Doubly Blessed

Thursday September 22nd, Matthew 20: 8"When the day's work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, "Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.' In the Beatitudes (Matthew 5 or Luke 6:20 and following) Jesus teaches his followers about the special blessing of the down and out. It is how the kingdom works. The up and coming have already been doubly blessed. They are blessed first by being up and coming, and they are blessed secondly by being able to be a blessing to others. It is only those who selfishly see their blessings not as a gift from God, but as something they have earned who get upset about the last being first. Unfortunately, that is most of us most of the time.