Bible Reading of the day (Jan. 30th)

Ex 10:1-12:13, Matt 20:1-28, Ps 25:1-11, Pr 6:6-11

^{Matt 20:1}"For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ²After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.³And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' ⁵So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. ⁶And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' ⁷They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' ⁸And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' ⁹And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. ¹⁰Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. ¹¹And on receiving it they

grumbled at the master of the house, ¹²saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' ¹³But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. ¹⁵ Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' ¹⁶So the last will be first, and the first last."

“The last will be first, and the first last”? Is this the main point of this paragraph? I don’t know and maybe. But I feel more on the authority of the owner side. He has absolute authority toward the things belonging to him. Just like this, we belong to our Lord and heavenly Father, so He should have absolute authority over us. However, we still want to follow our own will from time to time. I hope each moment I can remember that I no long have authority over me but He has.

^{Matt 20:25}But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ²⁶ It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, ²⁸even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

In the kingdom of heaven, we should not be thirsty for authority and power for ourselves, but thirsty for serving our brothers and sisters. Because all authority and power belongs to our LORD Jesus. And even He died for us, see how great the LOVE in this is.

Psalm 25

Teach Me Your Paths

Of David.

¹To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. ²O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
³Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
   they shall be ashamed who are wantonly

treacherous.

⁴ Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
   teach me your paths.
⁵Lead me in your truth and teach me,
   for you are the God of my salvation;
   for you I wait all the day long.

⁶Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
⁷Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
   according to your steadfast love remember me,
   for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!

⁸ Good and upright is the LORD;
   therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
⁹He leads the humble in what is right,
   and teaches the humble his way.
¹⁰All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
   for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

¹¹For your name’s sake, O LORD,
   pardon my guilt, for it is great.

O LORD, I also need to plead: pardon my guilt, for it is great, according to your steadfast love. In You I trust, I know you’ve forgiven my sins and cleansed my conscience, and you will remember me and show me the way I need to know.

Proverbs 6:6-11

⁶ Go to the ant, O

sluggard;
   consider her ways, and be wise.
⁷ Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
⁸she prepares her bread in summer
   and gathers her food in harvest.
⁹ How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
   When will you arise from your sleep?
¹⁰ A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
¹¹ and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
   and want like an armed man.

Warnings from the LORD – Don’t be Lazy!