What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
Servant Leadership in God's Kingdom: Understanding Matthew 20
The greatest paradox of God's kingdom might be that "the last shall be first, and the first last." In Matthew 20, Jesus illustrates this profound reality through the parable of laborers in a vineyard, where those who work just one hour receive the same pay as those who toil all day. This shocking generosity reveals how grace functions in God's economy—not based on merit or time served, but on the landowner's sovereign goodness.
When Jesus asks, "Is your eye envious because I am generous?" he confronts our deeply held notions about fairness and reward. Most of us naturally align with the grumbling all-day workers, revealing how challenging it can be to accept that heaven isn't a tiered reward system but an equal gift to all who respond to the call. As one worker expressed, "I don't want to merely deserve my place in heaven, but to bring gifts of service to the One who made a way for me."
The chapter takes a fascinating turn when the mother of the "Sons of Thunder" approaches Jesus requesting prestigious positions for her sons. Jesus uses this teachable moment to completely invert conventional leadership thinking: "Whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant." In sharp contrast to worldly authority structures where leaders are served, kingdom greatness flows from humble service. The episode concludes with Jesus healing two blind men—a powerful metaphor for our own spiritual eyes being opened to see and follow Him. What aspects of your thinking about reward, status, and greatness might need transformation today? Listen, reflect, and allow your spiritual vision to be sharpened through this challenging teaching.
May God bless you and lead you always.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll, and this is what Do I Know? Alright, in today's Bible study we are going to be starting Matthew 20. When we left off in Matthew 19, the last thing Jesus said was the first shall be last and the last first. Now I didn't go into any detail or talk about this at all, because I knew that chapter 20 would begin Jesus' explanation of what this meant. So let's begin in verse 1.
Speaker 1:For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard and he went out about the third hour and he saw others standing idle in the marketplace and to those he said you go into the vineyard also and whatever is right I will give you. And so they went. And again he went out the sixth and the ninth hour and they did the same thing. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around and he said to them why have you been standing here idle all day long? They said to him, because no one hired us. He idle all day long, they said to him Because no one hired us. He said to them you go into the vineyard too. Now, when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman Call the laborers and pay them their wages, starting with the last group to the first. When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. And so when those who hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying those who were hired last worked only one hour and yet you made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day's work and the scorching heat. And he answered and said to one of them Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me? For Denarius, take what is yours and go, but I want to give to the last person the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I want but what is my own? Or is your eyes envious because I am generous, so that the last shall be first and the first last? As Jesus was about to go into Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves on the road and he said to them Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him to death and they will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to flog and to crucify, and on the third day he will be raised up. Let's stop here at verse 19 and see if we understand what Jesus meant by the first and the last.
Speaker 1:I wanted to point out something that I came to understand about the guys who were sent in at the final hour. Now, they've been waiting all day for someone to give them work, and when someone finally gave them work, even though it was for one hour, they were very thankful that they had received some labor. Now, this greatly differs from the ones who labored all day. When those who worked all day saw that the ones who had only worked one hour received the same pay as them, the same reward, they grumbled because they had worked longer. They felt like they deserved more.
Speaker 1:I guess this might seem obvious, but when I think about my reward, which is heaven and being in the physical presence of God, I don't believe that I have done anything deserving of that reward or that I have done anything of significance towards the greatness of God or that I have done anything of significance towards the greatness of God. But those who have done so much, like Paul and the disciples, it would be only natural for us to think that they deserve a higher standard, a higher place in heaven than what we'd have. I mean, that would seem only natural because they've done so much more. But God's saying that the gift is the same. We all get the same reward, which is heaven, which is being in the presence of God, and the way I've come to understand or the way I've come to appreciate this is best summed up by what David said in 2 Samuel 24.
Speaker 1:David was trying to purchase what is now the Temple Mount because he needed a sacrifice to God, because God was angry with David and he wanted the sacrifice for God in repentance. He wanted to sacrifice for God in repentance and when he went to ask for the field and the cart and the ox for the sacrifice, the man who owned it tried to give it to David and David said in verse 24, he says no, replied the king I insist on paying a price, for I will not offer the Lord, my God, burnt offerings that have cost me nothing. Now I know what Christ gave me is something I can't earn in any way, or there's no way I can labor for it. It is a free gift. When I get to heaven I want to be able to lay whatever crown he has bestowed upon me at his feet, because I'm not deserving. He has made the way, but I hope that makes sense. I want to be able to not deserve my place in heaven, but I want to bring gifts. I want to bring a gift of service to the one who's made a way for me to be there. I don't know if that translates the way I want, but I don't know if I can express that any different. It's just a hard thing. Let's continue in verse 20.
Speaker 1:Then the mother of sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons bowing down and making a request of him. He said to her what do you desire? She said to him say that in your kingdom these two sons of mine shall sit, one at your right hand and one at your left. But Jesus replied you do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink? They said to him we are able. He said to them my cup you shall drink. But to sit at my right and to my left is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father. And after hearing this, the other ten disciples became indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to himself and said you know that the rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them and those who hide position exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant, and whoever desires to be first among you shall 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. All right, let's stop here at verse 28 and discuss this for a second man. I would be mortified if my mother had done this to me.
Speaker 1:I often wondered why Jesus had dubbed these two sons of Zebedee the sons of thunder. Read this in Mark 3, starting at verse 17. It says James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, whom he named Bonaerges, meaning the sons of thunder. I believe the gospel of John shows a growth in John to name himself the one who Jesus loved, and expressing a need for love and forgiveness. Throughout all of his writings I've been reminded of what James and John had done, what they'd asked Jesus when this happened.
Speaker 1:In Luke 9, starting in verse 51. It says as the days of ascension approached, jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead of him who went into the village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for him, but the people there refused to welcome him because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples, james and John saw this, they asked Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them? But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Now it would seem that these two sons of Zebedee had some righteous fire in their bellies and they were aptly named the sons of thunder because of it.
Speaker 1:But I've also noted that James and John, among Peter, were the three guys that were the closest to Jesus. They were part of his inner circle. We know this because in Luke 9, verse 28, it says about eight days after Jesus had said these things, he took with him Peter, john and James and went up on the mountain to pray. Now, this was the Mount of Transfiguration. These three guys were his inner, the guys he took with him pretty much everywhere, they were the closest to him. It seems Jesus has a heart for the hard-headed and the passionate, and for this I'm thankful, because I'm both, most of the time, not in a good way, but neither were they, so that gives me some hope.
Speaker 1:But back to the sons of thunder being brought by their mother to inquire that they be able to sit on the right and the left of Jesus. I understand that every is right, wants to a place of ranking in God's kingdom, and I know this is in stark contrast to what we hear most people in America or amongst Christians say today. Most of them say I just want to make it, I just want to make it. I don't care if I got to sweep the streets of gold, as long as God allows me, I don't care what my standing is. And I've come to understand this is from our inadequacies to even be allowed access into the, into heaven.
Speaker 1:But it's very different from those who are chosen by God, god's chosen people. They thought they were deserving because of being chosen, because of the, the history they have, and especially these two who were part of Jesus's inner circle. And they walk because of being chosen because of the history they have, and especially these two who were part of Jesus's inner circle and they walked with Jesus every day. So I imagine they had some pretty high expectations and I have to think that they knew what Jesus meant when he said that they were. He asked them if they were able to drink the cup that he was about to drink, that cup of suffering, and they said that they were, that they were. He asked them if they were able to drink the cup that he was about to drink, that cup of suffering, and they said that they were, that they were able, and he said that they would drink that cup. And even though John lived until an old age, he also was boiled in oil. So John had plenty of suffering to go along with it.
Speaker 1:But he says the place of honor that they were required, that they were asking for, wasn't a place that they should ask for. It was a place that they should allow God the sovereignty to bestow. They should honor God. And it says when the 10 heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers and Jesus takes them all aside and he gives them this teaching that we should all learn. And this lesson is repeated many times throughout the Bible and it's also the lesson of the rich young ruler that the kingdom of heaven belonged to, such as little children that if someone wants to be great, they needed to be the servant.
Speaker 1:Now, this goes in direct opposition to how we look at things today in our world. I mean, if anyone is truly great, everyone makes themselves their servant. The higher you get up in corporate, the more people who work under you, more people are trying to please you. It's very different in god's world, god's kingdom, than it is in our world. Jesus shows a contrast of the two when he says this. You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them and their superiors exercise authority over them, but it's not so among you. If anyone wants to be lord or great, they must be the servant of all.
Speaker 1:Now, jesus is the living embodiment of God, though he should be honored and praised in all things. In Philippians 2, 5 says Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself. Taking on the form of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Now, the biggest lesson I learned from all of this is what Jesus says if someone wants to be great, it doesn't mean for you to receive a higher standard in heaven, like what James and John's mother was sought for them, but that you should be more Christ-like. Christ is the greatest. To be more Christ-like, to become not his standing in heaven, but to be like Christ, which is to humble oneself and serve everyone. The only reward we truly want is to prove our love for Christ, to do so by becoming the servant of others. What does Jesus say? That is the way we prove our love for him.
Speaker 1:John 14, verse 15 says if you love me, you will keep my commandments. What is the second greatest commandment after loving God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul and with all your strength? That very commandment is the same commandment that shows that you love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength, because it says love your neighbor as yourself. The very thing that proves you love God is the next commandment, the first commandment being to love God, and the second commandment would be to prove that you love God. Funny how that works. Let's continue in verse 29.
Speaker 1:As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him and two people who were blind, sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out. But the crowd stormily warned them to be quiet. Yet they cried out all the more and Jesus stopped and called them and said they said to him, moved with compassion, jesus touched their eyes and immediately they regained their sight and they followed him All right. This concludes chapter 20 of Matthew, and it ends with a great lesson, a truly great lesson that we too should be crying out to Jesus, son of David, son of God, to open our eyes, not our, not our eyes of flesh, but our spiritual eyes. For he says that, and immediately they regained their sight and they followed him. I pray for you and I pray for myself that God will open our spiritual eyes, that we may follow him in the, in the right heart and in the right manner, that we may glorify him in every way. I'm going to end this one here. I love you guys. We'll start chapter 21 in our next Bible study. Until then, goodbye.