The first shall be last

The first shall be last 
S - Matthew 20:12-16(NASB)
‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’¹³ But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eyeenvious because I am generous?’ ¹⁶ So the last shall be first, and the first last.”


O - The Lord is telling this parables to his disciples of the vineyard owner who pays the same wages to all the workers he has hired throughout the day.   What is convicting in this is that we can relate to the worker who worked all day and then saw he got paid the same as the one who worked one hour, we can even feel for him.  But the truth to be revealed is how the Kingdom of Heaven is, not was is fair in work and pay.  The truth is revealed when the owner, who represents God says, I can do with my own what I wish,  and being envious because I am generous is not the right attitude in the Kingdom of God. 


A - The application for me is recognize my own tendency for comparative analysis of my situation versus others.   Whether it be finances,  family, ministry,  I have a tendency to seek to become like others, or grumble when I am not rewarded as I think I should be.   God is revealing to me those called first do have a longer path and more work, but He offers them everything available in the kingdom of heaven.   Peter and Paul paid a larger cost to advance the kingdom that even Billy Graham and Wayne Cordeiro have done, all will receive the same kingdom award.   I am to focus on two things, the gifts he has given me and using them to reach the lost,  and the wondrous promises he has for me in his word.


P- Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you would continue to work on my heart to give it the right perspective and to motivate me to press forward in the calling.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.