Matthew Twenty

Jesus told a story about a manager who hired some workers at different times throughout the day. By the end of the work day, some had worked for 9 hours and others for only 1 hour. The manager paid each worker the same amount, regardless of how many hours they worked. This made the ones who worked 9 hours pretty upset as they thought they should be paid more since they worked longer.

The manager replied, Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?

This parable is a reminder for all of us. Regardless of how old we are when we become a Christian and start working for the Lord, we all receive the same reward - eternal life in Heaven forever, with riches and joys untold.

It should also cause us to take a step back and examine our hearts. Have you ever asked a question like, "why is God blessing her so much?" or "why did he get a promotion?" Or said something like, "I have faithfully served God my whole life and I am still struggling from paycheque to paycheque while so-and-so over there has everything they could ever want and take trips every year. That's not fair!"

The words of the manager come back: Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?

That is quite the profound question. Everything we have has been given to us by our generous God. We are called to be faithful with what He's given us, whether much or little.

What is waiting for us at the end is where our true treasure is - let's make sure our hearts are focused on that treasure. Where your treasure is, is where your heart is.

In the next part of this chapter, Jesus talked to His disciples again about Him being handed over to the Romans, where he will be mocked, tormented, and crucified, and will rise again on the third day. In this somber moment, two disciples and their mother knelt before Jesus. She said, "Give your word that these two sons of mine will be awarded the highest places of honour in your kingdom, one at Your right hand, and one at Your left hand."

Picture that. Jesus is talking about the torment He is about to endure, and this mother's only concern is that her sons have places of honour in the kingdom. Interestingly, the two disciples went right along with it. Jesus went through an explanation and boiled it all down to this:

Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.

That is exactly what Jesus did. He left His throne in Heaven to come to this earth as a baby, for the sole purpose of growing up to die on the cross for our sins.* Jesus came to earth to serve us. A King served sinners.

The chapter ends with an example of His service. He stopped and healed two blind men because he was deeply moved.

Are we deeply moved by the needs around us? Do we see those who are blind? Or, are we blind to the blind?

* There is a short Christmas play on Pureflix called, “The King: A Christmas Story from a Heavenly Perspective.” I recommend it!