Jesus continues his teachings and explanations of the Kingdom as usual in the form of parables.
First he blesses the little children. Then he warns a rich man that there is more to getting into the Kingdom than just leading a good life. The man tells Jesus that he has followed all the commandments. Jesus tells him to sell everything and follow him, but the man walks away because he has too much that he doesn't want to give up. Jesus says it will be difficult for the rich to enter Heaven.
Through the parable of the vineyard we learn that the rewards in Heaven will come to all who make the attempt to get there no matter how late in the day you start. The story tells of a group of people who are hired early in the morning and then another group gets hired at noon and a couple of more groups get hired in the afternoon and then late in the day. When it comes time to pay, the owner gives everybody the same wage. The people who were hired first don't think it fair but Jesus says they were satisfied with what they had been promised when they were hired so they should have no complaint. I guess that means that those who have led a good life for all of their lives should not complain when people enter Heaven after a spotty life and a last minute conversion.
The mother of James and John asks Jesus if her sons will be able to sit on either side of him in the Kingdom. The other disciples are not impressed but Jesus warns that to be first you must serve the others (which I suppose defeats the purpose of being first).
What exactly would a world look like if everybody gave up everything
and followed Jesus? And what do they get if they do? Jesus talks about
this blissful place and how the first will be last and the last first
but I am not sure. It is nice to think that there is some place to go
to after we die, but why do we need that? Why can't doing the best we
can to look after those around us be reward enough?
After healing a couple of more blind people, Jesus makes his entrance into Jerusalem and while the crowds follow him, his first act is to overthrow the tables of the moneylenders in the Temple.
People seem to be supporting him but when his authority is questioned, Jesus uses the parable of the tenants in the vineyard as explanation. The leaders of the Temple are aware that Jesus is talking about them and how they have been leading people astray and that God will punish them in due time. The priests would like to arrest Jesus at this point but they are too afraid of the crowd.
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