There is a clear message that comes through in seven of Jesus' parables:
1. In Matthew 20:1: The laborers who came at the 11th hour, having wasted 90% of their life (11 out of 12 hours) were rewarded first.
2. In Luke 15:22: The younger son who lost 50% of his father's wealth (his share) and dishonored his father's name still got "the best robe" in the house and the "ring" - both of which the elder brother did not get.
3. In Luke 7:41: The one who had sinned more (and was forgiven more) ended up loving more (thus being closer to the Lord).
4. In Matt.21:28: The son who was rebellious at first ended up doing all the will of God finally unlike his brother.
5. In Luke 15:3: The lost sheep got closer to the Shepherd than the other sheep - being carried on the Shepherd’s shoulders.
6. In Luke 14:10: The one who took the last place at the wedding feast, got the most prominent place
7. In Luke 18:9: The crooked tax-collector who was externally much worse than the Pharisee got ahead of the latter - God declared him righteous.
All these parables bring forth one message - that many who start off badly finally end up winning the prize. It is how we finish the race that matters and not how we began. Those who don't get discouraged and who don't condemn themselves because of the bad start they have made in their lives (like Paul) will end up ahead of many others who started well. This should encourage all who have made a mess of their lives not to give up but to press on.Paul had made a mess of his life. But he decided to do just "one thing" with the rest of his life: Press on to become like Jesus - forgetting past failures and only looking ahead to become like Jesus in the short time that is left (Phil.3:13,14). This included fulfilling the ministry that God had called him to as well. In the final analysis, we will discover (as Paul did) that everything else on earth is actually "rubbish" (Phil.3:8). When we "set our mind on things above" and take our seat "in the heavenly places in Christ", only then can we see the correct (eternal) value of everything on earth.
