Comments on: You keep quoting that parable. I do not think it means what you think it means. http://www.cloften.com/?p=103 He'd rather be funny than good! Fri, 29 Jan 2016 20:05:26 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Rodney Tindall http://www.cloften.com/?p=103&cpage=1#comment-25 Rodney Tindall Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:27:06 +0000 http://www.cloften.com/?p=103#comment-25 I think your message is right on. The bottome line is the same: God is fair and we should trust that. Salvation is a gift, never to be earned. There is always somebody else who has served God longer or done more good works. I should be thrilled that God doesn't give me what I deserve! Thanks, Charlie. I think your message is right on. The bottome line is the same: God is fair and we should trust that. Salvation is a gift, never to be earned.
There is always somebody else who has served God longer or done more good works. I should be thrilled that God doesn’t give me what I deserve!
Thanks, Charlie.

]]> By: cloften http://www.cloften.com/?p=103&cpage=1#comment-24 cloften Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:13:26 +0000 http://www.cloften.com/?p=103#comment-24 Point well taken. I believe I was getting the context of this parable confused with the prodigal son. However, I would like to continue to emphasize that we are all "11th hour" people. People who are not getting a fair wage but are recipients of God's generosity. Thanks Rodney. Plus, I read all the way through Matt. 21 this morning that ends with the parable of the tenants where the tenants beat the servants and kill the sons. I had that context in my head when I went back and wrote my thoughts on this. Anyway, thanks. Point well taken. I believe I was getting the context of this parable confused with the prodigal son. However, I would like to continue to emphasize that we are all “11th hour” people. People who are not getting a fair wage but are recipients of God’s generosity. Thanks Rodney.

Plus, I read all the way through Matt. 21 this morning that ends with the parable of the tenants where the tenants beat the servants and kill the sons. I had that context in my head when I went back and wrote my thoughts on this. Anyway, thanks.

]]> By: Rodney Tindall http://www.cloften.com/?p=103&cpage=1#comment-23 Rodney Tindall Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:48:50 +0000 http://www.cloften.com/?p=103#comment-23 Charlie, It's been a long time! If you don't remember me, David Felio lived with me for a summer back in college. I must respectfully disagree with your assessment of this passage. At the end of Matthew 19, Jesus begins speaking directly to his disciples (not the Pharisees). Peter asked, "What is for us?" Jesus answered him saying the many of the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Matthew 20:16 repeats this phrase. He is talking to believers. Peter was concerned about how Jesus was witnessing to the rich man and what that meant for the disciples. They had already given up their wealth to follow Jesus. What then, if a rich man just drops everything he owns and follows? Does he get more heavenly reward? Does he get less? Peter basically turns the conversation back to himself by asking, "how does this affect us?" Jesus tells them that God's fairness does not resemble man's "fairness." Simply trust God to do the right thing, and be happy that you are in God's Kingdom. Don't worry about other's rewards from God. Be happy for your own. The Pharisees would never have asked for their "wages." They were too prideful for that. They thought they owned heaven (and earth) anyway. Jesus' parable would have been lost on them. Charlie,

It’s been a long time! If you don’t remember me, David Felio lived with me for a summer back in college.

I must respectfully disagree with your assessment of this passage. At the end of Matthew 19, Jesus begins speaking directly to his disciples (not the Pharisees). Peter asked, “What is for us?” Jesus answered him saying the many of the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Matthew 20:16 repeats this phrase. He is talking to believers.

Peter was concerned about how Jesus was witnessing to the rich man and what that meant for the disciples. They had already given up their wealth to follow Jesus. What then, if a rich man just drops everything he owns and follows? Does he get more heavenly reward? Does he get less? Peter basically turns the conversation back to himself by asking, “how does this affect us?”

Jesus tells them that God’s fairness does not resemble man’s “fairness.” Simply trust God to do the right thing, and be happy that you are in God’s Kingdom. Don’t worry about other’s rewards from God. Be happy for your own.

The Pharisees would never have asked for their “wages.” They were too prideful for that. They thought they owned heaven (and earth) anyway. Jesus’ parable would have been lost on them.

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