Our paragraph topic is: (The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard) Part 23.
We continue our parable with the laborers in the vineyard. The laborers are angry and they are mad about the situation that has happened to them. The house-holder has made his decision how he would pay them and that decision is different from what they think that it should be. He has paid all the same, from the first to the last, and this is what they who were last, are angry about. They who were last worked all day in the heat of the sun and comparison came and told them that compared to the other workers who came after them, they should be paid more.
The house-holder agreed with them, before they began work, on the pay . They agreed with house-holder that the pay was adequate for the work that they would do. What they did not agree upon was that others who did less work than they would get paid the same. And when they saw that this was the situation, they were mad and angry. Why were they angry over something that they had no control? Why did they murmur after the fact? Why did they decide that they deserved more than what they had agreed upon, when they saw what the house-holder did. It came down to one thing that the house-holder told them: "Or art thou envious because I am generous?"
They were evious. They were filled with jealousness. For they had no recorce. They had no outlet for their feelings. The house-holder was generous to all. The decision was his to make and he decided to pay all who worked in the vineyard the same. He was generous. He was faithful. He was honest and the decision was his. And this is the key to the parable. We have a generous God who loves all the same. He does not love one less and another more. He loves all the same for all were created in his image and his likeness. Be they good or evil, in his eyes all were given the gift of his likeness and his image from the grace of his goodness. His love overshadows all. His goodness is for all.
The decision is ours as to whether we accept what God has to offer. We have a choice. He gave us free will to choose and we have to choose. He chose to give us that choice freely and we must choose how we will accept what he has given us. The time will come when we will be faced with that decision. The time will come when we must choose. The time will come when the decision will come upon us in the blink of an eye and we will have to choose or not. And if we do not make a choice then a choice will be made for us and that choice is not one that will be to our liking.
He is generous. He is loving. He is protective of those who love him and follow his commandments. His rules are simple. They are meant to keep us from harm. They are meant to protect us from that which means to destroy us, to take away the life given us by our Father. Yet there are those who are ignorant. There are those who are blind. There are those whoes sight has been taken away, who only have sight for that which is not eternal. Greed will blind. Greed will destroy. Greed will take away that which is eternal within and change it into death. The laborers were envious of those who were paid the same. Let us not follow in their footsteps and murmur at our Father for his generosity. His love will overshadow. His love will fulfill. His love is complete. Seek that which is eternal and you will know him in truth.
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 our parable with the laborers in the vineyard. The laborers are angry and they are mad about the situation that has happened to them. The house-holder has made his decision how he would pay them and that decision is different from what they think that it should be. He has paid all the same, from the first to the last, and this is what they who were last, are angry about. They who were last worked all day in the heat of the sun and comparison came and told them that compared to the other workers who came after them, they should be paid more.
The house-holder agreed with them, before they began work, on the pay . They agreed with house-holder that the pay was adequate for the work that they would do. What they did not agree upon was that others who did less work than they would get paid the same. And when they saw that this was the situation, they were mad and angry. Why were they angry over something that they had no control? Why did they murmur after the fact? Why did they decide that they deserved more than what they had agreed upon, when they saw what the house-holder did. It came down to one thing that the house-holder told them: "Or art thou envious because I am generous?"
They were evious. They were filled with jealousness. For they had no recorce. They had no outlet for their feelings. The house-holder was generous to all. The decision was his to make and he decided to pay all who worked in the vineyard the same. He was generous. He was faithful. He was honest and the decision was his. And this is the key to the parable. We have a generous God who loves all the same. He does not love one less and another more. He loves all the same for all were created in his image and his likeness. Be they good or evil, in his eyes all were given the gift of his likeness and his image from the grace of his goodness. His love overshadows all. His goodness is for all.
The decision is ours as to whether we accept what God has to offer. We have a choice. He gave us free will to choose and we have to choose. He chose to give us that choice freely and we must choose how we will accept what he has given us. The time will come when we will be faced with that decision. The time will come when we must choose. The time will come when the decision will come upon us in the blink of an eye and we will have to choose or not. And if we do not make a choice then a choice will be made for us and that choice is not one that will be to our liking.
He is generous. He is loving. He is protective of those who love him and follow his commandments. His rules are simple. They are meant to keep us from harm. They are meant to protect us from that which means to destroy us, to take away the life given us by our Father. Yet there are those who are ignorant. There are those who are blind. There are those whoes sight has been taken away, who only have sight for that which is not eternal. Greed will blind. Greed will destroy. Greed will take away that which is eternal within and change it into death. The laborers were envious of those who were paid the same. Let us not follow in their footsteps and murmur at our Father for his generosity. His love will overshadow. His love will fulfill. His love is complete. Seek that which is eternal and you will know him in truth.
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.
