SEV Biblia, Chapter 20:15
¿No me es lícito a mí hacer lo que quiero en mis cosas? o ¿es malo tu ojo, porque yo soy bueno?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 20:15
Verse 15. Is it not lawful for me] As eternal life is the free gift of God, he has a right to give it in whatever proportions, at whatever times, and on whatever conditions he pleases. Is thine eye evil] An evil eye among the Jews meant a malicious, covetous, or envious person.
Most commentators have different methods of interpreting this parable.
Something was undoubtedly designed by its principal parts, besides the scope and design mentioned at the conclusion of the last chapter. The following, which is taken principally from the very pious Quesnel, may render it as useful to the reader as any thing else that has been written on it.
The Church is a vineyard, because it is a place of labour, where no man should be idle. Each of us is engaged to labour in this vineyard-to work out our salvation through him who worketh in us to will and to perform. Life is but a day, whereof childhood, or the first use of reason, is the day- break or first hour, Matthew xx. 1, in which we receive the first CALL.
The promise of the kingdom of glory is given to all those who are workers together with him, ver. 2.
The second call is in the time of youth, which is most commonly idle, or only employed in dissipation and worldly cares, Matthew xx. 3.
The third call is at the age of manhood.
The fourth, in the decline of life, ver. 5.
The fifth, when sickness and the infirmities of life press upon us. How many are there in the world who are just ready to leave it, before they properly consider for what end they were brought into it! Still idle, still unemployed in the things which concern their souls; though eternal life is offered to them, and hell moving from beneath to meet them! ver. 6.
Others consider the morning the first dawn of the Gospel; and the first call to be the preaching of John Baptist.
The second call, the public preaching of our LORD; and that of the apostles when they got an especial commission to the Jews, chap. x. 5, 6, together with that of the seventy disciples mentioned Luke x. 1.
The third call, which was at mid-day, represents the preaching of the fullness of the Gospel after the ascension of Christ, which was the meridian of evangelic glory and excellence.
The fourth call represents the mission of the apostles to the various synagogues of the Jews, in every part of the world where they were scattered; the history of which is particularly given in the Acts of the Apostles.
The fifth call, or eleventh hour, represents the general call of the Gentiles into the Church of Christ, when the unbelieving Jews were finally rejected.
What makes this interpretation the more likely is, that the persons who are addressed at ver. 7, say, No man hath hired us, i.e. We never heard the voice of a prophet announcing the true God, nor of an apostle preaching the Lord Jesus, until now. The Jews could not use this as an argument for their carelessness about their eternal interests.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own ? etc.] External gifts and outward privileges, such as enjoying the word and ordinances, are Gods own; and he may, as he does, bestow them on whom he will, and when and where he pleases; as he gave them to the Jews, and continued them many hundred years, when the Gentiles were utterly with them destitute of them; and as he has bestowed them in a more abundant manner for a long time on the Gentiles, whilst the Jews despise and reject them. Special grace is his own, which he gives to whom he pleases; it is by his own grace, and not the merits of men, that any are chosen, adopted, justified, pardoned, regenerated, and called; that they have faith, hope, love, repentance, or perform new obedience from a new heart, and new principles. Heaven and glory is his own, of his own preparing and giving; and both grace and glory are disposed of, and that very rightly and lawfully, according to his sovereign good will and pleasure: he chooses, adopts, justifies, pardons, regenerates, calls, and sanctifies whom he pleases; and brings what sons to glory he thinks fit, and bestows it equally upon them: and in so doing, does no wrong, or any injustice to any of his creatures; not to the fallen angels, by choosing some of their species, and confirming them in their original constitution; and by leaving them, the fallen angels, in their apostasy; nor by making provision for fallen man, and not them, nor by punishing them with everlasting destruction; nor do they ever complain of any wrong being done them: nor to non-elect men; for none of Adams race have any right to grace or glory, and therefore no wrong is done to any of them, by withholding them from them, whereby nothing is taken from them, and given to others; and by punishing them for sin; nor to any elect men, by making others partners with them; since they are all alike by nature, unworthy of grace and glory, and deserving of wrath: what is enjoyed by any of them, is of mere grace, and not through merit; and one has not a whit the less, for what the other is possessed of; so that there is no room for envy, murmuring, and complaint: is thine eye evil because I am good? An evil eye, is opposed to a good eye, frequently in Jewish writings, as a good eye signifies beneficence and liberality; hence it is said f1062 He that gives a gift, let him give it hpy y[b with a good eye; bountifully and generously; and he that devoteth anything, let him devote it with a good eye, cheerfully and freely: so an evil eye intends envy and covetousness, as it does here: and the sense is, art thou envious at the good of others, and covetous and greedy to monopolize all to thyself, because I am liberal, kind, and beneficent? Men are apt to complain of God, and charge his procedures in providence and grace, with inequality and injustice; whereas he does, as he may, all things according to his sovereign will, and never contrary to justice, truth, and goodness; though he is not to be brought to mans bar, and men should submit to his sovereignty.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-16 - The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul be preached to the Gentiles, and they should be admitted to equa privileges and advantages with the Jews. The parable may also be applied more generally, and shows, 1. That God is debtor to no man. 2 That many who begin last, and promise little in religion, sometimes, by the blessing of God, arrive at a great deal of knowledge, grace, an usefulness. 3. That the recompense of reward will be given to the saints, but not according to the time of their conversion. It describe the state of the visible church, and explains the declaration that the last shall be first, and the first last, in its various references Till we are hired into the service of God, we are standing all the da idle: a sinful state, though a state of drudgery to Satan, may be called a state of idleness. The market-place is the world, and from that we are called by the gospel. Come, come from this market-place Work for God will not admit of trifling. A man may go idle to hell, but he that will go to heaven, must be diligent. The Roman penny wa sevenpence halfpenny in our money, wages then enough for the day' support. This does not prove that the reward of our obedience to God is of works, or of debt; when we have done all, we are unprofitabl servants; but it signifies that there is a reward set before us, ye let none, upon this presumption, put off repentance till they are old Some were sent into the vineyard at the eleventh hour; but nobody ha hired them before. The Gentiles came in at the eleventh hour; the gospel had not been before preached to them. Those that have had gospe offers made them at the third or sixth hour, and have refused them will not have to say at the eleventh hour, as these had, No man ha hired us. Therefore, not to discourage any, but to awaken all, be it remembered, that now is the accepted time. The riches of Divine grac are loudly murmured at, among proud Pharisees and nominal Christians There is great proneness in us to think that we have too little, an others too much of the tokens of God's favour; and that we do too much and others too little in the work of God. But if God gives grace to others, it is kindness to them, and no injustice to us. Carna worldlings agree with God for their penny in this world; and choos their portion in this life. Obedient believers agree with God for their penny in the other world, and must remember they have so agreed. Dids not thou agree to take up with heaven as thy portion, thy all; wil thou seek for happiness in the creature? God punishes none more tha they deserve, and recompenses every service done for him; he therefor does no wrong to any, by showing extraordinary grace to some. See her the nature of envy. It is an evil eye, which is displeased at the goo of others, and desires their hurt. It is a grief to ourselves displeasing to God, and hurtful to our neighbours: it is a sin that ha neither pleasure, profit, nor honour. Let us forego every proud claim and seek for salvation as a free gift. Let us never envy or grudge, but rejoice and praise God for his mercy to others as well as to ourselves.
Greek Textus Receptus
η 2228 PRT ουκ 3756 PRT-N εξεστιν 1832 5904 V-PQI-3S μοι 3427 P-1DS ποιησαι 4160 5658 V-AAN ο 3739 R-ASN θελω 2309 5719 V-PAI-1S εν 1722 PREP τοις 3588 T-DPN εμοις 1699 S-1DPN ει 1487 COND ο 3588 T-NSM οφθαλμος 3788 N-NSM σου 4675 P-2GS πονηρος 4190 A-NSM εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S οτι 3754 CONJ εγω 1473 P-1NS αγαθος 18 A-NSM ειμι 1510 5748 V-PXI-1S
Robertson's NT Word Studies
20:15 {Is thine eye evil?} (ho ofqalmos sou poneros estin?) See on 6:22-24 about the evil eye and the good eye. The complainer had a grudging eye while the householder has a liberal or generous eye. See #Ro 5:7 for a distinction between dikaios and agaqos.
