Matthew 20:1-16 - by Don Neuendorf
OK, humility block here. In the printed SPOTS I based my devotion on Matthew TWENTY-ONE verses 1-16, instead of chapter TWENTY. The Gospel lesson for this coming Sunday is actually in chapter 20, so I guess that's what we should think about here. (You know what a "humility block" is, right? It's a *deliberate* mistake put into one block of a quilt just to remind yourself that you're not perfect. I wish I could claim my mistakes were that humble.)
The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard.
I would like to use these words to talk about labor unions, or fair wages, or property rights - all topics that we love to pontificate about and would love to find Bible verses to support our various points of view. Unfortunately, that's not at all what this is about...
This is about bottom lines. What is the bottom line of faith and of the kingdom of heaven?
It is whether you are in or out. It is whether you have faith or do not have faith. It is being saved or not being saved.
It is not about who's been in faith the longest - who worked the hardest - who bore more of the burden. Like family, in the kingdom of heaven the point is that the Father loves all the children he created and desires to live with them forever. He loved the prodigal son and the older son the same, even though their paths were different and their inheritances were not the same. He wanted them both to be with him in his home.
What matters to us? We say that we want everyone to come to faith - but where do we expend our efforts?