V.1-16 About rewards. For the believer, reward is not offered to us by God as a motive or reason, but to encourage us to endure. Keep on! It is all grace, not law. Those who agreed for their penny, received their penny. Those who trusted the lord of the vineyard, received according to his heart. Which is better? This land-owner is a picture of Christ, Who is always fair in all His dealings.
V.17-19 Here we have the third time the Lord tells of His death.
V.20-28 The Lord Jesus takes the lowest place in teaching His disciples.
V.22 The two types of suffering, “the cup”, the inward suffering; “baptism” like the outward sufferings. At verse 28 ends the section which began at chapter 18:1. We could say that the chapter should end here, for the balance really belongs to chapter 21.
V.20-34 The Lord starts on His final journey to Jerusalem and death. Wonderful story. The blind men can see better than those around them, for they see the King (v. 31).