Wesley United Methodist Church, Orange TX

In our Bible Study for this Wednesday we will be reviewing Matthew Chapter 20.  Jesus tells the parable about workers getting the same pay (1 denarius) for the work they have done.  Some of these workers went to work early in the morning, some in the middle of the day and some late in the day.  In the parable they all receive the same pay. Jesus is telling His disciples that no matter what time in our life we come to a saving knowledge of Him we will all receive the same reward.  That reward of course is our salvation and life eternal in Heaven with Him.  The reward however does go further than that.  Those of us who come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ early in our lives are blessed with a new outlook that can make our lives much better and can give us the opportunity to witness and share with many more people.

Jesus also was addressing the Jewish belief system which was saying that their favored nation status was being taken and given to all who believed in Him.  We who come to this saving knowledge of Jesus Christ become children of God without following the letter of the law.  Jesus teaches us that we are to love God and to love our neighbors as the most important guidelines we can follow.  He even calls them two new commandments.  Very important for us and for the new disciples.  Jesus gives us all favored nation status as His children.

A learning for many in churches today would be that no matter how long we have been followers of Jesus Christ we are to be accepting of and care for those who are new believers.  We need to remember that our status in God is just the same as the new believer.  Our blessings in this life are that we have the opportunity to be known as people who love, care for and support each other no matter how long we have known our Savior.  We are to be known as people who reach out to the world and exclude no one.

God’s Peace and Blessings to each and everyone,

Randy Branch