Matthew 20 - The Last Shall be First!

And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:11-16

Jesus' parable of the goodman of the house hiring workers to work the field at various times during the harvest period is a great explanation of how the kingdom of God is NOT like the hierarchical system we know here on earth. In this spiritual kingdom, anyone who desires to be great must be a servant to all. That flies in the face of what we are accustomed to here on this planet. Many people, even professing Christians, claim that their greatness requires others to serve and dote on them, to offer them money, gifts, special treatment and the like. There can be nothing further from the truth when it comes to God's kingdom.

Jesus is the prime example of the master, king, son, and heir being servant to all. Regardless of when one comes into the kingdom, he or she becomes a child of God with the FULL rights and authorities that come with that status - immediately! Those who have labored and done good works in this world under religious systems are upset when they hear this, because they believe their righteousness is a reward for all of their goodness. The reality is that there is no reward for goodness - only a reward for BELIEVING in the goodness that was done by Jesus on the cross.  This is a total paradigm shift from the norm under the Mosaic temple system of the Old Covenant!