We just talked about how we can know that we will receive in some proportion to what we invest. We’ll also receive some persecution. Then Jesus says this. Do you ever wonder why Jesus says what he says when he says it?
I think he’s reminding us that even if we think we have a great formula for understanding God, he is still wild. The next parable in Matthew, (Matthew 20:16), is the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Jesus says the last shall be first and the first last. It is a summary of how the last people to the work received a days pay for very little work, and were also paid first. (Mark and Luke do not follow this verse with that parable.)
I believe Jesus is reminding us there are variables, but we can never understand the formula. Can we believe in a God who is big enough to make everything right? Maybe you have friends who have suffered injustice. Maybe you have friends or family who have chronic illness or who are victims of evil. Our brains can’t handle the formula.
Many who are last shall be first. Can we trust a God who is so complicated we can barely understand him? We have Jesus. He is God. But even this will be hard to understand.
Today, let’s trust God. Let’s make the investment. Let’s give up something for the gospel. We will receive a hundredfold. We will experience some persecution, but in the end, we will be eternally joyful and present with our King. What a deal!
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