Monday, February 22, 2021

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

 Matthew 20;1-16

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

This story illustrating Jesus' words in 19:30, comes only in Matthew. He is not talking about pay structures or saying that all will be equal in heaven. The point is that many who expect to be made much of will be in for a rude shock in God's kingdom. God will honor some very unexpected people, Eternal life is for all who will receive it: 'good' and 'bad', young and old. The remarkable thing is the land-owners generosity - not his unfairness.

Why?

God has the authority to give generously to anyone who wants to give.

Some we saw maybe good or bad, but we don't know the result in heaven, For God is good, so as to forgive us our sins.

We are the son of the Lord, not the worker of the Lord, so the son has no right to ask for payment from our father. We are doing what we should do, for our heavenly father has paid more grace to us.

The last will be first and the first will be last. It is a warning to all of us, to be a Christian longer doesn't mean we may have more reward in the kingdom of heaven, but do our role in the world to honor the holy name of the Lord.

How?

Be humble for the last will be first and the first will be last.



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