Mt 19:23 – Mt 20:16

Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven”. When the disciples heard this they were astonished (Mt 19:23-25). When He emphasized the same truth in the gospel of Mark, it is recorded that the disciples were first amazed and then exceedingly astonished (Mk 10:24, 26).

At the time of Jesus’ ministry, it had trickled down from the Jewish leaders to the common man, that abundant wealth made possible - the performance of all religious rituals that the Old Testament demanded.

Judaism, like any other religion, had plummeted to the common belief that God can only be pleased by good works which money alone facilitates and not by any other means. Though the disciples went around with Jesus every day, listening to His teachings and watching His miracles, they still held on to the belief that only the rich would enter heaven, just the way they accomplished every work on earth using – money (Vitamin M).

At this point, Jesus cleverly contrived the Parable of the vineyard, to open the eyes of His disciples that the kingdom of heaven works on parameters different from the kingdom of the world.

He reiterated the truth that a believer cannot enter the portals of heaven by his MONEY or by his own MERIT but only through the divine MERCY of God extended to whomever He wills.

Mercy is ‘not getting what we actually deserve’. We deserve punishment, but God through His Mercy offers Eternal Life.

Thought for the day: The mercy of God is the good news described in one word called - GOSPEL. (God Offers Sinful People Eternal Life).