The Bible

 

Matthew 20:1-15 : Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

Study

1 ομοια γαρ εστιν η βασιλεια των ουρανων ανθρωπω οικοδεσποτη οστις εξηλθεν αμα πρωι μισθωσασθαι εργατας εις τον αμπελωνα αυτου

2 συμφωνησας δε μετα των εργατων εκ δηναριου την ημεραν απεστειλεν αυτους εις τον αμπελωνα αυτου

3 και εξελθων περι τριτην ωραν ειδεν αλλους εστωτας εν τη αγορα αργους

4 και εκεινοις ειπεν υπαγετε και υμεις εις τον αμπελωνα και ο εαν η δικαιον δωσω υμιν

5 οι δε απηλθον παλιν [δε] εξελθων περι εκτην και ενατην ωραν εποιησεν ωσαυτως

6 περι δε την ενδεκατην εξελθων ευρεν αλλους εστωτας και λεγει αυτοις τι ωδε εστηκατε ολην την ημεραν αργοι

7 λεγουσιν αυτω οτι ουδεις ημας εμισθωσατο λεγει αυτοις υπαγετε και υμεις εις τον αμπελωνα

8 οψιας δε γενομενης λεγει ο κυριος του αμπελωνος τω επιτροπω αυτου καλεσον τους εργατας και αποδος {VA 2: αυτοις } τον μισθον αρξαμενος απο των εσχατων εως των πρωτων

9 {VA 1: ελθοντες δε } {VA 2: και ελθοντες } οι περι την ενδεκατην ωραν ελαβον ανα δηναριον

10 και ελθοντες οι πρωτοι ενομισαν οτι πλειον λημψονται και ελαβον [το] ανα δηναριον και αυτοι

11 λαβοντες δε εγογγυζον κατα του οικοδεσποτου

12 λεγοντες ουτοι οι εσχατοι μιαν ωραν εποιησαν και ισους {VA 1: αυτους ημιν } {VA 2: ημιν αυτους } εποιησας τοις βαστασασιν το βαρος της ημερας και τον καυσωνα

13 ο δε αποκριθεις ενι αυτων ειπεν εταιρε ουκ αδικω σε ουχι δηναριου συνεφωνησας μοι

14 αρον το σον και υπαγε θελω δε τουτω τω εσχατω δουναι ως και σοι

15 {VA 2: [η] } ουκ εξεστιν μοι ο θελω ποιησαι εν τοις εμοις η ο οφθαλμος σου πονηρος εστιν οτι εγω αγαθος ειμι

Commentary

 

Complaining - Part 3 of 3

By Todd Beiswenger


To continue browsing while you listen, play the audio in a new window.

While it isn't a sin to complain, as Christians we are challenged to not complain about the ordinary troubles of life, but to stand out and be as "shining stars" despite what people around us are saying and doing.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 4067 [3], 8002 [8]; Ephesians 4:29; Genesis 31:1-3; James 4:1-3; Matthew 20:1-15; Philippians 2:14-16)

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4174

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

4174. 'That stolen by day and that stolen by night' means the evil of merit-seeking in a similar way. This is clear from the meaning of 'stolen' or theft as the evil of merit-seeking. The evil of merit-seeking exists when someone attributes good to himself and supposes that it originates in himself, and on that account wishes to merit salvation. This is the evil meant in the internal sense by 'theft'. But the situation with this evil is that at first all who are being reformed imagine that good originates in themselves and as a consequence that they merit salvation through the good which they perform. For the supposition that they merit salvation through the good which they perform is the outcome of their supposition that good originates in themselves, since the one supposition clings to the other. But people who allow themselves to be regenerated do not set their minds firmly in that way of thinking or convince themselves that such ideas are right. Instead these are gradually dispersed. Indeed as long as a person stays in the external man, as all do at the beginning of reformation, he inevitably thinks in that way. But he is thinking solely from the external man.

[2] But when the external man together with its evil urges is being removed and the internal man is starting to be active, that is, when the Lord is flowing in through the internal man with the light of intelligence and by means of it giving light to the external man, that person starts to think in a different way and to attribute good not to himself but to the Lord. From this one may see what the evil of merit-seeking is, which is meant here by evil through which good comes - the kind of evil for which one is not blameworthy, dealt with already. But if, on reaching adult years, a person firmly establishes this evil in his thinking and becomes utterly convinced that he merits salvation through the good which he performs, that evil becomes strongly rooted in him and cannot be put right. For such people claim to themselves that which is the Lord's. So they are not receivers of good which flows in constantly from the Lord; for the moment this enters them they channel it into themselves and into their proprium, and in so doing they defile it. These evils are what are meant in the proper sense by 'thefts', see 2609.

  
/ 10837  
  

Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.