Wednesday, December 31, 2008

THE FIRST WILL BE LAST

When I first read the story of the servants who were hired at different times of the day from Mathew 20, I agreed with the servants who grumbled when the land lord paid each one of them the same wage. I reasoned like the servants in the story that if I am hired at 6am, I should not get the same pay as someone hired at noon. The logic being that working longer entitles one to more pay. Not so, according to the economics of Jesus. You all get the same pay!
This story was amplified by a catholic priest as follows (I must say, I was most blessed by his message). He said the most difficult challenge we face as believers and non believers is to be happy for others. When we stand in a long line at a grocery store for example, we get angry when all of a sudden people behind us are called to a checkout that just opened. As well, we get angry when 2 days after we buy some item, we see it going on sale and probably don’t feel like telling the next person that the item is on sale. We just don’t want the other person to be happier than us. This is the essence for the grumbling in the hired servants’ story. The hired servants is a story about getting in the kingdom of God. It doesn’t matter when one is saved. Those who have been saved many years ago will get eternal life just like those who got saved yesterday or today. Thus the last will be first, the word of God says. Gracious as He is, there will be rewards that will be given in accordance with how faithful we have been.
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