Thus, when Jesus says “those who are last now will be first, and those who are first will be last” we must interpret it in light of Jesus message about Jews and Gentiles. This is more than just a comment on pride and humility. Jesus is suggesting that the ones who show up later, the Gentiles, have just as prominent a place in the kingdom of God as the Jews. The trouble is that this does not sit well with those who were already there. In Verses 10 and 11 one can see the discontent of the workers who showed up first. It is there that you get a sense of what it means for the first to be last. For those who think they deserve more and they get less, it feels like losing. But what Jesus is really saying is that there is no distinction between those who arrive early and those who arrive late (Jews and Gentiles respectively). Today this message applies to the Church. Sometimes the Church can be so closed off from the world. The message for those of us who know Jesus already is that we should long for all people to partake in the same reward that we ourselves receive when we follow after Jesus.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 23:56:23 +0000
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