Lesson 4, Unit 2, Choice 1: Earthly and Heavenly Rewards

Matthew 19:16–30; 20:1–16. Earthly and Heavenly Rewards

1. Review Matthew 19:16–30 and write responses to the following questions and tasks:
• What indications can you find that suggest why the young man decided not to follow the Savior? How does Matthew 6:19–24 help explain his choice?
  
  The student manual says that we don’t know for sure that this young man did not end up selling what he had and following Christ, but it does not seem likely since Jesus does make the comment that it is very hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. This is probably most likely linked to Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” This young man had treasured up his material possessions, and there was his heart also (Matt. 6:21). He wanted to serve God AND keep his wealth and riches, but Jesus knew that his materialism would serve as too much of a distraction for him to be able to become a truly dedicated disciple.
  
• What blessings did the Savior promise to those who make sacrifices to follow Him?
  
  In Matthew 19:29, Jesus said: “And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.” Basically, if you make sacrifices for God’s sake, you will be rewarded with even more blessings to make up for whatever was sacrificed.
  
• Based on the Savior’s response to Peter, write a paragraph that could help you put the Lord first in your life (see also the additional details in Mark 10:17–31).
  
  I would like to have more faith in sacrificing my time and money and energy in effort to fulfill God’s will. Right now I sometimes think I’m too busy or tired to do service or do my visiting teaching each month, but I know God will bless me to make up for whatever I sacrifice in being obedient and following his will. The same goes for tithing and fast offerings, and even having children despite not feeling financially prepared to provide from them. God will provide a way for us to do the things that he has commanded of us, and he will bless us for our obedience so that in the end it will not feel like much of a sacrifice at all.
  
  
2. Review the parable in Matthew 20:1–16 and consider what rewards come to those who serve in the Lord’s kingdom. Complete the chart below, filling in the blanks with information you find in Matthew 20:

The hour the laborers were hired	How much the man agreed to pay	Hours worked	How much they were actually paid
Early in the morning	A penny a day	12 hours?	A penny
Third hour	Whatsoever is right	9 hours?	A penny
Sixth hour	Whatsoever is right	6 hours?	A penny
Ninth hour	Whatsoever is right	3 hours?	A penny
Eleventh hour	Whatsoever is right	1 hour	A penny

3. Respond in writing to each of the following questions:

• What do we learn from this parable about serving in the Lord’s kingdom?
  
  It doesn’t matter if we’ve “labored in the vineyard” (in God’s church) our whole lives or we become converted on our deathbed--we receive the same reward.
  
• What message of comfort can this parable have for converts to the Church?
  
  Converts may feel like they made too many mistakes in their lives prior to converting or they’d never do as much for the church as someone who’d been raised in their church his whole life and that they consequently are at a disadvantage, but this is not so.
  
• What would you tell someone who feels it is unfair for each of the laborers to be paid equally?

I am actually one of those people who kind of thinks it is unfair! (lol) I mean, I’ve made my peace with it now, but it used to bother me when I first heard this parable (just as the parable of the prodigal son bothered me)--that I could work so hard and sacrifice so much and be obedient, and I am still no better than someone who spends their whole life partying or being lazy and selfish, but has a last-minute change of heart. I had thought (this was back in high school) that it would have been better for me to have been converted later in life so I could first do what I want without as much guilt or accountability for my actions.
However, while I still feel the slightest bit bitter about this kind of equal reward, I recognize that despite how hard it is to live the teachings of the gospel sometimes, it also brings with it a lot of blessings. Non-members who convert late in life may not have had to struggle as much with obedience to God’s laws, but they also probably didn’t have the blessings that righteous living and keeping God’s commandments brings. So it’s really a tradeoff and in the end I guess it must be fair. I believe that God is just, so even though in the parable it seems like an unfair system that rewards laziness, I do recognize that I need God’s mercy just as much as an eleventh-hour laborer, and I’m sure at judgment day I will just be grateful to have it instead of worrying about anyone else’s “wages.”