Sunday, August 30, 2026

Matthew 16:26-27 

For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. 

There is a story my childhood pastor told during a sermon of a man who became a Christian in the last few moments of his life. As he was welcome into heaven he was taken to a freshly plowed field in the midst of other fields already richly abundant with beautiful vegetation. “This is your field” he was told. “But it is so bare compared to the others,” he responded. “That’s because these others began planting their fields long before they arrived.” 

It’s funny how stories stick with us, but what I like about this one is that it underscores that what we do here matters. The welcome we show strangers, the love we show to those we encounter, the faithful prayers we offer up daily. They all matter. They aren’t what gets us to heaven, but they do matter. 

Jesus taught his disciples that putting all of their energies into making life comfortable for themselves here was actually putting their energies in the wrong place. He taught them not only to be content with having enough but also focus on following Jesus. That is the path to abundant life. 

– Pr. Paul

Lord Jesus, you teach us to order our priorities differently. Show me one thing I could try to do differently today. Teach me what you want me to learn. Amen.