More, Please?
“‘But he answered one of them, “I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
’So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’”
Today’s Text: Matthew 20:1-16 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
As followers of Jesus Christ, we must never feel a sense of entitlement or privilege when it comes to our salvation. If we do, we might be in for a shock when we get to heaven. Eternal life is the prize for all who follow Jesus as Savior and Lord.
But we must also reject any sense of entitlement or privilege on earth, because eternal life begins here and now, and our “reward” for faith is Christ Himself. Is He enough?
God will actually test our faith (in terms of refining it) in order to present that question to us. Is Christ enough for me?
For Abraham, at a time when he was confronted with the violence and greed of this world and also with the uncertainty of God’s covenant promises, Genesis 15:1 tells us,
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
What is it that we expect from our salvation in Christ Jesus? What is it that we want from Him? Our ultimate protection from death and our ultimate reward of shalom will surely come when the new heaven and earth are given to replace the present heaven and earth.
Even so, the benefits we receive as followers of Jesus Christ are substantial—forgiveness of sins, freedom from the bondage of sin, the hope of eternal life, purpose for our lives, community, the word of God, protection from the devil, Jesus’s constant intercession for us, the gift of the Holy Spirit. The list goes on and on.
If Christ is not enough for us, then we are not truly saved.
But praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom and through whom we have the forgiveness of sins, the hope of eternal life, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. For Christ is enough! Christ is more than enough!
And nobody can receive anything more or anything less than Christ, who is our Shield, our very great Reward!
Father, You are generous. You have lavished upon me the riches of Your glorious grace in Christ Jesus. Forgive me for losing sight of that and wanting “more.” There is nothing more. But may my life overflow with the riches of Your glory. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
