Matthew 19: 16-30; 20:1-16. Earthly and Heavenly Rewards.

In Matthew chapter 19 verse 16-22 a young man comes to Jesus Christ and asks Him what he must do to gain eternal life. The Savior first instructs him to keep the commandments, which the man states he has always kept, and then the Savior tells him to give up his earthly possessions to stop being a part of the world. The man was very wealthy and struggled with the idea of giving up his great fortune to gain eternal life. In Matthew 6:21 it state, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” This young man’s heart was in his treasure and he struggled with the idea of following God instead of the world. The Savior promises that if we follow Him instead of the world we will be exalted and will inherit eternal life. 

In reading this many people could believe that it is saying sell everything you have and serve the rest of your life. I believe that this section is telling us to not focus on the things of the world, we need to fear God more than we fear man. When we become obsessed with the things of the world we forget to follow God as diligently as we should. To follow God more diligently we need stay humble and grateful for all that the Lord has given us and remember to be in the world but not of the world.

In Matthew 20: 1-16 Jesus tells a parable of workers in a vineyard, here is the breakdown of that parable.

The hours the laborers were hired	How much the man agreed to pay	Hours worked	How much they were actually paid
Early morning	Penny a day	12 hours	A penny
3rd hour	Whatsoever is right	9 hours	A penny
6th hour	Whatsoever is right	6 hours	A penny
9th hour	Whatsoever is right	3 hours	A penny
11th hour	Whatsoever is right	1 hour	A penny

In this parable we learn it does not matter how long we serve the Lord it matters how hard we work and where hearts are, if we work hard for that 1 hour in the vineyard we will get the same reward as everyone else. This message should be a comfort to anyone who is looking to be a convert to the church because some worry that since they have not been a member their whole life that they have no chance of making it to the celestial kingdom, when in reality they have just as much of a chance if they remain faithful and dedicated.  When I first read this I thought that I might have been one of those workers who murmured because the person who labored for 1 hour and received the same reward as someone who worked over 12 hours but in reading this I can see that the making it into the kingdom of God is not a matter of how long you have been there but a matter of following diligently. I love that with this parable coverts can have as much chance to make it to the highest glory because that is what we should all want, our brothers and sisters to be with us in the next life.