Questions on the road

This morning as we got on the road again it was brought up that yesterday there was a question about what does it mean when Jesus says "the first will be last and the last will be first." This phrase is used a couple times in the gospels, we first talk about in Mark 10 where there was a request that the sons of Zebedee be seated on the right and left sides of Christ. In this section we talked about how we are to server those around us and lift them up. 

We are to not look for the praise and honor from the world in what we do, we are to look at ourselves as servants of the most high and what he wants us to do is to love. Love as a verb is placing others needs before your own. In this section Jesus is saying that if you want to be raised up you need to humble yourself. Jesus humbled himself to the point of the most disgraceful death that they knew of in that time. Doing this God opened up salvation through Christ. 

Then looking at Matthew 20:16 from where the question came from. We looked at how that parable of the laborers speaks on how we are to accept what is promised us and not look at the gifts of others and say why didn't I get that. We need to be thankful that God was faithful and gave us what he promised. Just as the workers who started at the first of the day were promised a days wage but it up the the master if he is going to pay the workers who started later the same days wage. In the same way God offers up the same gift to everyone, the gift of salvation through his son. No matter if we are saved early in life or on our death bed. We have to remember that God does not promise us a death bed where we can confess. We could die today, tomorrow, or in 80 years so don't just put it off because you want to live your life and go to heaven with a death bed conversion. 

But when it come to the phrase  the last will be first and first will be last after this parable we felt that is was a way to remind us not to think of ourselves better then someone because we or the world thinks more if us. What we or the world thinks of us means nothing to God we are just called to do the best work we can for as long as we have breath in our lungs. 

I love how God will use someone not completely understanding a scripture to bring a group of men on a bus together discussing it and coming to a better understanding of his word. His word is living and as we read it and spend time marinating in it we allow the Holy Spirit to show us new things and grow in our relationship with God.