St Matthew, Chapter 20, verse: 11, The Comparison and the Murmur.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the laborers in the vineyard)
Part 15.

The first received his reward and was joyous.  They had only worked an hour.  The next to the last received their denarius and they were happy.  They had only worked a couple of hours.  Those who came before the first received their wages and they were satisfied.  They did not work as long as those who came first.  And then came those who were hired first.  The time came for them to receive their reward and they also received a denarius.

And upon receiving their pay they were astonished.  They were not satisfied.  They were not joyous.  They were not happy to receive what they had agreed to work for.  For they had made comparisons.  They had worked all day in the heat of the sun.  They had watched others come into the vineyard and knew that they would receive more.  They thought that their reward would be greater than all the rest.  "And on receiving it, they began to murmur against the householder." 

They made comparisons.  They looked at others as they entered the vineyard and compared themselves to those that came after them.  They raised themselves above those that came after them.  They thought that they were better.  They thought that they deserved more.  They saw themselves as different from those who came after them.  And yet they all were the same.  They all were offered the same amount by the house-holder to tend the fields in the vineyard. 

There was work that needed to be done.  There was a need for laborers to do the work.  There was a contract made and an agreement for compensation.  Yet somewhere in the process a change took place.  Somewhere in the work something entered the picture to bring about a change.  They worked side by side.  They picked the grapes from the vines and harvested the fruit.  Somewhere in the work day, the minds of the workers changed.  Somewhere during the heat of the day their thoughts changed.  Somewhere as the day came to a close the hearts of the workers changed and a new mind, a new heart, new thoughts came into the picture and all were changed.

Some were happy.  Some were joyous.  Some were satisfied.  But others were astonished and dismayed at what they received.  They began to murmur.  They began to talk back.  They began to allow frustration and doubt, and fear, and anger to enter into their hearts and minds and bring about a transformation in who they were.  They began as simple workers seeking to find work for the day.  They ended up as angry spirits who's hearts were filled with anger.

What is it that brings about such a change?  What happened that they were dissatisfied?  What brought about this about face in their attitudes and mindsets that they began to murmur?  Comparison came in.  Comparison came in and set things in motion.  Comparison came through and showed them a different picture.  They started out happy to have work.  They ended up sad and disgruntled with their pay.  Are we the same today?  Do we start out happy to have work and end up sad with our pay?  Does comparison come into our lives and lead us to change?  Does comparison come into our lives and turn us in a different direction? 

We are God's children, created in his image and likeness.  He has given us the gift of life.  The most precious gift that could be had, we already have.  Are we satisfied?  Are we happy?  Are we understanding of what has been given to us?  Or are we making comparisons with what the world has to offer against what we already have?  We see, we feel, we taste and touch and smell all that the physical has to offer.  Can we know the truth of what the gift of life has to offer?  The spirit will tell.  The life within will show.  The Advocate will listen and teach that which has not been taught.  And then you will know that there is no comparison to what you have.  And then you will be happy and joyous, for you have the gift of life. 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you.  Open the door and let him in.  

St Matthew, Chapter 20, verse: 10b, What the first received.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the laborers in the vineyard)
Part 14.

It is funny how we make comparisons and draw conclusions.  We are given that we are to compare.  We are given that we are different.  We are given that we value ourselves and our value is given to us through the looking glass of the world.  Each day we see the best, the perfect, the brightest, the smartest, the most superlative of who we are.  And we measure ourselves based upon what we see with our eyes through the media of the world.

The world decides who we are.  The world gives us our identity.  The world sets the rules of how we measure ourselves.  No longer are we the same.  No longer are we similar.  No longer are we members of the human race but we are different, unique, special, because of what we are given.  One fact remains, in the eyes of God our Father, we are his children and he is our Father, our creator, our maker, the one who gave us life.  We each received the same gift, just as the laborers did in the vineyard.  "They also received each his denarius." 

This parable started out by Christ telling his disciples that the kingdom of heaven is like a house-holder seeking laborers to work in his vineyard.  The house-holder went out early to seek workers for his vineyard.  He found laborers waiting in the market place seeking work.  He told them that if they wanted to work that he would pay them each a denarius to labor in his vineyard.  They agreed and went to work.  All was fine.  All were happy that they found work.  All worked in the vineyard according to what they were asked to do. 

They all were the same.  They all were going to get paid the same.  They started at the same time and they will end work at the same time and they will all get paid the same.  This was what they agreed upon.  We today agree to work for our wages.  We are born, we go to school, we learn our A, B, C's, we learn our math and science, our history, and our geography.  We are trained in the rules of the world.  After we are trained, we go out into the world to seek our futures, our fame and our fortunes. 

The world would segment and categorize us so that we make comparisons.  We are different, we are white, we are black, we are Asian, Latino, European, Italian, etc.  We live in categories, in boxes, based upon what our senses tell us and what the world tells us about who and what we want to be.  And yet we all received a denarius.  We all became children.  We all were created in his image and likeness.  We are his children and he is our Father .  We live in a shell, a box, a category.  But inside we are all the same, spiritual beings not physical.  We all received life and life is within all of us.  Think not of yourself as different, but think of yourself as the same, one spirit in the Father.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you.  Open the door and let him in. 

St Matthew, Chapter 20, verse: 10a, The thoughts of those who came first.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the laborers in the vineyard) Part 13.

We continue the story of the laborers working in the vineyard of the house-holder.  The time has come to receive payment for the work.  The time has come for assessment.  The time has come for us to understand what how we think of ourselves and how we value who we are.  As in the parable those who were first had worked all day.  They had labored in the heat and sun of the day.  They worked more than anyone else. 

They saw the vineyard as they began to work early in the morning.  They saw the harvest.  They knew that the crop was ready to be picked and knew the amount of work that was needed to complete the task.  As they began their work they saw others come into the vineyard.  As each hour went by they continued to see other workers enter the vineyard to work.  They may have wondered what those who came after them would be paid.  They knew that they had agreed to work for a denarius.  But what were the others to be paid?  Would they receive less?  Would they get paid based on the time that they worked?  And then came those who were last to enter the vineyard.  What would they get paid?  "And when the first in their turn came, they thought that they would receive more."

What would you think?  Should they get more?  Should they be compensated because they worked longer, because they worked more, because they came first?  They saw the others that came into the vineyard.  They thought that they were privileged because they came first.  They believed that they deserved more.  They knew within themselves that they would be compensated more.  They worked with pride.  They worked with jealousy because they had persuaded themselves that they were better, they were more, they were the first to come.

Are these the traits that we portray today in our work?  Do we think the same way?  We came first.  We worked harder.  We deserve more than they do.  We make comparisons to our brothers and sisters and determine that we are not the same.  We make comparisons with others and determine that we are better, we are smarter, we are prettier, we are greater, we are better than anyone else.  And we evaluate our own self worth based on these thoughts.  We boost ourselves up and pump up our chests thinking with pride that we are the best.  And when someone else comes along that seems to have more than we do we are deflated.  We get depressed because that person has more than what we have, that person is better, prettier, smarter, more clever, funnier, etc. than we are.  All this we do to ourselves because we make comparisons.

Within each of us lives a spirit.  Within each of us lives a life given to us by God our Father.  And it is that spirit, that life that makes us precious to him.  We are loved no less nor no more than any other of our brothers or sisters.  We receive his love equally with the same amount.  There is no one who he loves less nor no one that he loves more.  He demonstrated his love for us by allowing his son to become human, take on flesh, come and live with us, come and walk with us to teach us of the Father.  His only son whom he loves greatly, he allowed to become man.  And the love that he has for his son is the same love that he has for each and every one of us.

In this world we are given to comparisons.  In the heavenly realm there is no comparison.  There is only love for all.  Despite all the tricks and traps of Satan, in the heavenly realm we are all the same, children of our Father.  And in that realm he loves us equally, whole, and without comparison.  We are his children and he is our Father.  Think not of comparing yourselves.  Think not of who you are with others.  Think not of the physical that you see with the physical eye, but think with the spiritual eye and see the light of life that is in all God's creations and you will know who you are in his love.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you.  Open the door and let him in.