Matthew 20: The Principle of the Denarius in the Kingdom of Heaven - Emphasized Three Times by the Editor of Matthew
Matthew 20: The Principle of the Denarius in the Kingdom of Heaven - Emphasized Three Times by the Editor of Matthew
14 "Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you.
15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'"
16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21 "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
The editor of Matthew emphasizes three times in chapter 20 the principle of the denarius in the Kingdom of Heaven. Where God's will is done, there is the Kingdom of Heaven. If God created and rules over everything, having sovereignty over all creation, then every realm must belong to the Kingdom of Heaven, for His will is done in all realms. The will of God that the editor of Matthew highlights is the payment of a denarius (verses 1-16). A wage not proportional to the hours worked seems unfair to those consumed by materialism. Yet, God enforces His will even on such humans. It is the denarius that the editor of Matthew pays attention to. Humans still stiffen their necks, not wanting to understand God's will, not because they are incapable, but because they lack the willingness. The biblical saying that humans are born sinful is true.
The mother of James and John sought Jesus to ask for the rule of God's governance for her sons. Isn't the arrangement of the editor's materials exquisite? Was it their first time seeking Jesus? Asking favors on the first meeting is taboo. Naturally, asking with empty hands is also not acceptable. Here, the human principle of give-and-take sharply confronts Jesus's principle of the denarius. God breaks the principle of human compensation and greater rewards. "Whoever wants to be first must be your slave" (verse 27).
Finally, the editor eliminates even the labor worth a denarius. Two blind men (verses 29-34) received their sight. The editor sees no need to mention their deeds or achievements. If passing by them is the condition for them to see, then it is the condition. The editor's willingness to throw away even an hour's labor is a reflection of the heavenly principles he learned from Jesus. The editor wants to announce to the whole world the secret of the Kingdom of Heaven revealed by Jesus. He finally utters a word of enlightenment: "So the last will be first, and the first will be last" (verse 16).
What he learned from Jesus appears paradoxical to conventional human wisdom. Humans corrupted by wealth and power have even distorted Jesus's principle of the denarius. The lowering of oneself to be elevated, the emptying of one's wallet to possess more. Did the editor of Matthew anticipate such distortion? The enduring relevance of Matthew today might be because the principle of the denarius in the Kingdom of God is the most challenging to implement among humans.