“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner…”
(Matthew 20:1)
The actual passage is Matthew 20:1 – 16
Which you should read for yourself
But the crux of the matter is that
There was disagreement as to how
The Landowner should “share HIS money”
As usual people get caught up with the story
And MISS the first point
The focus is the LANDOWNER
As he is WHAT the kingdom of heaven is like
From God’s point of view
The kingdom of heaven is FAIR
Everyone RECEIVES the same…
Same wages
Same money
Same gift
Eternal life IS the gift
Or in this case, “the wages”
People get offended so easily
As it doesn’t seem FAIR in the story
As some worked ALL Day
Yet others around an hour
And the wages were the SAME
There are people who will have believed
And trusted in Jesus for most of their life
Some 20, others 50 maybe even 80 years
And they will still receive the SAME wages
As the thief on the cross who trusted
In Jesus for an hour or two
In God’s eyes there is no difference
All who have trusted and believed
In His Son, His only Son
WILL receive eternal life – the wages
No more, no less
And as the passages says:
“So the last will be first, and the first last.
For many are called, but few chosen.”
(Matthew 20:16)
The ones who get offended by this
Simple message will not allow
Themselves to be chosen
Rather, they will be like the workers
Who worked all day
Received what had been agreed
But complained that they didn’t get MORE
“And when they had received it,
they complained against the landowner,
saying,
‘These last men have worked only one hour,
and you made them equal to us who have
borne the burden and the heat of the day.’”
(Matthew 20:11 – 12)
It is NOT that we are “equal” as people
But that the gift of eternal life
The wages, are “equal”
Do not allow yourself to be deceived
Into thinking you have been cheated
But rather realise the wonderful, glorious
FREE gift that you have received
Is the SAME eternal life for everyone