Daily Walk Through the New Testament

April 30

Read Matthew 19:27-20:19

Followers of Christ make sacrifices. But the truth is, sacrifices made on earth pale in comparison to the rewards that heaven holds. In Matthew 19:27, Peter pointed out the sacrifices he and the other disciples had made for Jesus, and then he asked, “What shall we have?” Peter was really concerned about being treated fairly. Jesus responded by saying that any sacrifices made on earth will be rewarded in heaven a hundredfold, along with eternal life (vs. 29). That’s a great return!
A kingdom paradox follows His promise: “Many who are first will be last, and the last first” (vs. 30). Jesus explained the paradox by telling a story about a typical workday in which people are hired 5 different times during the day. At pay time, they all receive the same compensation. That doesn’t seem fair at all! Those hired early received the same pay as those hired later in the day. What was Christ teaching? He was illustrating the paradox of grace. The kingdom is all about grace. Those who came to work at the end of the day represent those who become followers of Christ at the end of their lives. Those hired at the beginning of the day represent those who come to Christ early in life. All receive the same gift of eternal life. Will there be rewards in heaven? Certainly! But even a hundredfold reward pales in comparison to the inheritance of eternal life.
Grace is never free or fair. Jesus, the Righteous One, paid for our sin so that we who are unrighteous could receive eternal life. That doesn’t seem fair, and it isn’t.Grace isn’t fair. Justice is fair. God could justly condemn us all to hell, but He instead offers His grace, which Jesus paid for with His blood. Thank God for His grace!