Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
And Jesus said, “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother. Also, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. —Matthew 19:16, 18b-22

Introduction:

Today we confirm that because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection we can be assured of three things:

1. Our sins are forgiven through the gift and
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   of God.
2. Our character is meant to be
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   to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ in this life.
3. Our life is marked with significant divine
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   over evil in our own lives and in the life of the church.

Jesus consistently turned people’s attention from concern over their own religious standing, calling them to involve themselves in the basic, vital interests of

. (Matthew 19:20-21)

The rich young man was well thought of and did the right religious things but

his things more than being a part of Jesus’ mission to help others in need. (Matthew 19:22)

Eternal life is found through utter

on God, not through ritual, riches, poverty, power, or fame.

Following Jesus is a life of love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace that goes way beyond

. (Matthew 19:23-26)

When we follow Jesus, a new world of

opens to us beyond what we can imagine. (Matthew 19:27-29)

Jesus said to Peter, “Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” (Matthew 19:30)

In response to this confusion about who is really “well off,” Jesus tells a

about a landowner and laborers. (Matthew 20:1-8)

The Problem: Comparison is the thief of joy. (Matthew 20:9-10)

“Comparison can be devastating. When whose who have enough or are well-off see others who are better off, they can suddenly feel they aren’t so well-off after all.” —Dallas Willard (Matthew 20:10-12)

The workers who didn’t get hired until the last

had hungry** babies at home** and work needed to be done.

The point of the story is the willingness of the owner to go beyond

to meet a need. (Matthew 20:13-15)

Notice, the owner responds to the grumbling employee as

! not in notes, Are you envious because God is generous with people who you judge as less worthy of blessing?

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, turns scarcity into abundance, turns greed into generosity, and turns envy into solidarity.” —Craig Finnestad

The kingdom of God is a place where you can live with a lack of

about comparison.

Jesus ends

the interaction with the rich young ruler and the story of the laborers with the same phrase. (Matthew 20:16)

With Jesus, the “nothings” of this world can become really “

” in the kingdom of God.

“The hand of God reaching into the life situation of the humanly hopeless may be the Bible’s most pervasive theme.” —Dallas Willard

Application:

The parable of the workers shows that God is not

with grace and care.

The reward for good work is

work – more interesting, creative adventures with God leading us.

Good work is a

and opportunity to bless family, friends, and others – not a burden or complaint!
Following Jesus is

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supposed to be

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. DW quote

Everything Jesus commanded us to do is

for us and brings a good return for us. (Luke 14:13-14)

Jesus foundational teaching is that God’s reign

the order now present in human affairs.

Luke 6:20-22, 27-28, 31?

Action Step:

Pay

and make preparation to always being

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.

“My additional notes:

”.