Matthew 9:15-17

9:15 Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests ¹  cannot mourn while the bridegroom ²  is with them, can they? But the days ³  are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, ⁴  and then they will fast. 9:16 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse. 9:17 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; ⁵  otherwise the skins burst and the wine is spilled out and the skins are destroyed. Instead they put new wine into new wineskins ⁶  and both are preserved.”

Matthew 12:43-45

The Return of the Unclean Spirit

12:43 “When ⁷  an unclean spirit ⁸  goes out of a person, ⁹  it passes through waterless places ¹⁰  looking for rest but ¹¹  does not find it. 12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ ¹²  When it returns, ¹³  it finds the house ¹⁴  empty, swept clean, and put in order. ¹⁵  12:45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so ¹⁶  the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”

Matthew 13:3-11

13:3 He ¹⁷  told them many things in parables, ¹⁸  saying: “Listen! ¹⁹  A sower went out to sow. ²⁰  13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds ²¹  fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 13:5 Other ²²  seeds fell on rocky ground ²³  where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep. ²⁴  13:6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered. 13:7 Other seeds fell among the thorns, ²⁵  and they grew up and choked them. ²⁶  13:8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. 13:9 The one who has ears had better listen!” ²⁷ 

13:10 Then ²⁸  the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 13:11 He replied, ²⁹  “You have been given ³⁰  the opportunity to know ³¹  the secrets ³²  of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not.

Matthew 20:1-16

Workers in the Vineyard

20:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner ³³  who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 20:2 And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, ³⁴  he sent them into his vineyard. 20:3 When it was about nine o’clock in the morning, ³⁵  he went out again and saw others standing around in the marketplace without work. 20:4 He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever is right.’ 20:5 So they went. When ³⁶  he went out again about noon and three o’clock that afternoon, ³⁷  he did the same thing. 20:6 And about five o’clock that afternoon ³⁸  he went out and found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day without work?’ 20:7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go and work in the vineyard too.’ 20:8 When ³⁹  it was evening ⁴⁰  the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and give the pay ⁴¹  starting with the last hired until the first.’ 20:9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each received a full day’s pay. ⁴²  20:10 And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each one also received the standard wage. 20:11 When ⁴³  they received it, they began to complain ⁴⁴  against the landowner, 20:12 saying, ‘These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship and burning heat of the day.’ 20:13 And the landowner ⁴⁵  replied to one of them, ⁴⁶  ‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for the standard wage? ⁴⁷  20:14 Take what is yours and go. I ⁴⁸  want to give to this last man ⁴⁹  the same as I gave to you. 20:15 Am I not ⁵⁰  permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ ⁵¹  20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

Matthew 21:28-46

The Parable of the Two Sons

21:28 “What ⁵²  do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 21:29 The boy answered, ⁵³  ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart ⁵⁴  and went. 21:30 The father ⁵⁵  went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, ⁵⁶  ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. 21:31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.” ⁵⁷  Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, ⁵⁸  tax collectors ⁵⁹  and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God! 21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although ⁶⁰  you saw this, you did not later change your minds ⁶¹  and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

21:33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner ⁶²  who planted a vineyard. ⁶³  He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then ⁶⁴  he leased it to tenant farmers ⁶⁵  and went on a journey. 21:34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves ⁶⁶  to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. ⁶⁷  21:35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, ⁶⁸  killed another, and stoned another. 21:36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way. 21:37 Finally he sent his son to them, ⁶⁹  saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 21:38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ 21:39 So ⁷⁰  they seized him, ⁷¹  threw him out of the vineyard, ⁷²  and killed him. 21:40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 21:41 They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”

21:42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:

‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. ⁷³ 

This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? ⁷⁴ 

21:43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people ⁷⁵  who will produce its fruit. 21:44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” ⁷⁶  21:45 When ⁷⁷  the chief priests and the Pharisees ⁷⁸  heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 21:46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds ⁷⁹  regarded him as a prophet.

Mark 4:33-34

The Use of Parables

4:33 So ⁸⁰  with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. 4:34 He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.

Luke 8:10

8:10 He ⁸¹  said, “You have been given ⁸²  the opportunity to know ⁸³  the secrets ⁸⁴  of the kingdom of God, ⁸⁵  but for others they are in parables, so that although they see they may not see, and although they hear they may not understand. ⁸⁶ 

Luke 14:16

14:16 But Jesus ⁸⁷  said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet ⁸⁸  and invited ⁸⁹  many guests. ⁹⁰ 

[9:15]  ¹ tn Grk “sons of the wedding hall,” an idiom referring to wedding guests, or more specifically friends of the bridegroom present at the wedding celebration (L&N 11.7).

[9:15]  ² sn The expression while the bridegroom is with them is an allusion to messianic times (John 3:29; Isa 54:5-6; 62:4-5; 4 Ezra 2:15, 38).

[9:15]  ³ tn Grk “days.”

[9:15]  ⁴ sn The statement the bridegroom will be taken from them is a veiled allusion by Jesus to his death, which he did not make explicit until the incident at Caesarea Philippi in 16:13ff.

[9:17]  ⁵ sn Wineskins were bags made of skin or leather, used for storing wine in NT times. As the new wine fermented and expanded, it would stretch the new wineskins. Putting new (unfermented) wine in old wineskins, which had already been stretched, would result in the bursting of the wineskins.

[9:17]  ⁶ sn The meaning of the saying new wine into new wineskins is that the presence and teaching of Jesus was something new and signaled the passing of the old. It could not be confined within the old religion of Judaism, but involved the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom of God.

[12:43]  ⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[12:43]  ⁸ sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.

[12:43]  ⁹ tn Grk “man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females. This same use occurs in v. 45.

[12:43]  ¹⁰ sn The background for the reference to waterless places is not entirely clear, though some Jewish texts suggest spirits must have a place to dwell, but not with water (Luke 8:29-31; Tob 8:3). Some suggest that the image of the desert or deserted cities as the places demons dwell is where this idea started (Isa 13:21; 34:14).

[12:43]  ¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[12:44]  ¹² tn Grk “I will return to my house from which I came.”

[12:44]  ¹³ tn Grk “comes.”

[12:44]  ¹⁴ tn The words “the house” are not in Greek but are implied.

[12:44]  ¹⁵ sn The image of the house empty, swept clean, and put in order refers to the life of the person from whom the demon departed. The key to the example appears to be that no one else has been invited in to dwell. If an exorcism occurs and there is no response to God, then the way is free for the demon to return. Some see the reference to exorcism as more symbolic; thus the story’s only point is about responding to Jesus. This is possible and certainly is an application of the passage.

[12:45]  ¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding point of the story.

[13:3]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[13:3]  ¹⁸ sn Though parables can contain a variety of figures of speech (cf. the remainder of chapter 13), many times they are simply stories that attempt to teach spiritual truth (which is unknown to the hearers) by using a comparison with something known to the hearers. In general, parables usually advance a single idea, though there may be many parts and characters in a single parable and subordinate ideas may expand the main idea further. The beauty of using the parable as a teaching device is that it draws the listener into the story, elicits an evaluation, and demands a response.

[13:3]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “Behold.”

[13:3]  ²⁰ sn A sower went out to sow. The background for this well-known parable, drawn from a typical scene in the Palestinian countryside, is a field through which a well-worn path runs. Sowing would occur in late fall or early winter (October to December) in the rainy season, looking for sprouting in April or May and a June harvest. The use of seed as a figure for God’s giving life has OT roots (Isa 55:10-11). The point of the parable of the sower is to illustrate the various responses to the message of the kingdom of God.

[13:4]  ²¹ tn In Matthew’s version of this parable, plural pronouns are used to refer to the seed in v. 4 (ἅ…αὐτά [Ja…auta]), although the collective singular is used in v. 5 and following (indicated by the singular verbs like ἔπεσεν [epesen]). For the sake of consistency in English, plural pronouns referring to the seed are used in the translation throughout the Matthean account. In both Mark and Luke the collective singular is used consistently throughout (cf. Mark 4:1-9; Luke 8:4-8).

[13:5]  ²² tn Here and in vv. 7 and 8 δέ (de) has not been translated.

[13:5]  ²³ sn The rocky ground in Palestine would be a limestone base lying right under the soil.

[13:5]  ²⁴ tn Grk “it did not have enough depth of earth.”

[13:7]  ²⁵ sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.

[13:7]  ²⁶ sn That is, crowded out the good plants.

[13:9]  ²⁷ tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15, 13:43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).

[13:10]  ²⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[13:11]  ²⁹ tn Grk “And answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[13:11]  ³⁰ tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).

[13:11]  ³¹ tn Grk “to you it has been given to know.” The dative pronoun occurs first, in emphatic position in the Greek text, although this position is awkward in contemporary English.

[13:11]  ³² tn Grk “the mysteries.”

[20:1]  ³³ sn The term landowner here refers to the owner and manager of a household.

[20:2]  ³⁴ tn Grk “agreeing with the workers for a denarius a day.”

[20:3]  ³⁵ tn Grk “about the third hour.”

[20:5]  ³⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[20:5]  ³⁷ tn Grk “he went out again about the sixth and ninth hour.”

[20:6]  ³⁸ tn Grk “about the eleventh hour.”

[20:8]  ³⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[20:8]  ⁴⁰ sn That is, six o’clock in the evening, the hour to pay day laborers. See Lev 19:13b.

[20:8]  ⁴¹ tc ‡ Most witnesses (including B D W Θ Ë^1,13 33^vid Ï latt sy) have αὐτοῖς (autois, “to them”) after ἀπόδος (apodos, “give the pay”), but this seems to be a motivated reading, clarifying the indirect object. The omission is supported by א C L Z 085 Or. Nevertheless, NA²⁷ includes the pronoun on the basis of the greater external attestation.

[20:9]  ⁴² tn Grk “each received a denarius.” See the note on the phrase “standard wage” in v. 2.

[20:11]  ⁴³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[20:11]  ⁴⁴ tn The imperfect verb ἐγόγγυζον (egonguzon) has been translated ingressively.

[20:13]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the landowner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:13]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “And answering, he said to one of them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.

[20:13]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “for a denarius a day.”

[20:14]  ⁴⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[20:14]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “this last one,” translated as “this last man” because field laborers in 1st century Palestine were men.

[20:15]  ⁵⁰ tc ‡ Before οὐκ (ouk, “[am I] not”) a number of significant witnesses read ἤ (h, “or”; e.g., א C W 085 Ë^1,13 33 and most others). Although in later Greek the οι in σοι (oi in soi) – the last word of v. 14 – would have been pronounced like ἤ, since ἤ is lacking in early mss (B D; among later witnesses, note L Z Θ 700) and since mss were probably copied predominantly by sight rather than by sound, even into the later centuries, the omission of ἤ cannot be accounted for as easily. Thus the shorter reading is most likely original. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[20:15]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “Is your eye evil because I am good?”

[21:28]  ⁵² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:29]  ⁵³ tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here the referent (“the boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:29]  ⁵⁴ tn The Greek text reads here μεταμέλομαι (metamelomai): “to change one’s mind about something, with the probable implication of regret” (L&N 31.59); cf. also BDAG 639 s.v. The idea in this context involves more than just a change of mind, for the son regrets his initial response. The same verb is used in v. 32.

[21:30]  ⁵⁵ tn “And he”; here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:30]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated. Here the referent (“this boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:31]  ⁵⁷ tc Verses 29-31 involve a rather complex and difficult textual problem. The variants cluster into three different groups: (1) The first son says “no” and later has a change of heart, and the second son says “yes” but does not go. The second son is called the one who does his father’s will. This reading is found in the Western mss (D it). But the reading is so hard as to be nearly impossible. One can only suspect some tampering with the text, extreme carelessness on the part of the scribe, or possibly a recognition of the importance of not shaming one’s parent in public. (Any of these reasons is not improbable with this texttype, and with codex D in particular.) The other two major variants are more difficult to assess. Essentially, the responses make sense (the son who does his father’s will is the one who changes his mind after saying “no”): (2) The first son says “no” and later has a change of heart, and the second son says “yes” but does not go. But here, the first son is called the one who does his father’s will (unlike the Western reading). This is the reading found in (א) C L W (Z) 0102 0281 ˹ 33 Ï and several versional witnesses. (3) The first son says “yes” but does not go, and the second son says “no” but later has a change of heart. This is the reading found in B Θ Ë¹³ 700 and several versional witnesses. Both of these latter two readings make good sense and have significantly better textual support than the first reading. The real question, then, is this: Is the first son or the second the obedient one? If one were to argue simply from the parabolic logic, the second son would be seen as the obedient one (hence, the third reading). The first son would represent the Pharisees (or Jews) who claim to obey God, but do not (cf. Matt 23:3). This accords well with the parable of the prodigal son (in which the oldest son represents the unbelieving Jews). Further, the chronological sequence of the second son being obedient fits well with the real scene: Gentiles and tax collectors and prostitutes were not, collectively, God’s chosen people, but they did repent and come to God, while the Jewish leaders claimed to be obedient to God but did nothing. At the same time, the external evidence is weaker for this reading (though stronger than the first reading), not as widespread, and certainly suspect because of how neatly it fits. One suspects scribal manipulation at this point. Thus the second reading looks to be superior to the other two on both external and transcriptional grounds. But what about intrinsic evidence? One can surmise that Jesus didn’t always give predictable responses. In this instance, he may well have painted a picture in which the Pharisees saw themselves as the first son, only to stun them with his application (v. 32).

[21:31]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[21:31]  ⁵⁹ sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.

[21:32]  ⁶⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:32]  ⁶¹ sn The word translated change your minds is the same verb used in v. 29 (there translated had a change of heart). Jesus is making an obvious comparison here, in which the religious leaders are viewed as the disobedient son.

[21:33]  ⁶² tn The term here refers to the owner and manager of a household.

[21:33]  ⁶³ sn The vineyard is a figure for Israel in the OT (Isa 5:1-7). The nation and its leaders are the tenants, so the vineyard here may well refer to the promise that resides within the nation. The imagery is like that in Rom 11:11-24.

[21:33]  ⁶⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[21:33]  ⁶⁵ sn The leasing of land to tenant farmers was common in this period.

[21:34]  ⁶⁶ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

[21:34]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “to collect his fruits.”

[21:35]  ⁶⁸ sn The image of the tenants mistreating the owner’s slaves pictures the nation’s rejection of the prophets and their message.

[21:37]  ⁶⁹ sn The owner’s decision to send his son represents God sending Jesus.

[21:39]  ⁷⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the tenants’ decision to kill the son in v. 38.

[21:39]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “seizing him.” The participle λαβόντες (labontes) has been translated as attendant circumstance.

[21:39]  ⁷² sn Throwing the heir out of the vineyard pictures Jesus’ death outside of Jerusalem.

[21:42]  ⁷³ tn Or “capstone,” “keystone.” Although these meanings are lexically possible, the imagery in Eph 2:20-22 and 1 Cor 3:11 indicates that the term κεφαλὴ γωνίας (kefalh gwnia") refers to a cornerstone, not a capstone.

[21:42]  ⁷⁴ sn A quotation from Ps 118:22-23.

[21:43]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “to a nation” (so KJV, NASB, NLT).

[21:44]  ⁷⁶ tc A few witnesses, especially of the Western text (D 33 it sy^s Or Eus^syr), do not contain 21:44. However, the verse is found in א B C L W Z (Θ) 0102 Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy^c,p,h co and should be included as authentic.

[21:45]  ⁷⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[21:45]  ⁷⁸ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[21:46]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowds) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Both previous occurrences of “they” in this verse refer to the chief priests and the Pharisees.

[4:33]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[8:10]  ⁸¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[8:10]  ⁸² tn This is an example of a so-called “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).

[8:10]  ⁸³ tn Grk “it has been given to you to know.” The dative pronoun occurs first, in emphatic position in the Greek text, although this position is awkward in contemporary English.

[8:10]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “the mysteries.”

[8:10]  ⁸⁵ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[8:10]  ⁸⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 6:9. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.

[14:16]  ⁸⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:16]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “dinner.”

[14:16]  ⁸⁹ sn Presumably those invited would have sent a reply with the invitation stating their desire to attend, much like a modern R.S.V.P. Then they waited for the servant to announce the beginning of the celebration (D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 2:1272).

[14:16]  ⁹⁰ tn The word “guests” is not in the Greek text but is implied.