THE LAST WILL BE FIRST

By Judy Lee Jenkins

Jesus, the master teacher taught in parables.  Parables were stories that the people, including us to today can relate to.  They help us understand more about the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Jesus intends for those who seek HIM to understand the things HE wants us to know.  These precious teachings pave the way for us to be with HIM someday.  That should be the goal of every single Christian, to be with our Lord.  Therefore we should study HIS parables and come to understand the important messages they contain.

  I wanted to write a  song about the parable in Mathew 20.  Because Jesus ended it by saying THE LAST WILL BE FIRST and THE FIRST WILL BE LAST,  I decided to title it with that.  As human beings we tend to think of ourselves better if we are the first to get something done or the first at anything we achieve.  We boost our egos with thinking God will really be pleased with us for just being the first.  However, this parable completely abolishes any such idea.  There are several messages to me within its contents.  One is that there is no seniority with God.  Because of HIS sovereignty HE can do as HE pleases with any of us.  If HE wants to show generosity to those who are last, HE will do just that.

We should not covet those that HE does show generosity to as happened in this parable.  This parable also shows us that we should have gratitude for HIS wondrous generosity in everything HE does.  We really deserve nothing but instead God blesses us with HIS gift of grace through HIS wondrous Son, Jesus.  The blessing of entering HIS kingdom is not on our merits but on the sacrifice of HIS son.

Heaven is acquired not from us being the first to respond to HIM but the fact we do respond (faith and belief in HIS son) and those who respond even later are not denied that grace.  Sometimes we think we should have a higher reward because we have worked so hard in HIS kingdom while others have come late and not spent the long hours that we think we have spent in service to HIM.

Indeed  Jesus wants us to serve but even at that says we are only doing what is expected of us.  Even then HE said we are still unprofitable servants.  Man tends to judge others by their outward appearance or performance but God always looks inside of our hearts. .  Perhaps you may see something different in this parable but this is basically the message I received.  The words to my song are as follows:

 THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Narration)
IS LIKE A PARABLE JESUS ONCE TOLD,
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
AS EACH EVENT UNFOLDS.

 SONG:

 EARLY ONE MORNING,
A  LANDOWNER WENT ALONG HIS WAY,
TO FIND WORKERS FOR HIS VINEYARD,
AT THE MARKET PLACE THAT DAY.

 HE SAW MANY MEN DOING NOTHING,
STANDING IDLE NEEDING WORK,
SO HE INVITED THEM TO LABOR IN HIS VINEYARD,
A CALL THEY DIDN’T SHIRK.

 CHORUS

 COME LABOR IN MY VINEYARD,
FROM MORNING UNTIL TONIGHT,
WHY STAND AROUND BEING IDLE?
COME AND I’LL PAY YOU WHATEVER IS RIGHT.

THEY AGREED TO WORK FOR A DENARIUS,
FROM EARLY MORNING TIL THE DAY WOULD END,
THEN MUCH LATER ON THE 3RD HOUR,
HE SOUGHT MORE WORKERS AGAIN.

 THEN ON THE 6TH, 9TH, AND 11TH HOUR,
THE LANDOWNER REPEATED AS BEFORE,
HE RETURNED TO THE MARKET PLACE ONCE AGAIN,
DESIRING TO FIND EVEN MORE.

 CHORUS

 COME LABOR IN MY VINEYARD,
FROM NOW UNTIL TONIGHT,
WHY STAND AROUND BEING IDLE,
COME AND I’LL PAY YOU WHATEVER IS RIGHT.

 WHEN EVE. CAME HE TOLD HIS FOREMAN,
TO PAY THE LAST MAN FIRST,
UNTIL THE FIRST MAN WAS  ALSO PAID,
AND WAGES EQUALLY DISBURSED.

 BUT THE ONES WHO CAME EARLY,
GRUMBLED ABOUT RECEIVING EQUAL PAY,
THEY COMPLAINED THEY SHOULD RECEIVE EVEN MORE,
FOR BEARING THE BURDEN AND HEAT OF THE DAY.

 AND THE LANDOWNER REPLIED, (Narration)

 “I DID YOU NO WRONG,
DID YOU NOT AGREE FOR A DENARIUS TODAY?
DON’T BE ENVIOUS BECAUSE I AM GENEROUS,
TAKE IT AND BE ON YOUR WAY.”

 FROM THIS WE LEARN THAT GOD IS THE LANDOWNER,
HIS GRACE IS GENEROUS TO EVERYONE,
SOVEREIGN TO DO AS HE WISHES,
REGARDLESS OF THE HOUR WE COME!!

 CLOSING

 WHETHER COME COME LATE,
OR GET AN EARLY START,
GOD’S NOT CONCERNED WHO IS FIRST,
BUT WHAT LIES WITHIN OUR HEARTS.

 “ENTER INTO MY KINGDOM,
I’M GENEROUS WITH ALL I DO,
YOU ENTER BY MY GIFT OF GRACE,
THROUGH MY SON WHO DIED FOR YOU.” (Repeat)
AND THE LAST WILL BE FIRST AND THE FIRST WILL BE LAST (Repeat)

© Copyright 2016 , All rights Reserved. Written For: Judy Lee's Music | Wonderful Heart Warming Music