Matthew 19:23-30: a reflection

23Jesus said to his disciples, “Most certainly I say to you, a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.” 25When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27Then Peter answered, “Behold, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive one hundred times, and will inherit eternal life. 30But many will be last who are first, and first who are last.

After telling the disciples how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom, and assuring them that what is impossible for us is possible with God, Jesus makes a promise about the coming kingdom that ends on a startling note. Those who have left much to follow him will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life. But then he adds a warning about the order of things in his kingdom: But many who are first will be last, and the last first. The rankings of this world will be overturned.

Notice the reversal Jesus announces: the first will be last, and the last first. The kingdom of God does not run on the world's scale of value. Those who are first here, the rich, the prominent, the influential, the impressive, are not necessarily first there; and those who are last here, the poor, the overlooked, the lowly, the servants, may be first in the kingdom. God's ordering overturns the world's, and many who ranked high by earthly measures will find the order reversed.

That reversal both humbles and comforts. It humbles the impressive: being first by the world's measures, wealth, status, prominence, counts for nothing automatically in God's kingdom, and may even be a hindrance. And it comforts the lowly: being last here, unnoticed and unranked, is no bar to being first there. Do not measure your standing before God by the world's rankings. The first here may be last, and the last first. Seek to be great in the kingdom's way, which is the way of humble service, and take comfort, if you are lowly and overlooked, that God's ordering is not the world's, and the last will be first.

Lord Jesus, you warned that in your kingdom many who are first will be last, and the last first, overturning the world's rankings. Humble me where I am tempted to measure my standing before you by worldly value, by wealth, status, or prominence, which count for nothing automatically in your kingdom. And comfort me where I feel last, overlooked, and unranked, for that is no bar to being first with you. Help me not to seek to be first by the world's measures, but to be great in your way, the way of humble service. Thank you that your ordering is not the world's; help me live by your scale of value, not the world's, trusting that the last will be first.