I Will Be Last

Do you ever wonder if the way you tend to envision things is wrong? We take so many things for granted - partly because we’ve heard other people teach it a certain way, or because we live in a certain part of the world and that’s how things work here, or just because we’ve never questioned what we’ve always thought. I had sort of an “Aha” moment this evening. Still reading Matthew 19…

Matthew 19:28-30  says:

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Jesus is talking about when all this is over - when the new Heaven comes down, and we all enter eternity. The first thing He mentions is directly to His disciples - you 12 will be honored on thrones. Next, He says that everyone who has sacrificed much in this life will be given way more in the eternal life. But that last line was what I thought about differently tonight.

Many who ARE first (right now) will be last (at that time). And the ones who are last (right now) will be first (at that time). In many ways, it’s not a stretch to believe myself to be among the first right now. I’ve been blessed with a good job, good health, marriage, fatherhood, and many other wonderful things. I am very aware that there are literally millions - actually, probably billions - of people in this world who are way far behind me and would be considered very much so in a “last” position sort of life. They are poor, terminally ill, uneducated, hungry, abused, depressed, etc. I am NOT saying this to be mean - this is just a fact of life. I am better off than many others.

Here’s the thing though - IN THAT DAY, they will all be first. And I’ll be last. When Jesus was here on earth, who did He hang out with? The poor and the sick. The last. These are the people His heart breaks for. In eternity, these are going to be the people Jesus has closest to him and is going nuts over - and I’ll be further out on the edges. The good thing is that because it will be Heaven, (read Revelation 21-22 for a description) it’s not like anyone will even notice being “last.” Heaven’s going to be incredible.

But have you ever thought what He meant when He said that? The first (me) will be last in that day. And those around me who are “last” right now - the poor - they will be essentially more highly prized by Jesus and will be raised up higher than me.

SO, snap back to reality - how does that change how I view those who are “last” around me at THIS time? The people who I am tempted to overlook everyday - these are the ones Jesus has a special place in His heart for. There is a way the world ranks things - but that is not the way God ranks things. And He has called us to follow Him in His ways. Embrace this idea from Jesus of the last being first and the first being last.