Thoughts on Sunday School

Matthew 19:27, 20:1-16  - "Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Peter takes a commercialism view here. He thinks, 'I have given it everything so I ought to get a good deal back from you'. He believes if he gives he deserves to receive. Jesus says it is worthless, God gives as He gives, none of it is earned by us. No matter what Paul did, he cannot demand something in return. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. God owes man nothing. We stomp our foot saying it's not fair that He saves whom He saves. We stomp when He is too generous (like in this parable in chapter 20) or when He is not fair enough. But the truth is, He owes us nothing, who am I to debate Him having mercy on whom He has mercy with? Jesus reminds them, they will receive blessing, but so will others. Regardless of whether they give all or not, they are chosen and will not receive some special treatment. Peter would be one of the early workers, saying he had worked all day and received the same as those who came later. Can we be content with the grace we have been given and not play the comparison game? Why be jealous of the others around us and not be grateful and focused on the grace that HAS been gifted to us. We cannot do good things with the reward in mind. We cannot be godly with the end mindset of getting rewarded for it. That makes the gospel about us. We must keep the focus on the proper place. We are not the center of attention, we are here to bring glory to God. The blessings and rewards are supposed to be a side benefit. Let us just be thankful for whenever God does choose to bless us and reward us in His own timing. God measures rewards with His scales, not ours. "How dare you be so generous! I want more generosity!" is what this passage screams. And yet, even a good deal of the passage isn't "You're not generous enough to me", but rather "You're too generous to them". That is how selfish we can be. Envy is sadness at the joy of others and joy of the sadness of others.