First and last

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.  - Matthew 19.29-30

I am a competitor. I like to win and I don’t like to lose. I don’t like to play games where I am probably going to lose. Not only do I not like to lose, I don’t even like to finish second.

When it comes to life I think we can all be caught in the same trap. Everyone wants to finish first and we seem to all be caught up in a mad pursuit of it. We want the biggest and the best and the latest and the most recent of everything.

Here Jesus is talking about discipleship when He gives us a new vision of what it means to be first.

Jesus tells us here that those who are going to be first in heaven are those who are willing to give up what they have here. He tells us that those who are first here on earth will be last in eternity and those who are last here will be first then.

He is speaking of course of the two courses of life people can choose. One group chooses to pursue the things of this world. The other chooses to pursue things of eternal value. This is especially tragic when it involves the eternal soul. Those who have no time for God now because they are so busy trying to get to the top will have nothing but despair and hopelessness in eternity. Even if they everything they want now they will have nothing when this life is over.

Then there are those who are not too concerned about getting ahead here. Instead of setting their affection of things here on earth they seek the things above. These are the ones that Jesus says will one day be first.

As we look around today lets be sure that we see people in a different light. Earthly gain and earthly success are no indication of gain and success in eternity.

The first will be last and the last will be first. What an amazing thought.