Matthew Chapter Twenty Poem by Day Williams

1 "For heaven's kingdom is much like the farmer
Who went at dawn to hire some men to work
Out in his vineyard,2 and agreed to pay

Them wages of a silver coin a day,
Then sent them to his vineyard.3 Now about
Nine in the morning he went out and saw

Some others standing round the marketplace
And doing nothing.4 He told them, ‘You go
Also and work out in my vineyard, and

I'll pay a decent wage, ' 5 so they went. He
Went out again about noon and at three
O'clock and did the same thing.6 At about

Five o'clock he went out and found still others
Standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you
Been standing here all day long doing nothing? '

7 ‘Because no one has hired us, ' they replied.
He said to them, ‘You also go and work
Out in my vineyard.' 8 When the evening came,

The vineyard owner told his foreman, ‘Call
The workers and pay their wages, starting
With the last hired and going to the first.'

9 The workers who were hired at five o'clock
Came up and each received a silver coin,
10 So when the first to be employed arrived

They figured they'd receive more. But each one
Also received a silver coin.11 When they
Received their coins, they started grumbling at

The farmer.12 ‘These men who were hired last worked
Only one hour, ' they said, ‘and you've made them
Equal to us who've gone through the hard work

And the heat of the day, ' 13 but he replied
To one of them, ‘Friend, I did you no wrong,
For didn't you agree to labor for

One silver coin? 14 Take it and go. It's my
Desire to pay the late-comer the same
As you.15 Is it against the law for me

To give away my money if I want? Or are
You envious because I'm generous? '
16 And so the last will be the first; the first

Will be the last." 17 As Jesus was about
To go up to Jerusalem, he took
Aside the twelve disciples, telling them,

18 "Listen, we're going to Jerusalem.
And there the Son of Man will be betrayed
To the chief priests and legal teachers, who

Will condemn him to death,19 and will turn him
Over to Gentiles to be mocked and flogged
And crucified. On the third day he will

Be raised to life! " 20 And then the mother of
Zebedee's sons came up to Jesus with
Her sons and, kneeling down, respectfully

Asked for a favor of him.21 "What is it
You want? " he asked. She said, "When you are King,
Permit my sons to sit upon your right

And left." 22 "You don't know what you are asking, " Jesus
Told her.23 He turned to James and John and asked,
"Can you drink from the cup that I will drink? "

"We can, " they answered. Jesus said to them,
"Indeed you'll drink out of my cup, but it
Is not for me to grant the ones who'll sit

On either side of me. These spots belong
To those for whom my Father has prepared them."
24 When the ten others heard of this, they were

Indignant with the brothers.25 Jesus called
Them to a meeting where he said, "Among
The heathen, kings are tyrants and their high

Officials exercise authority
Over them.26 It must not be so with you.
Instead,27 whoever wants to become great

Among you must become your servant, and
Whoever wants to be the first must be
Your slave− 28 just as the Son of Man did not

Come to be served, but came to serve and give
His life so many others will be free."
29 A multitude came after them as they

Were leaving Jericho.30-31 Two blind men were
Sitting beside the road, and when they heard
Jesus was passing by, they yelled, "Have pity

On us, you Son of David! " Though the crowd
Rebuked them and told them to hush, they yelled
Louder still, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy

Upon us! " 32 Jesus stopped and called them. "What
Can I do for you? " Jesus answered.33 They
Said, "Lord, we want our sight." 34 He had compassion

On them and touched their eyes. Immediately
The men received their sight and followed Jesus.