God is Gracious and Kind!
Matthew 20:1-16
vs. 3: "at 9am the Landowner was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. So he hired them..." vs 6-7: "at 5pm that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around not working. He said, 'Why haven't you been working today?' They replid, 'No one hired us' The Landowner told them, 'Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.'
If you read this passage you'll learn that the Landowner ended up paying all the workers a full days wage. Even those who started at 5pm! The Landowner is God the Father!
The thing that impressed me about this parable Jesus told about Heaven is that his Father is gracious and kind to those who don't deserve it. I can see that Jesus wants to highlight 3 things in this story:1. What really matters in our lives is that we need to get to know God personally so we can be invited to work in his fields. 2. To encourage us in how we need to live our lives by getting to work for God and stop standing around doing nothing and 3. To come to accept the way God does things on his terms...even if it doesn't make sense. Ultimately, this means we are going to get to see a lot of people in heaven who lived their whole lives in the world, but at the last minute put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
The bottom line of this parable in Matthew 20 is that God is gracious and kind not wanting anyone to perish in eternal damnation because of their sins. He is so willing to pay you a full days wage even if you have worked for him for only 2 hours! You ask how can he afford that? He can afford it because his son's blood is the most precious thing in all of the universe, and by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for our sins God has payed everyone's required labor in advance and as a result he can give all the opportunity to be with him in paradise forever if they receive his free gift. You can receive the gift of salvation for free by being thankful and humble you are not required to work it out. The only "work" you have to do is receive by believing Jesus died for your sins and that his death is enough. Think about these next verses:
1: "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood & without the shedding of blood there is no forgivness of sins." Hebrews 9:22 2: Jesus said, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins...." Matthew 26:28, 3: You should know then, that through Jesus Christ's shed blood, that the forgiveness of your sins is proclaimed to you, & if you believe in Him He will free you from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses." Acts 13: 38,39 & 4: "For God so loved (Put your name in here), that he gave his only Son for you, that if you believe in Him you will not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
When you realize God's kindness in this act of love the only thing you can really do is repent and turn away from your self and fall into the loving arms of God.
Matthew 20:1-16
vs. 3: "at 9am the Landowner was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. So he hired them..." vs 6-7: "at 5pm that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around not working. He said, 'Why haven't you been working today?' They replid, 'No one hired us' The Landowner told them, 'Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.'
If you read this passage you'll learn that the Landowner ended up paying all the workers a full days wage. Even those who started at 5pm! The Landowner is God the Father!
The thing that impressed me about this parable Jesus told about Heaven is that his Father is gracious and kind to those who don't deserve it. I can see that Jesus wants to highlight 3 things in this story:1. What really matters in our lives is that we need to get to know God personally so we can be invited to work in his fields. 2. To encourage us in how we need to live our lives by getting to work for God and stop standing around doing nothing and 3. To come to accept the way God does things on his terms...even if it doesn't make sense. Ultimately, this means we are going to get to see a lot of people in heaven who lived their whole lives in the world, but at the last minute put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
The bottom line of this parable in Matthew 20 is that God is gracious and kind not wanting anyone to perish in eternal damnation because of their sins. He is so willing to pay you a full days wage even if you have worked for him for only 2 hours! You ask how can he afford that? He can afford it because his son's blood is the most precious thing in all of the universe, and by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for our sins God has payed everyone's required labor in advance and as a result he can give all the opportunity to be with him in paradise forever if they receive his free gift. You can receive the gift of salvation for free by being thankful and humble you are not required to work it out. The only "work" you have to do is receive by believing Jesus died for your sins and that his death is enough. Think about these next verses:
1: "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood & without the shedding of blood there is no forgivness of sins." Hebrews 9:22 2: Jesus said, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins...." Matthew 26:28, 3: You should know then, that through Jesus Christ's shed blood, that the forgiveness of your sins is proclaimed to you, & if you believe in Him He will free you from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses." Acts 13: 38,39 & 4: "For God so loved (Put your name in here), that he gave his only Son for you, that if you believe in Him you will not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
When you realize God's kindness in this act of love the only thing you can really do is repent and turn away from your self and fall into the loving arms of God.
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