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.
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.
