Two Parables of Heavenly Rewards

When reading in Matthew 19:16-30 we learn what is required to achieve eternal life. In these verses a man come to Jesus asking what he needs to do and the Jesus lists the commandments. Afterward the man says he has done these things, so what else is there? Jesus replies, give up all you have and give it to the poor and needy; follow me and you will have eternal life. Saddened, the man goes away, because he is rich and does not want to give up his possessions. Jesus goes on to state the rich have a hard time excepting the Gospel because they value worldly possessions over gifts of the spirit. We are promised by the Savior that if we sacrifice in life and follow his commandment, we will be given eternal and one hundred times the blessings that we had on earth. As Jesus explains to Peter in verse 28, those who follow Christ will sit in glory in heaven, be greatly blessed and have the gift of everlasting life.

From the parable of Serving in the vineyard we learn that no matter how long our service is, each hour is just as important as the last. In this parable we read that some were hired in the morning, and some every three hours till the eleventh hour. Each was promised a penny a day, even those who only worked one hour.

No matter how long we have been in the service of our God, each person we bear testimony to, each act of kindness we give is just as important as the first. For converts this means they have not missed out on ANY blessings of the gospel. An old man who is baptized is just at important in the kingdom of heaven as the child of 8 who was born into the church. To those who feel they deserve more for working longer I would ask why they are more important than their brothers and sisters in the Gospel. God loves all his children equally and wants us all to come unto him and return to him one day. Our reward in heaven is not determined by the length of service rendered, but by our sincerity in testimony and love of Christ.