If you read Matthew 20:1-16, you’ll see that its a parable about men being hired to work in a vineyard at various times of the day. The people who were hired last were paid first to prove a point to the others that everyone would receive the same payment no matter what time they were hired.
Those who were hired first wanted more. They wanted to see themselves as more valuable than others by being paid more instead of being thankful that God is simply good and gracious to all. What is this inclination in many to want to be valued and validated above another instead of simply accepting the goodness of God?
It really isn’t about us, but about the kingdom of God. The below scriptures sum up the attitude we ought to have, and that is a child-like humility:
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. – Matthew 18:1-5
In the below text, the disciples were embarrassed to share with Jesus what they were arguing about probably because they knew they had the wrong motive:
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” – Mark 9:33-35
They’d been arguing about who was the greatest in the kingdom of God. Jesus, knowing what they chatted about, begun to correct them sharing that a desire to be great must be converted into humility. We have to be willing to be in last place and to become the servant of all. Then Jesus went on to share the example of being like a child again. It’s okay to desire to be great, but the greatest will be your most humble. It will be the person who is thankful to belong to the Lord and to be counted as a son or daughter of God who will be great; not the person who looks to compare himself to others and desires to one-up the ones he’s compared himself to.
Let’s keep that child-like humility even being willing to look foolish and come in last place at times. This is the culture of the kingdom that God desires for us.
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