OK, I confess.
This Matthew passage is so intended for me it's ridiculous.
My Life Application Bible says this....
This parable is not about rewards but about salvation. It is a strong teaching about grace, God's generosity. We shouldn't begrudge those who turn to God in the last moments of life, because, in reality, no one deserves eternal life.
Most of the time, I'm 100% on board with that. I pray that all my friends and relatives (shoot, most everyone in the world!) will turn to Jesus before they die and I wouldn't begrudge their deathbed confessions one bit.
Except for the really bad people.
The Hitlers and Stalins of the world. The serial killers, the child molesters, the rapists. People who inflict tremendous cruelty on other human beings. If I'm being completely honest and transparent, I want them to rot in hell.
And I know that's wrong.
A fairly normal, natural, human desire I think (tell me I'm not the only one!), but wrong nonetheless.
And so I confess this sinful heart attitude, and acknowledge that, even though I don't want to, I want to want to have a better, more godly attitude towards even the most despicable of people. I need God to perform that work in me cause I know I surely cannot.
Lord, help me see sin through your eyes. Help me see that my "little" sins are horrific in your sight but that you are merciful to me, just as you are merciful to the "big" sinners. Give me a love for the lost. Not just the average person, but all people. Give me a heart that is able to desire salvation and redemption from even the worst among us. I can't do it God, only You can. I know that this does not mean I am excusing, condoning or making light of their sin. It means I am making much of your grace. Lord, please, help me. Amen.
Tomorrow's passage: Genesis 33-35, Matthew 20:17-34
2 comments:
Ditto and Amen. We're in the same boat, you and I.
Funny how we think "those people" deserve the punishment of hell... and we don't. It's so easy to forget we ALL deserve hell because we ALL fall short of the glory of God.
Add me to your boat as well. I do believe that no one is worthy of such a gift and even though we get exactly what we are promised it is hard to swallow that someone could receive such a gift in the last moments of life on earth and receive the same rewards as faithful servants. I guess that's not the point because none of us really deserve it.
From the old testament verses, I always get a kick out of Rachel saying that she cannot stand up because I have my period. I find it so brazen that she would us it to her advantage....well and also that she would steal from her father in the first place.
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