Last Will be First

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.’ Then Peter said in reply, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, 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 children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. Matthew 19:23-30

I remember cover dish suppers as a child. One of us had figured out that the ladies always put the number of each table under the centerpiece. The table marked one went first, of course. We ached to go first, have first dibs on that good food. So, we would plunk ourselves down on that table after we checked under the centerpiece. Well, some smart adult, probably my father, the pastor, saw what we had done and called the highest number first, calling the next highest number and so on. We went last, again. He made some clever remark in the car on the way home, "the last will be first". We all ache to get the limelight and be chosen first, and yet there is enough for all in God's reign and we will be fed and cared for, despite ourselves.

Wondrous Creator, source of abundance

you remind us that there is enough for all

and call us to give of ourselves for others.

We want to be first in line, first in everything

winning has become our one and only goal

and we fail to see the joy of caring for others.

Give us eyes to see the hands that pick our food

and hearts to treat others as we would be treated

so we might know the joy of your love here. Amen