STORY of the

RICH YOUNG RULER

JESUS SAID # 4

Matt 19: 16-22 New English Bible

And now a man came up and asked Him,” Master, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”  ‘Good’ said Jesus.  “Why do you ask me about that? One alone is good.  Matt 20: 01-16

But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’  ‘Which commandments?’ he asked.  Jesus answered,’ Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; Do not give false evidence; honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor as yourself. ’The young man answered, ‘I have kept all these.  Where do I still fall short?’

Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to go all the way, go, sell your possessions, and give to the poor, and then you will have riches in heaven; and come, follow me.’  When the young man heard this, he went away with a heavy heart; for he was a man of great wealth.

Matt 19: 23-30

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you this: a rich man will find it hard to enter the kingdom of Heaven.  I repeat, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ The disciples were amazed to hear this. ‘Then who can be saved?’ they asked.  Jesus looked at them, “ For men this is impossible; but everything is possible for God.’

At this Peter said, ‘we here, left everything to become your followers. What will there be for us?’ Jesus replied; ‘ I tell you this; in the world that is to be, when the Son of man is seated on his throne in heavenly splendor, you will sit as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.  And anyone who has left brothers or sisters, father or mother, or children, land or houses for the sake of my name will be repaid many times over, and gain eternal life, But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

PARABLE of the VINYARD WORKERS
JESUS SAID # 5

The kingdom of Heaven is like this, There was once a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard; and after agreeing to pay the usual day’s wage (*one denarii’s each) he sent them off to work.  Going out three hours later

He saw some more men standing idle in the market place.  “ Go and join the others in the vineyard,”  “he said, “ and I will pay a fair wage.” So off they went.

At midday he went out again and at three in the afternoon, and made the same arrangements as before.  An hour before sunset he went out and found another group standing there; so he said to them, “Why are you standing about like this all day?”  “Because no one has hired us “ they replied; so he told them,” Go and join the others in the vineyard.”

When evening fell, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward,” Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with those that came last and ending with the first,”

Those who had started work an hour before sunset came forward and were paid the full day’s wage*. When it was the turn of the men who had come first, they expected something extra, but were paid the same amount as the others. As they took it, they grumbled at their employer; 

“These latecomers have only done one hour’s work, yet you have put them on a level with us, who have sweated the whole day long in the blazing sun!”

 

 The owner turned to one of them and said.” My friend, I am not being unfair to you.  You agreed for the usual wage* for the day, did you not? Take your pay and go home.  I choose to pay the last man the same as you. Surely I am free to do what I like with my own money.  Why be jealous because I am kind?”

Thus will the last be first
and the first last

EPILOGUE

Notice how these several stories are linked together.  Some, where Jesus changes the subject to the Kingdom of Heaven, or Peter asks a question.  (Many times a question we would have asked.)

Here, in Matthew, Jesus in marching up to His death in Jerusalem.  Against this deadline He must prepare his Disciples for leadership and acceptance of His going away.

Over this background, we hear these stories of thoughtless people touching his clothes, asking for favors, for themselves and their sons. Their reaction to news of His impending sacrifice is to joust for some of His greatness here and in Heaven.

He is readying to give His all and His followers are asking for things, not His to give!

By the time His journey ends, the words of these stories will be in place.  Words like:

Matt19: v 26 for men this is impossible; but everything is possible for God. (Even rich men can enter the kingdom!) and, Including our own salvation.

Notice how strongly Jesus feels about maltreatment of children, how this bad a world is to come. And come it must.

Jesus volunteers the parable of the workers in the vineyard.  It is about the first being last and the last being first in the kingdom of God.  This statement might well have been the title.  Jesus so names it before and after the story.

REMEMBER THIS IS

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

No one did anything wrong.  All were willing to work.  All came when called.  All saw the day’s work finished.  All were paid.  Some were paid for waiting! (Thru no fault of their own.)  Jesus twice tells us what to take from this parable.

The Pay is our eternal life.  This is ‘promised’ when the work call is heeded and given when the day is done. (We will have kept the faith!)  More or less Work doesn’t earn

Eternal life. This life is free, from answering the call.  Work is proof of our faith.  (nw)