The Advantage To Growing Up In A Christian Home
part 1
In Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus tells the parable of the “Laborers in the Vineyard.” In the parable he tells of laborers who were hired early in the morning and others who were hired midday and still others who were hired late in the day. When it comes time to pay them, they are all paid the same amount. The owner paid those who worked the shortest time first and those who had worked the longest were paid last. They, of course, complained about not getting paid more since they had worked all day long and the others had worked only a short while. The owner told them that they should be satisfied that they received what they had agreed to work for the day. He had the right to pay the others what he wanted.
When we apply that to our Christianity, we conclude that those who are brought up in Christian homes and become Christians early in life and live their whole life as Christians get the same reward on judgment day as those do who became Christian late in life and labor a very short time in the kingdom.
We, also, may conclude that it is not fair for those who lived their life as they wanted until late in life, receive the same reward as we who have lived whole lives of faithfulness to God
The older brother in the parable of the “Prodigal Son” in Luke 15:29-31 seemed to have the same problem. He complained that he had served his father all these many years and had never transgressed his commandment at any time; but his father had never thrown a party like that for him as he did with the younger brother. The father’s response is significant for those who have been a Christian since an early age and have served God all the rest of their lives. He said, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. The older son had been blessed much more that the younger who had suffered the results of his sin for all that time.
Paul dealt with a similar problem in Romans 2 & 3 where he talked about the gentiles and compared them to the Jews. He asked in Romans 3:1-2 “What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? [2] Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. “
If we ask that same question (What advantage?) about those who have been brought up in the church and those who became Christians late in life; the answer is the same, “Much in every way.”
Next week we will look at the advantage in detail. - LP
part 1
In Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus tells the parable of the “Laborers in the Vineyard.” In the parable he tells of laborers who were hired early in the morning and others who were hired midday and still others who were hired late in the day. When it comes time to pay them, they are all paid the same amount. The owner paid those who worked the shortest time first and those who had worked the longest were paid last. They, of course, complained about not getting paid more since they had worked all day long and the others had worked only a short while. The owner told them that they should be satisfied that they received what they had agreed to work for the day. He had the right to pay the others what he wanted.
When we apply that to our Christianity, we conclude that those who are brought up in Christian homes and become Christians early in life and live their whole life as Christians get the same reward on judgment day as those do who became Christian late in life and labor a very short time in the kingdom.
We, also, may conclude that it is not fair for those who lived their life as they wanted until late in life, receive the same reward as we who have lived whole lives of faithfulness to God
The older brother in the parable of the “Prodigal Son” in Luke 15:29-31 seemed to have the same problem. He complained that he had served his father all these many years and had never transgressed his commandment at any time; but his father had never thrown a party like that for him as he did with the younger brother. The father’s response is significant for those who have been a Christian since an early age and have served God all the rest of their lives. He said, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. The older son had been blessed much more that the younger who had suffered the results of his sin for all that time.
Paul dealt with a similar problem in Romans 2 & 3 where he talked about the gentiles and compared them to the Jews. He asked in Romans 3:1-2 “What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? [2] Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. “
If we ask that same question (What advantage?) about those who have been brought up in the church and those who became Christians late in life; the answer is the same, “Much in every way.”
Next week we will look at the advantage in detail. - LP
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