First and last

But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. – Matthew 19.30

Getting ahead and being first is a big deal to people. People like winners. I am not the sports fan I used to be, except when it comes to rugby, but this has been a great years for winners in the teams I support. Alabama won the national championship in college (American) football. The Eagles won the Super Bowl. Ireland won the Six Nations with a Grand Slam. Leinster are in the semi-finals in the Champions Cup. Sadly, Chelsea don’t seemed destined to complete the sweep for me.

I know people who say that they don’t care about winning, but I like to finish first so I get this message. I wanted to be president when I was young and laid our detailed plans to run for president in 2012. Well, we see how that worked out.

Peter had asked the question ‘seeing that we have given up so much to follow You, what are we going to get?’

Jesus went on to say that giving up doesn’t mean we are going to get anything here on earth. There is no promise of earthly reward.

‘But,’ Jesus said, ‘many of the first are going to end up last and many who are last are going to eventually be first.’ I like the fact that He doesn’t make it cut and dry. Some who are first will be heaven and sadly some who have nothing will die even without hope, but we have hope that if we are serving Christ and getting nothing here on earth will one day have our reward and some who have a lot here will sadly have nothing in eternity. 

Having nothing here doesn’t mean that we are doomed for eternity. God’s children can look forward to having the best for all eternity. It will be worth it all. In the end we will finish first.