Jesus communicated with people in different ways; at times He would tell a parable (a story with an underlying message or principle); at other times He would simply talk straight with them. Regardless, His goal was to speak clearly to those around Him so they would understand God’s purpose for their lives here on earth and throughout eternity.
In one of the parables, Jesus spoke of a farmer who often hired people in the community to work the fields. On one occasion, the man hired some workers early in the morning to work all day for a certain amount of pay they agreed to. Later in the day, the farmer hired some more workers to work until the end of the day, at which time he would pay them what he thought was right. At the end of the day, all the workers received the same pay, some having worked all day and others only part of the day. The workers who had worked all day complained because they did not think it was fair. The farmer reminded them that they had agreed to work for a certain amount, so it was in fact fair. Jesus was teaching the people two principles of life: 1) life may not always seem fair, but we are to always do what is right, regardless of the circumstances, and 2) we are to be content with what we have. You can read more about contentment in Hebrews 13:5, Philippians 4:11-12, and 1 Timothy 6:7.
Later, the mother of James and John (two of the disciples) asked Jesus to give her sons positions of authority in His kingdom. Jesus used the opportunity to help her and all the disciples understand that His purpose on earth was to serve others, so following Him would sometimes require that they make sacrifices. In making these sacrifices, they were serving others. We also learn in Matthew 25:31-40 that when we serve others, we are actually serving God.
Prayer: God, thank You for teaching us about life; how we should live on earth, how we are to treat others, and how we can follow You. We love You, and we ask You to guide us in our thoughts and in our actions. Amen.