Earthly and Heavenly Rewards (Matthew 19:16-30; 20:1-16)

1. Review Matthew 19:16-30 and write responses to the following questions and tasks:

• What indications can you find that suggest why the young man decided not to follow the Savior? How does Matthew 6:19-24 help explain his choice? The young man decided not to follow the Savior because he was not willing to give up his worldly posessions.



• What blessings did the Savior promise to those who make sacrifices to follow Him? The Savior promises eternal life to those who sacrifice to follow Him, and that they will be able to sit upon a throne with the Savior.



• Based on the Savior's response to Peter, write a paragraph that could help you put the Lord first in your life. I can put the Lord first in my life by sacrificing more of my time for others. Too often I get caught up in the things I have to do in my own life that I forget about others and the trials that they may be going through. But I know that if I learn to serve others instead of myself that I will ultimately be serving my Savior.
  

2. Review the parable in Matthew 20:1-16 and consider what rewards come to those who serve in the Lord's kingdom. From this parable I learned that it doesn't matter if you serve more than other people; you will still get the same rewards as they who did less. Service is not about the reward you receive, but it's about who you serve and the feeling that you get from that service.

3. Respond to the following questions:

• What do we learn from this parable about serving in the Lord's kingdom? From this parable we learn that it's not about the amount of service we do, or about the reward we will receive after our service. It is about serving and helping others become better people, which will make us better people as well.



• What message of comfort can this parable have for converts to the Church? Converts can find comfort in this parable because they have not been members their whole lives, but that doesn't mean that they won't be able to receive the same blessings as those of us who were born into the Church. Converts can expect the same blessings as every other member of the Church.



• What would you tell someone who feels it is unfair for each of the laborers to be paid equally? I would tell them that it is great that they have put in so much effort into serving others, but that it doesn't entitle them to greater rewards. Those who still serve others but in smaller amounts still deserve the Lord's love and acknowledgement.