You Don't Earn Heaven

Matthew 19:30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

As I read on from this verse, it is the story of the farm workers who all did different amounts of work but each received the same pay. The verse above is not about the poor becoming rich or the rich becoming poor.  It's not about the losers of the world becoming winners and vice versa. While there is some truth in the fact that your earthly status has nothing to do with your heavenly status, the fact that Jesus follows this verse with the wages story tells me his meaning had more to do with not being able to do enough to earn your way to a place in heaven.  God's kingdom is not about merit. It is not about how much you do or how well you do it.  God's kingdom is not about pleasing God. God's kingdom is very simply about being loved and loving in return.  There is nothing we can do or say that will make God love us anymore than He already does.  He loves the murderer just as much as He loves the missionary in Africa. There is nothing to earn, just accept.  Accept the gift of God's love and see what happens.