Matthew 20 ~ first and last

Matthew 20

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Jesus Christ is the Same Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. His most blessings oriented Words are found surrounding His Laws.

The Law isn't for grins. This is God putting forth "Love Thy Neighbor" as a courtesy. Keeping Peace. Encouraging Love and harmony in orderly conduct.


















Isaiah 45

Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it. 

9"Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands '? 10"Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?'

Every January, I get the "Januaryies."; It's the yin and yang. "Januaryies" are - Biblically - Luke 3. Christmas - the joy of giving joy. God brings us an Archangel. Twice. Miracles and jaw-dropping miracles. Shepherds see the Heavenly Host. This isn't even numbered. Then they behold the Christ Child. And so does Simeon.

Life intervenes. Luke 3. 

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas


The Christ Child arrives and the world continues in good and bad. In newness and in the established paths. Exactly the way Sam Walton was told Walmart was impossible. And so many little things that occur and life continues in the way life seems to continue. It's really... an act of faith to not allow every day to overcome the Wonders and Acts of God.

Luke 3 isn't really an Archangel situation.

Luke 3 is like Psalm 90. Moses has seen amazing, incredible Acts of God. And deals with starvation, thirst, mutiny, let down by Aaron, being government and gold calves.

To me, Luke 3, in these verses, is to see what is beautiful and gracious in life - slip away to the dreariness of 'this is the way the world works." And to see individuals lose their own personal shine from seeing Jesus. As Moses - he covered his face. I've heard this described as humanity holding on to pride, but perhaps Moses was weeping.

The point is to continue -

Into Luke 3 and to rejoice at the end of Psalm 90. And to get there - to get anywhere in the Scriptures - we have to have honesty. Sometimes a good cry. Sometimes a cry of verbal frustration and anger. Jesus told us be angry and do not act on sin. Ephesians 4:26.

David knew.

Psalm 4:4
Be angry, yet do not sin; on your bed, search your heart and be still. Selah

Romans 12:9
Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

Luke 3
Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight

The word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.


To find the Joy in The Joy of the Lord is my strength - we have to be able to put down bitterness over slander and malice. We have to cry out to find kindness and tenderness and forgiveness. Even when Lucy will continue to move the football, Charlie Brown. When the dog is abused. When neglect has an excuse and a reason. When death is arriving pretty slowly. And everyone is coping - everywhere. Alzheimer has some very unusual stories. Dementia too.

Faith, hope and Love.  To realize these are the joys of life. To know all seasons and all days have good with Joy and Love and all days have some sadness. We learn to live in the moments of Joy and Love and to decrease the strength, the time and the occurrence of sadness. But only with truth.

I had the most marvelous dream Jesus was coming to live with us in brand new, shiny rooms. Making all of us new. We decorated in His favorite colors - red and green. A quilt was found for the wall. And then spent the day in frustration. Joy arrived. Joy was worked for. Joy apparently left.

In fact, I have been grumpy, irritated, sniping and upset.

And when I told Edward - Edward said in comparisons to life God has provided - the hardships are small.  Sometimes to see this - you have to see Eternity. And other days to see this - all you simply have is gratitude in your heart.

To be able to speak to the frustrations - is a Blessing.

We have all heard believe in the Lord when the Sun doesn't shine. Psalm 90 proves the gravity and brevity of life. Rejoice in the Lord isn't the beaming of every golden day. Rejoice in the Lord is the belief that even if you are in your 90's, 9th decade of life, and have incredible back pain - God will hear you. He did for our uncle and the uncle healed in the belief that even at 90 years of age - water therapy and faith exist. Rejoice in the Lord is the belief God is still working. And we can have relief Father God named His Son Yeshua over Joshua holding the faith for 40 years.

It's impossible to believe. And yet we are told - our lives are mapped out as written in Psalm 139.
The Purpose of God is where we live - today. The Blessing we are today - is from God. The difficulties and heartbreaks are Psalm 139 too. Embrace the goodness, have patience with what is heart curdling. And find tomorrow we have endured and overcome again. God, our Father, is still working and Jesus as well.

Abba,

Yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory.

And in this Truth, we ask for Your Blessings.

Praying more Heaven on earth
for ourselves and our cares.
For the ones we love in their eternal love and soul.
For this Nation.
For the Nations trusting in God.
For Your Beloved praying for more Heaven on earth.

More Peace, more Joy, more Love, more hope, more prosperity, more health. More Jesus Christ - Heal them all.

In the Powerful and Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †