Citizens of Heaven

We have two passages today that give us different ways of thinking about the Kingdom of heaven and how its people behave. The Apostle Paul writes to the Philippians that he isn't sure whether it is better to die and be with the Lord or to remain and perform more fruitful work. Either way, he encourages them to live a life worthy of the Good News, even if and especially if they are suffering. Meanwhile, in Matthew, Jesus tells another parable about workers and how they should get along with each other and with their boss. As with the last parable we looked at, the boss here (stand-in for God?) is exceedingly generous, but some of the workers aren't quick to learn his ways. We have had plenty of time to learn the ways of generosity that mark citizens of heaven. How's that working out so far?