Thus the last shall be first, and the first last

 Good morning. Now we get to the parable I was talking about. The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Then Jesus goes through the various times that the landowner hired people. Now it is time to pay them their wages. He pays the last ones first. When he gets to the ones hired first, he gives them the same wages as those hired last. They are very upset. They did all of the hot and hard work, and yet they got the same pay as those that worked for only one hour. The landowner tells them that they got the exact pay they had agreed on. Take what is yours and go your way, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous? Thus the last shall be first, and the first last. Peter was expecting a greater reward for the disciples than for those that came at the last minute. We have to be careful that we are not the same as Peter. We cannot say “we have been Christians for X number of years; therefore, we should get a greater reward than those who become Christians at the last minute.” In Peter's case, they will get a greater reward. How many of us would have followed Jesus when He was nothing? Sometimes people will pretend to be humble and say “I just want to slip in the back door of heaven.” They are actually expecting to sit on a throne next to Jesus. Father thank You that we have followed You all of our life. Our reward will be great in heaven and on earth.

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