Mark 10:31 says “But many who are first will be last, and the last first”.
This verse had always been taught to me as “those who sacrifice something/suffer for the Lord’s sake will be rewarded in heaven”. Although that is true (if you give your life to Christ you will be rewarded) God has brought a whole new meaning to this verse in my mind. Where before I thought of it as God serving justice, I now see that this verse shows the scandal of God’s grace.
I thought that going on the World Race would mean that I was putting the materially poor (the worldly view of “the last”) first. I thought it was a great way to bring God’s ways to Earth. But I now see that the materially wealthy Americans who struggle more with debauchery (I am so guilty) than the people of any of these materially poor countries are also “last”. I am “last” with the people I thought I was going to help.
There is a story in Genesis about twin brothers, Esau and Jacob. Esau was born first and Jacob was born last grabbing the heel of his brother as he exited the womb. In jewish culture, because Esau was the first born he was supposed to inherit his father’s blessing, but Jacob was devious and stole the blessing from his brother. Later on Jacob saw his brother, Esau, on the road. He felt guilty, ashamed, and scared that Esau would act in anger towards him, but when Esau saw Jacob he “ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept” Genesis 33:4.
Later on in Genesis Jacob gives his blessing to his grandsons. Manasseh, the older, was supposed to inherit the blessing, but Jacob gave it the younger son Ephriam instead.
Nothing in the God’s word is accidental.
In John 1 we read “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”
This verse says Jesus is the firstborn son of God. We, mankind, are the second. We, mankind, are the last.
We were born grabbing the heel of the first born, Jesus Christ, trying to pull him down so that we could be first so that we could inherit God’s blessing, his kingdom.
Over and over in the Gospel the last becomes the first. Jesus Christ, the first born child who should inherit the kingdom of God without having to do anything other than being the first born decided to LET us, the second in line, kill him so that we too can share the graciousness and love and joy and eternal life with God.
My friends who do not know Christ’s love for you. Do not be afraid to pray to Jesus when you are sad or someone you love is sick. Do no let those feelings of “I am guilty I am ashamed” get in the way of you approaching him. Those feelings are lies from evil. Jesus painted a picture of his love in Esau. Anytime any of us approach Jesus he will run to meet you and embrace you and fall on your neck and kiss you, and he will weep.
My friends, what greater love is this?
