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| Harvest the grapes. First or last...What will we get? |
"For
the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to
hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent
them out to work. ... When they received their pay, they protested to the
owner.... He answered one of them, 'Friend, I haven't been unfair!
Didn't you agree to work all day for the usual wage? ... So those who are last
now will be first then, and those who are first will be last." Matthew 20:1-2, 11, 13, 16 (Underlined for emphasis)
The Kingdom of Heaven is like…Jesus told many parables recorded in Matthew, Mark,
and Luke that give us a glimpse of what heaven will be like…an analogy for us
to seek some truth with which to apply to our lives. Is it important to you if
you should be last or first? Maybe not but in this parable about the landowner
I think that Jesus is telling us that no matter where are in life when we come
to believe in Him…when we come into the Kingdom
that we need to serve…work for Him…the same as everyone else and we will be
rewarded the same.
When Jesus
told this parable He was responding to a question from Peter … Then Peter said to him, "We've given
up everything to follow you. What will we get?" Matthew 19:27. Jesus
repeats Himself…
But many who are the greatest now will be least
important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest
then. Matthew 19:30
"So those who are last now will be first then,
and those who are first will be last." Matthew 20: 16
What will we get? That is always the big question.
What is in this for me? The first workers expected more than the last workers,
but Jesus, addressing the one unhappy worker as Friend told him that he would get what was fair. So we too can only
expect that…whatever is fair. What do we deserve? A scolding…or a kick in the
pants…how about being hung on a cross? That is what we deserve. But Jesus,
addressing us as Friend is willing to
give us something we don’t deserve—eternal life. He paid the price. In this
parable He was only asking for willing service in His vineyard. Don’t be greedy
and wanting more. What do you want…what will you get?
Prayer
~ Lord God—Thank You for not giving me what I deserve…but what You want to
give. I humbly ask for Your forgiveness for my greedy attitude…wanting what I
didn’t earn. Pour out Your love and mercy on me as I live in Your Kingdom…here
and now. May my service to You make your harvest more abundant.
Daily
Bible Reading: Matthew 24
© 2018 Text and
Photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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