Attached is my translation of Hrant Mikayelyan’s comment today on his Facebook page, about reducing the compulsory military service in Armenia from 24 month to 18 months. Vaհe H Apelian
I don’t understand the complaints about the law on reducing the term of military service.
To better understand the present state, we need to go back to the 90s, when it was decided that military service should be two years, and not, for example, three years or for a year.
The RA army was formed on the basis of the Soviet army. Those who served in those years will remember that everything from holding a weapon to wearing of the uniform was taken from the Soviet system. According to this logic, the service was set to be two years. Of course, over time, changes were made such as, deferrals, 1.5 years of service for graduates of higher educational institutions, etc.
Now let’s move on to the present.
Does reducing the term of service to 18 months imply that the number of people serving will be reduced? Whoever came up with such a notion does not know that that the law has absolutely nothing to do with the law does not refer to the number of conscripts, but to the duration of their service. In other words, both before and after the implementation of the law, every person who has reached the age of 18 is required to be drafted. (Note: The 18-month mandatory military service in Armenia is expected to start beginning of January 2026.)
Let's assume that in 2026, 100 persons are registered. All of those qualified to serve will have to be drafted, regardless of whether they will serve for 24 or 18 months. In other words, looking for a quantitative difference here is illogical. The question is: what did the soldier do during 24 months and what will he do if the service becomes 18 months?
First, it is necessary to understand that the army is developing with a different logic today. The entire training process has undergone changes. If previously the soldier was engaged in line training for about 20 months out of 24 months; with the new program this is no longer the case.
The army is being replenished with new generation military equipment, the possession of which is largely entrusted to contract servicemen. The latter undergo special training, including in foreign military training centers. Thanks to the programs adopted by the state, which provide high salaries, a clear service schedule and social packages, the number of contract soldiers is growing day by day. This is a step towards a professional army.
In the new system, a conscript will no longer march for months at a time, but will participate in military exercises day and night, master the weapons assigned to him, and acquire real combat skills.
Yes, there still are problems. Yes, there still are officers who are "herdsmen". Yes, many issues are still in the process of being resolved.
But one thing is clear: the army is transforming day by day, and this is already an undeniable fact.
Բնագիրը կցուած է ներքեւը։ Anyone who has been in Armenia and used their taxicabs has experienced the Armenian taxi drivers, who are notorious complainers. But I have left with the impression that they do not necessarily mean what they say. I think they have found that it’s better for their business to complain against almost everything and anything that is Armenian and Armenia, than to be a bit more rational.
The attached is a rare conversation, I translated . In fact, it is so rare that Avo G Boghossian had posted it as a commented on his Facebook page, It is a conversation his wife had with a taxicab driver. Mr. and. Mrs. Avo G Boghossian have moved to Armenia a couple of years ago and they live in Yerevan. I wanted to archive the episode in my blog.
The original comment is reproduced below. Vaհe H Apelian
Armenian taxicabs and drivers.
Driver - the cold has started; we are truly entering the winter season.
Wife - it will be fine.
Driver - It is already fine, sister, our nation is an ungrateful nation. Before, they complained that the sidewalks and roads were demaged. They fixed them. They started saying how dusty it is. The situation was difficult in the army, now my son is serving, what are they giving them to eat, we don’t even have in our home.
My wife said that this is the first time for her to be with a driver who had positive comments.!
Բնագիրը՝
Վարորդ- ցուրտը սկսվեց, աշքիս մանրից մտնում ենք ձմեռ եղանակ:
Կինս-լավ կլինի :
Վարորդ- արդէն լավ է քոյր, մեր ազգը ապերախտ ազգ է: առաջ գանգատվում էին թէ մայթերը ճանապարհները քանդված են. Սարքեցին ու սկսեցին ասել էս ինչ փոշոտ է: Բանակում բարդակ վիճակ էր, հիմի տղես ծառայում է, ինչ տալիս են ուտելու, իսկի մեր տան մէջ չունենք:
Կինս կ՚ըսէ, առաջին անգամ է որ վարորդ մը դրական կը գնահատէ վիճակը:
I read today that Andrew Kizirian has donated his Armenian library consisting of close to 2000 books to the Mesrob G Boyajian Library of the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown, MA. Surely, it is commendable gesture but it also is another example of the Armenian libraries disappearing from homes. I too donated most of my books to ALMA at least two decades ago. My mother had my library shipped from Lebanon when I immigrated to the U.S. Carrying them from one house to another, from one state to another was becoming taxing, especially for my wife and mother-in-law. A few years ago, in 2018, the New York Armenian Center closed its library and donated its books and had them sent to Artsakh. Another tragic reality for the Armenian community of NY and another kind tragedy in Artsakh. The eminent linguist Armenag Yeghiayan wrote an article about the closure of the New York Armenian Center library. I had it translated and posted as a blog. I reproduced it below. (see the link below) Vaհe H Apelian
This week I had not read an article that fired my imagination, so I was about to pass the week with a feeling of deep dissatisfaction. I would certainly not say that there was no such article, but I simply had not come across one.
But this weekend, as I sat to write, I found myself against the article that had alluded me throughout the week. It was Dr. Herand Markarian’s, “Farewll books, have a good journey”, article in “Armenians Today” that was posted on March 13, 208. ( դոկտ. Հրանդ Մարգարեանի «Բարի ճանապարհ, գիրքե՛ր, ճանապա՛րհ բարի» յօդուածին, («Հայերն այսօր», 13 մարտ 2018),
In his especially smooth style of writing and colorful narration, Markarian made the history of an Armenian library, that was born more than a hundred years ago in the New York city in the United States, come alive. The library had come about through the efforts of the early Armenian immigrants. Over time it had grown in size, shelves were added, its location had changed, but its mission had remained the same, as a source of spiritual and mental nourishment. But lately the books had to be stored in boxes as the “New York Armenian Center” was about to be sold. An unexpecting reader will continue reading the article with optimism that after caring for the books for over 100 years, the books will now find a new location and continue on with their mission as they had done before.
“The Armenian book should never be orphaned”, wrote Markarian – “it always needs an adopting parent. When the Armenian book is orphaned, it foretells that the whole community is in decline. How to have them not left orphaned, has taken a hold on all of us. Finding a home, a caring place for these books, have occupied our thoughts. These “inanimate” beings have in them human blood and sweat. They will be leaving the New York Armenian Center to a NEW HOME to a NEW place where they will continue their mission. Newer generations will be visiting them and will be enthused by them. They will take care of them. They will not let dust accumulate over these books and be orphaned. Young and old will be visiting them.”
We read these inspiring words and comforting comments and continue on reading.
But….
It soon becomes evident that these books, stored in 50 boxes, are not being transported to a new location in New York city for the benefit of the New York Armenian community. They are being sent to Artsakh. Markarian seems to be pleased with this arrangement and does not shy from expressing his joy because this time around the books will serve to educate generation of Armenians in Artsakh.
Artsakh is one side of the issue. There is also the other side. How will the Armenian Americans in New York be nourished? The old generation, who read these books, cared for them, and kept them to pass to the nextt generation, is no more. But since the “next generation” cannot read Armenian anymore, this ancient library is now changing hands.
The fact of the matter is that, this is not the farewell that my old-time friend is bidding. It is the breaking of a sad ending. This is a banishment. It is not the heralding of a bright dawn for the Artsakh Armenians. It is rather the breaking the news of the passing away of the Armenian American, Armenian readership.
Artsakh Armenians, can find ways to fill the void of Armenian books. Fortunately, they never had a scarcity of Armenian readership there. Armenian readership thankfully is alive and well there. Wherever Armenian readership is alive and well, so are readers aplenty and Armenian books will always be available there. The issue is the Armenian readership in the New World. The scarcity, if not the lack of Armenian readership, is the concerning issue. Nothing will bring these books back. They are the witnesses of the last pages of a sad story that has ended.
There was a time when we were used to come across letters sent by young members of a family asking discontinuing their aging parents’ subscription to Armenian newspapers as their parents have passed away and they cannot read in Armenian. The newspapers the older family had kept over the years get thrown away, and soon later the books follow the same fate. In the best of circumstances, they are given away to a library for storage.
More or less the same fate awaited Ardashes Der Khatcharourian’s library which, after the libraries of the Cilician Catholicosate and Haigazian University was the richest library. During the last years of his life, he tried to sell his library but he was not successful. After his unexpected sudden death, his inheritors tried the same. Eventually the representative of the Armenian Library division of the London’s Library of Great Britain bought the entire library and had them shipped to England. It is hard to imagine what will be the fate of these books that had come about by the life-long efforts and the meager salary of an Armenian teacher who taught Armenian and literature. It is also hard to imagine that these books will be read.
Left: Viken Zakarin Right, top to bottom: Monte Melkonian, Mher Juldjian, Garo Kahkedjian
The other day a friend (Charles Bargamian) commented the following in response to a posting I had on my Facebook page: “Each time you write I am convinced not only are you a Pashinoglu loyalist but an Erdogan Aliev loyalist too!” By Armenian social media standards, it is not unusual comment. Such derogatory comments are hurled in the Armenian social on the pretext of being more patriotic than thou.
Charles also stated that “Many Americans came to fight in the motherland for Artsakh’s freedom and also lost their lives!”. That too is not an unusual claim. I know no Diaspora institutional source that authenticates the number of Diaspora volunteers during the Karabagh liberation war and the names of the Karabakh liberation war martyrs from Diaspora.
I know one person, Vartan Tashjian, who had his boots on the ground in Karabagh for four years. Those years are now behind me he says. He gave the following speculation as to how many from Diaspora could be estimated to have taken part in the first Karabagh war. Here is his speculative comment, he wrote a few years ago.
“Thirty-one years ago today, the fierce fighting in the Karabakh war ceased.
Yesterday, during an online conversation with young people, the question arose about how many people from the "traditional" diaspora participated in the war? Young people from 5-6 countries were present at the conversation. One of them believed that the number of participants was 7,000. He said that there were 700 participants from France alone. Others gave 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500, and other numbers.
The end of the conversation was shocking for many when I suggested making a rough estimate of the number of participants based on the following estimate. The number of Armenian fighters killed in 1990-1994 is estimated at about 6,000 (+). The number of participants in the fighting is estimated at about 50 thousand. Four from the traditional Diaspora fighters died - Monte Melkonian, Mher Julhadjian, Garo Kahkedjian (The White Bear), and Viken Zakarian. Forgive me if I have a martyr whose identity I do not know.
Based on the above data (the overall mortality rate is about 12%), the number of participants from the traditional Diaspora comes out to be about to 34. Considering that the participation of the overwhelming majority of the traditional Diaspora youth, was incomparably short-lived, compared to the fighters from Armenia and especially from Karabakh; the mortality rate can be calculated at a lower number. Thus, the number of participants can be multiplied by two, three, four, five, six, seven. The number of participants comes out to b 68, 102, 136, 170, 204, 238 persons. Which is still very far from the smallest number -500 - estimated by one of the young participants.
A more accurate presentation of the facts (the geography of the participants, the forms and duration of participation, motivation, etc.) is expected mainly from historians of the war.”
I find Vartan’s estimation very reasonable. The burden of the Karabakh liberation war, and its consequences, were overwhelmingly shouldered by the citizens of Armenia and Artsakh, who continue to shoulder the brunt of the two Artsakh wars.
This brings to the institutional Diaspora’s role in supporting Armenia. Diaspora needs to have an informed understanding of the budding democratic governance in the free and independent Republic of Armenia. PM Nikol Pashinyan emphatically notes: “Do you love your homeland? Strengthen its state.” Surely, he meant Armenia’s democratic state. Armenian democracy is ridden with faults. Is not the American democracy, not ridden with faults? At the dawn of its semiquincentennial, the U.S. of America is still in quest of the perfect union. Democracy is a process, if not a race, but without a finish line.
I know and understand the complexity of the matter and the short comings of what I pen here. But I believe Diaspora’s contribution or assistance to Armenia is unconditional or should be unconditional with no strings attached, in any form and shape.
Those from Diaspora, who claim that they have entitlements for shaping the course of Armenia, or have expectations as to how Armenia should chart its course, because of a support they render to Armenia, should cease supporting Armenia.
Diasporans have absolutely no obligation to support Armenia. The citizens of Armenia have obligations towards their country Armenia, our homeland, and they struggle among themselves to shape its course. It is for Diaspora, if it can afford, to be compassionate towards the many needs of the citizens of Armenia and no more.
A few days ago, on October 22, 2025, Pietro Shakarian discussed his book - "ANASTAS MIKOYAN An Armenian Reformer in Khruschev’s Kremlin” - at the Armenian News Network - Groong Podcast. On a lighter note, he told the following two anecdotes about Anastas Mikoyan
Pietro shakarian is a historian of Russia and the Soviet Union. He earned his PhD in History at The Ohio State University (2016-2021), MA in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (2013-2015), and his BA in History at John Carroll University in Cleveland (2008-2012). He also received MLIS, Library and Information Science, at Ken State University (2012-2013) He has been a postdoctoral fellow in St. Petersburg, Russia and has done research in Yerevan Armenia. Recently he had his first book published titled "ANASTAS MIKOYAN An Armenian Reformer in Khruschev’s Kremlin”. The launching of the book took place in Yerevan on July 31, 2025, (see the link below).
The anecdotes:
***
Anastas Mikoyan and Che Guevara had a professional, diplomatic relationship, as Soviet and Cuban officials in the early 1960s, dealing about the fallout of the Cuban Missile Crisis. They also had economic discussions, such as negotiating Soviet purchases of Cuban sugar and oil.
It appears that their negotiations were not proceeding smoothly, to which, according to Pietro Shakarian, Anastas Mikoyan tells Che Guevara something to the effect, “no wonder, Che in Armenian means No!”
***
In early 1960’s Catholicos of All Armenian Vazken I, invited the eminent writer and editor of his weekly Nairi, Antranig Zarougian to Armenia. His stay in Armenia coincided with a visit by the USSR politburo member Anastas Mikoyan to Yerevan to deliver an important speech that would be heard all over the Soviet Union. Catholicos Vazken was invited to the speech and was escorted to a central at a central box. It was an unprecedent honor a highest official of the Soviet Union, the atheist communist Anastas Mikoyan had extended to the head of the Armenian Apostolic church in Ethcmiadzin. I quote in translation what transpired after the speech.
“Mikoyan has ended his speech and he starts conversing in Armenian. He is joyful, witty and robust as if he is not the person who delivered a two-hour speech. There is a break for 20 minutes after which the reception would follow with music and dance. Thousands of eyes now remain focused on the Catholicos, who is not unaware or indifferent of the attention, but he has nothing to say.
Two persons enter the box where the Catholicos is seated.
“Vehapar, Comrade Mikoyan would like to meet you. He would have come to escort you but the buffet is ready, so he asks you to join him there.”
A pillar of Kremlin would not want to appear escorting a clergyman. All those in the hall are members of the party, committed communists, but they are Armenians. Asking outright the Catholicos to come to him would not sit well with many. In a typical Mikoyan style, the message is subtly delivered that he would have escorted the Vehapar but the buffet is ready for both of them to head there together.
It turns out that it is not the first time that Mikoyan has met the Vehapar. Seven years ago, they have met in Bucharest during a reception in honor of Mikoyan hosted by the Romanian government.
“I was surprised to see among the guest an Armenian priest,” says Mikoyan. On the podium, it seemed Mikoyan was struggling with his Armenian. In close circles his Armenian is flawless. He reminisces about his student days.
“That Armenian priest wanted to make a clergy out of me, the priest…”. He seeks to remember the name and suddenly with an air of triumph says, “Yes, Karekin Vartabed". He is happy he remembers the name fifty years later. He suddenly realizes the Vartabed was no other than the Catholicos of the Cilician See, Karekin I.
“The good man worked hard to make something out of me, but out came a good-for-nothing”.
“Mister Mikoyan, I wish all those good-for-nothings would have been much like you,” remarks the Catholicos."
I updated my previous blog “What happened to the railway in Armenia” with a new commentary I came across that pertains to the railway through Meghri and titled it “what happened to the Soviet Armenia railways”. The described dismantling of railways happened after Soviet Armenia declared independence on Septermber 21, 1991
The present state of Meghri Soviet Armenia railway station
My translation of Tatul Hakobyan’s posting - see the link: «This article of mine is not about whether it is right to import Kazakh wheat to Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan or not and what Baku expects in return.
This article of mine is about the fact that a large part of our people is not aware that ALL railways entering Armenia from Azerbaijan have been demolished, dismantled, and sold.
The section from Horadis to Nakhichevan, 45 kilometers of which passed through the territory of the Republic of Armenia, has been demolished, dismantled, and sold.
The Zangelan-Kapan section, which connected Yerevan with Kapan, has been demolished, dismantled, and sold.
The Armenian part of the Ijevan-Baku section, not entirely, has been demolished, dismantled, and sold.
And do you know, if we had not demolished the railway lines, then from 1994 until the last war we could have connected Meghri, the Armenian-Iranian border, with Kapan by rail.
This is what my handwriting is about.”
And not whether historically we built Tbilisi and Baku.»
Բնագիրը՝
Իմ այս գրությունը այն մասին չէ՝ ճիշտ է՞ Ադրբեջանի տարածքով ղազախական ցորեն ներկրել Հայաստան, թե՞ ոչ և դրա դիմաց ի՞նչ է ակնկալում Բաքուն:
Իմ այս գրությունն այն մասին է, որ մեր ժողովրդի մի մեծ հատված տեղյակ չէ, որ Ադրբեջանից Հայաստան մտնող ԲՈԼՈՐ երկաթուղիները քանդել-ապամոնտաժել-վաճառել են:
Հորադիսից մինչև Նախիջևան հատվածը, որի 45 կիլոմետրը անցնում էր ՀՀ տարածքով, քանդել-ապամոնտաժել-վաճառել են:
Զանգելան-Կապան հատվածը, որով Երևանը կապվում էր Կապանի հետ, քանդել-ապամոնտաժել-վաճառել են:
Իջևան-Բաքու հատվածի հայկական մասը, ոչ ամբողջությամբ, քանդել-ապամոնտաժել-վաճառել են:
Ու գիտե՞ք, եթե մենք չքանդեինք երկաթուղագծերը, ապա 1994 թվականից մինչև վերջին պատերազմը կարող էինք Մեղրին, հայ-իրանական սահմանը երկաթուղով կապել Կապանի հետ:
Սա է մեր ձեռագիրը:
Թե բա Թիֆլիսն ու Բաքուն մենք են կառուցել:
***
The present state of Meghri Soviet Armenia abandoned railway
My translation of Nairian AR posting: "In the 1990s, the metals of the Meghri railway (as well as metal machines from some factories in Armenia) were sold at cheap prices to a neighboring country, without any thought or purpose for their future use. It's surprising, how did this machine or a small section of the railway remained. Were not they scrap metal?😏"
Բնագիրը՝
1990-ականներին Մեղրու երկաթուղու մետաղները (նաև Հայաստանի որոշ գործարանների մետաղյա հաստոցներ) էժան գներով վաճառվեցին հարևան երկրին՝ չունենալով որևէ միտք ու նպատակ ապագայում դրանք օգտագործելու համար․
Զարմանալի է, ինչպե՞ս է այս մեքենան կամ երկաթգծի մի փոքր հատված մնացել այստեղ, դրանք մետաղի ջարդոն չե՞ն😏
Rev. Avedis Boynerian had titled his sermon this Sunday morning, “Grace 101”. Indeed so. Surely Grace is profound subject in Christianity. See the sermon below. As to the song, “Amazing Grace”, it is said that it is arguably the most well-known spiritual hymn worldwide. On a personal note, there is no Armenian translation of “Amazing Grace” in the Red Hymnal, the Armenian Evangelical churches use; or anywhere else in Armenian, to my knowledge. I attempted to translate it into Armenian. I even solicited the assistance of my friend Ara Mekhsian, who writes poetry and has a very rich Armenian vocabulary. The outcome fell far short than the original lyrics, so I scraped it. “Amazing Grace” is a bona fide a uniquely American spiritual (see far below). Vaհe H Apelian
Grace 101
The landowner asked: “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ (Matthew 20:15).
Matthew 20:1-16 1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Grace 101
During a conference on religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating various possibilities: Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods appearing in human form. Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from death.
The debate went on for some time until C. S. Lewis, the English professor and author, walked into the room and asked, “What’s the commotion all about?” As his colleagues told him what they were discussing, he said, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”
Grace is Christianity’s unique belief! By definition, grace is God’s unmerited, unearned favor. Grace is when God shows kindness and compassion to any one of us, even when we do not deserve it. Grace! That’s what this parable is all about! In the parable:
- the landowner is God,
- the workers are us and
- the pay is the kingdom of heaven.
And, as we study this parable, we can quickly see, it’s all about grace - it's all about God’s grace.
First, the parable says that grace is received, not deserved. We do not deserve God’s grace. Nothing that we can do makes us deserve God’s grace. All we can do is receive God’s gift of grace that God offers to us freely. No matter who we are, what titles we have, or how much we have None of it can make us deserve God’s grace because grace is given,
Second, God’s grace is about God’s mercy, not about God’s fairness. Many of us fail to understand this. What would have been fair would be to pay the later workers less than the daily wage, or pay those who had worked all day more than the daily wage. Now that would be fair. But when we talk about grace, it’s about something different than fairness. It’s about mercy. It’s about God’s mercy. God loves us and mercifully gives us more than we deserve. And that’s exactly what God’s grace is all about.
Third, God’ grace is for the last.Grace is received, not deserved. Grace is about God’ mercy, not about God’s fairness. as well as for the first. It’s easy for us to say that we deserve more because we have been faithful to God’s call, some of us for many-many years. God does not work that way. God wants a relationship with everyone, from those hired first thing in the morning, to those hired at the end of the day. That’s what grace is all about. The best Bible example of this is the father of the prodigal son, who overwhelms His son by His grace, as he runs to his son and welcomes him home.
In Jesus’ times hired laborers had to wait each day in the marketplace until someone hired them for a day’s job. No work that day meant no food on the family table. The landowner, undoubtedly, hired them in the late afternoon so they would not go home payless and hungry. The parable is about the landowner, God, who is, so compassionate, so merciful, and so generous.
God, out of His grace, opens His kingdom to all who will enter, both those who have labored a life-time for Him and those who come at the last hour. It’s not easy to believe in such a God, who offers His grace to us because we are raised and live in a merit system, in which acceptance is based on performance:“ Do this and you will be rewarded. “Fail to do this and you will be punished.”
It’s not easy to believe in such a God, who, even though we do not deserve, He offers us His grace, when a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day’s pay for his time, that’s a wage.
When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that’s a prize.
When a person receives recognition for his high achievements, that’s an award.
But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize and deserves no award; yet receives such a gift anyway. That’s a good picture of God and His grace, that’s God’s grace - unmerited favor. That’s what we mean by God and His grace.
So, what’s our take from today’s parable/sermon?
1. The parable is about coveting We covet what God chooses to give to others. The problem is that the laborers get the same as us; and they do not deserve it, they are less worthy hey do not deserve the same as we get. We have a tendency to covet and be resentful of what God gives to others. The owner of the vineyard asks those who have worked longest for Him. “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money”? Or are you envious because I am generous? Rhe point is that God’s grace is God’s to give away, as He sees fit.
2. The parable is about the first and the last. The parable itself displays a reversal of expectations – “the last will be first and the first will be last.” So the message this morning is this: no matter how long or how hard a believer works during his/her lifetime, the reward of eternal life will be the same given to all.The best example of this is the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43), whose life of service was limited to a moment of repentance and confession of faith in Jesus, received the same reward of eternal life, as anyone else.
The ultimate reward of eternal life will be achieved by all equally. In heaven, there will be equality.
Sandi Patti, my favorite Gospel singer, in her “In Heaven’s Eyes” song sings these words:
“In heaven’s eyes there are no losers.
In heaven’s eyes there are no hopeless cause.
Only people like you with feelings like me amazed by the grace we can find in heaven’s eyes.”
I believe that’s why John Newton, the slave trader, who was changed to the Christian faith, called the hymn “Amazing Grace.”In one of his sayings, he said, “I am a big sinner and Christ is a big Savior. ”God’s grace is like water. It flows down. God’s grace is a free gift. It is available to all of us. God’s grace is to the undeserved, every time, all of time
