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THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST – 02-25-2020

By February 25, 2020Daily Devotionals

THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST
February 25, 2020

Prayer: Lord, may we understand Your amazing grace today.

Scripture: “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage[a] and sent them out to work.
3 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing. 6 “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’
7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’ “The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” Matthew 20: 1-16 NLT

Remember this one: the Parable of the Workers? What an interesting effect this story of the Lord’s has on us. In it we would identify with the land owner who chooses to be generous. But secretly we sympathize with the all-day workers for not getting a bonus, in view of the owner’s decision to be generous with the partial day workers. We would ‘expect’ a special return too if we saw that others who have done less work than we, get as much as we originally agreed to. But this story is not about work and compensation. It is about grace–God’s grace. Jesus is the landowner. He has already granted to all who will respond to His call that they shall all receive full pay– eternal life. None of them really worked particularly well, at least not well enough for what the Lord is granting. We have all failed to fulfill the highest expectations of humanity by our creator.

But God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal privilege is granted to all who respond, whether they respond as a six year old, like one of my daughters, or as an 86 year old who finally recognized the folly of her rebellious life style and ‘heard’ the voice of God calling her to a higher plane.

One hears the phrase spoken of and sees it written much these days: ‘it’s not about me, but about THEE.’ It is so easy to say and so hard to live. But with God’s power, you can deny yourself and enjoy the grace-filled life with power over all sin.

I pray your day is filled with such grace, from The Source.

Copyright Dan Elliott.  Email [email protected]