Tuesday, 2 June 2026

Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Matthew 20:14

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“You bear the ‘yours’, and you go! I will, also, this: the last to give as also you.” (CG)

In the previous verse, the housemaster told the grumbler that he was a scammer, asking if he didn’t agree to a denarius. Without waiting for a response, he next says, “You bear the ‘yours’, and you go!”

In other words, “You got what we agreed on. That is yours. Take it and hit the road.” Having said that, he continues with, “I will, also, this: the last to give as also you.”

If such is his will, it has not harmed anyone else. Rather, it was an act of his own charitable goodness to hand out money as he saw fit. There was no wrongdoing, no intent of malice toward another, and the only wrong involved is that of perception by a person who had received what he agreed to work for.

Life application: In the United States, it is common to tip people who work in service industries, especially waitresses. They normally receive less pay for the work they do with others based on the anticipation that when they do a good job, they will be rewarded for it by those they serve.

It is true that some cultures or individuals don’t tip, but that disregard for the care of others is their own issue. The poor servers just have to bite their lip and live with it. Besides such people, tipping is how some people are able to pay their bills. However, at some point in the past, some restaurants came to the ridiculous conclusion that it was unfair for one server to make more than the others.

Think about it. You have hired Lazy Linda. She does the minimal amount of work, is late serving people their food, and shows up ten minutes late every day. You also have Moaning Myrtle. She never smiles, complains to the customers about the amount of food they order, and has plenty of words about her unhappy family life to share with complete strangers.

You also have Piggy Peggy. Her clothes are dirty, she doesn’t smell very good, and if she laughs, it is more a grunt than anything joyful. She delivers the food randomly, and when you get it, it seems something may have been picked off the plate on the trip between the kitchen and your table.

And then, there is Amazing Amy. She shows up early, always has a well-pressed, clean uniform, smiles at everybody, never has a bad word to say about anyone or anything, and never stops helping others. Her customers become regulars, they know her birthday, and always wish her a merry Christmas with a nice little gift.

Why on earth should Amazing Amy have to split the $1000.00 a day she makes in tips with Lazy, Piggy, and Moaning, who collectively make about 85 cents in tips on a good day? This rewards indolence, negative attitudes, and sloppy work. It also penalizes hard work and outstanding effort.

The first laborers hired by the housemaster got exactly what they agreed to. Maybe they worked hard, or maybe they slouched on the job, but the housemaster was faithful to meet his obligation to them. The last people were given a great measure of grace, receiving what today would be considered a nice tip for their minimal labors. But nobody was wronged in the process.

Be content with your pay. If you are unhappy with it, or with how your boss treats others for whatever reason, as long as he is not violating any law, remember that there are other options available on the other side of the door.

As Christians, we should always strive to do our best at whatever we do. Jesus’ name rests on us. So honor the Lord first. In doing so, everything else will find its proper place.

Lord God, may we rejoice when others are successful. If we want what they have, may we be willing to expend ourselves to obtain those things. May we not be envious of what we do not possess. And, Lord, keep us from taking from others what they have rightfully earned. Amen.

Monday, 1 June 2026

But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Matthew 20:13

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“The ‘also answering one of them’, he said, ‘Scammer! Not I wrong you! Not for a denarius, you harmonized me?’” (CG)

In the previous verse, the workers who were hired earlier in the day grumbled that the housemaster made those who worked only one hour equal with those who bore the burden of the day. In hearing this, it next says, “The ‘also answering one of them’.”

This is the housemaster. He probably directs his words to the one who was the chief grumbler who stirred the others up. As for his words, “he said, ‘Scammer!’”

This is a new and rare word, found only three times, all in Matthew. It may be that because Matthew was a tax collector, there were particular words he and other tax collectors used to identify people of a certain sort. The word is hetairos, a comrade, fellow, or friend.

However, HELPS Word Studies provides insights into it, saying it is someone “posing to be a comrade but in reality only has his own interests in mind.” They also say it “suggests someone viewed (associated) as a friend, but is actually an imposter acting for self-gain.” As such, the words scammer or shammer make a suitable translation of the thought.

The housemaster continues, explaining why he is such a person, saying, “Not I wrong you! Not for a denarius, you harmonized me?”

The agreement that they came to was a denarius for the day’s labor. The offer was made, the man accepted it, and a state of harmony was realized when he went off to the vineyard. Had the housemaster paid him first and sent him out the door, there would have been no complaints or grumbling because he would have been none the wiser.

However, jealousy crept into him when he saw that others benefited in a manner differently from him.

Life application: The previous administration under Joe Biden frittered away billions of dollars of taxpayer money by wiping out loans that were made to college students. The program was set up to help people get through college with the understanding that the loans were to be repaid at a set rate of interest.

It doesn’t matter if the rates later seemed unfair to those who took out the loans. It also doesn’t matter if they never got the job they trained for because they chose a field that nobody has a need for, like “Blue-haired social justice manager for underprivileged surfers.”

What matters is that they signed a legal document, took the money, got the education, and were required to pay it back. However, with his inability to effectively run the nation and needing to bolster his list of potential voters, Biden arbitrarily canceled these loans.

What kind of example does it set when certain people are granted such favor while others have to pay back their loans? Biden did this with the banking industry as well, bailing out those banks that were unprofitable, but which supported left-wing agendas. When a conservative bank failed, no assistance was given.

Such behavior permeated the policies of Biden’s presidency, turning what was right and proper upside down. Understanding this, be sure to always evaluate your voting choices on who most closely will uphold biblical values. In doing so, you may not get the best guy in the world running things, but you will avoid real trouble that inevitably arises from hiring someone who is opposed to the moral principles set forth in Scripture.

Lord God, may we not grumble or complain when we are treated unfairly by those we interact with. We can’t see all the circumstances of the future that may change, and so we should not later try to upend our agreements. Help us to stick to what we have agreed to and strive to always set a proper example for others. Amen.