In today’s first story, a young man asked Jesus how to find eternal life. When Jesus told
him to break the grip his assets had on his heart, the young man went away sad. Jesus
told a second story, a parable, that illustrates God’s vast generosity to us. It also shows
how easily we slip into greed and resentment.
- Many affluent people in the Bible (e.g. Abraham in the Old Testament, Lydia the seller of royal purple cloth in the New Testament—see Acts 16) were NOT told to sell all they had. What heart issue do you believe Jesus wanted the young man to address? What made it hard for him to respond to Jesus’ call?
- Which group of workers do you most identify with in Jesus’ story—the ones who worked all day or the late arrivals? For what reasons? How does your heart respond when the landowner asks if you are going to be upset when he is generous to others? Do you find God’s “unfair” generosity a curse or a blessing?