Well Done December 15, 2015

Read Matthew 20:1-16

Matthew 20:16      "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Matthew 19:30     But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Mark 10:31     But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

Luke 13:30     Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."

My father was diagnosed with terminal cancer shortly before I left home to attend college. When the time came for me to leave I felt scared and burdened. I prayed many prayers for him to accept Christ as his Savior and to be healed. Two years later, my father lost his battle with kidney cancer.

After my father’s death, I learned that an elderly preacher who lived in a town near where my father was frequently hospitalized had been visiting him. My father found him to be a likable, caring friend — gentle and soft-spoken. When my father was released to come home from the hospital, the preacher traveled almost an hour each way to visit him on Sunday afternoons. On several occasions the preacher talked with my father about Christ and heaven. Shortly before my father passed away, he accepted Christ as his Savior.

Recently, while reading Matthew 20, I recognized my father’s story in it. The meaning of this parable was suddenly deeper and more profound. My father was like the last workers hired. His acceptance of Christ came late in his life, but I know that the Savior joyfully received him.