Chapter 33 – Jesus explains the “Great Reversal.”
This week’s blog post will be a little different. Below you will find two stories that Jesus explained to His Disciples. Jesus called the meaning of the stories “The Great Reversal!”
Do me a favor… please read the two stories and leave me a comment describing how you see/understand the meaning of this “Great Reversal.” I will compile your responses and share them with everybody next Friday. Thank you in advanced for your feedback. I’m counting on you!
Matthew 19:13–30 (MSG)
13One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. 14But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” 15After laying hands on them, he left. 16Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 17Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.” 18The man asked, “What in particular?” Jesus said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, 19honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.” 20The young man said, “I’ve done all that. What’s left?” 21“If you want to give it all you’ve got,” Jesus replied, “go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.” 22That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go. 23As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? 24Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.” 25The disciples were staggered. “Then who has any chance at all?” 26Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.” 27Then Peter chimed in, “We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it?” 28Jesus replied, “Yes, you have followed me. In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. 30This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”
Matthew 20:1–16 (MSG)
1“God’s kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.2They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work. 3“Later, about nine o’clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. 4He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. 5They went. “He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o’clock. 6At five o’clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?’ 7“They said, ‘Because no one hired us.’ “He told them to go to work in his vineyard. 8“When the day’s work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.’ 9“Those hired at five o’clock came up and were each given a dollar. 10When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. 11Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager,12‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.’ 13“He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? 14So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you.15Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?’ 16“Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”
Thank You Father God for helping us understand the meaning of Your “Great Reversal.” Amen.
God’s ways are different than our ways. He sees things through a lens of love and giving. We tend to see things through a lens of fairness and equality. Life is not fair, He paid the punishment for what we did. It would be fair if we were sent to he’ll for our sins. Thank you Jesus that life is NOT fair.
Hello Mike, sorry for not responding till now. I have been feeling not so great for several weeks!
The story of the Rich man is the story of us all. There are many Christians around the world, including ourselves, who love the Lord with all our hearts, but just how many of us could or would give up everything we have to show that love. We are all so very rich! Yet we will receive a heavenly reward just as those who followed him more closely! It’s not about fairness it’s about grace! Thanks be to God!
As for the story of those who were hired early and those who were hired late being paid the same. I think of it as those who accepted and follow the Lord early in life and those who found Him much later in life. How much more thankful are those who have been forgiven much! Being first or last is not what’s important! But being with the Lord in eternity forever! ❤️🙏🏻🙂