# the last shall be first



## Preach (Mar 10, 2005)

What was our Lord getting at when He said, "the first shall be last and the last shall be first."
Thanks,
Bobby


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## Anton Bruckner (Mar 10, 2005)

the humble will be exalted, and those who were preeminent will be humbled.

Kinda like in a Church, where the people who clean the church and are ushers, and servers of food aren't that much respected like the musicians, the pastors and the elders. What Jesus is saying in the Kingdom to come, those same Christians who were janitors, servers of food, ushers, assistants etc will be the first, and those that were prominent will be the last.

The essence of that quote of Jesus is that our works should be done in meekness and humility, as opposed to thinking that the seriousness of our work necessitates that we have some special value over the work of people we perceive as not as valuable.


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## Preach (Mar 10, 2005)

Keon,
Thanks for the response. Let me ask you about those in positions of prominence today (pastors, teachers, music directors, etc). There are thousands of humble leaders in the Church today. Are you saying that they will be last in the kingdom to come (behind the janitors and the daycare workers, etc)?
Thanks brother,
Bobby


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## Anton Bruckner (Mar 10, 2005)

not necessarily, but Pastors, teachers, and music directors are more than likely than janitors etc to succumb to a spirit of pride, hence the need to always pray for forgiveness.

I am a Sunday School Teacher and I also play the Keyboard, and unlike the rest of musicians on our worship team I have at least 4 years of classical training. I can tell you, that at times I get irritable and angry with my peers, being puffed up in my knowledge. Added to the fact that people watch you and applaud the worship group. One time I played a variation on some themes, and the Pastor commented that I was like David playing the harp (Big No, No, the ego got blown up). Only constant confession and repentence, and always being cognizant, that that gift which I have was given to me by God, and He can easily take it and give it to someone else mitigates this problem, and I am still not as humble as I should be.

Its only then did I realize that people in lowly positions are not tempted as much as people in visible positions. People in lowly positions are not visible, and they are not thanked and applauded. Most of the time they are ignored and taken for granted. The devil is a shrewd strategist. It is because of this that Jesus said that the first shall be last (indicating the the proud due to temptation and having their spirit lifted up), and the last (the humble) shall be first.

Peter speaks to this matter when he says


> *1 Peter 5:4-6 (King James Version)
> King James Version (KJV)
> Public Domain
> 
> ...




I am not saying that there aren't humble teachers. I am glad and blessed when I come across such, but the fact is that only those who were the most humble will be the ones getting Preeminence in the Kingdom, whilst those who were proud will be demoted. The question should be, is the most humble pastor, more humble than the most humble janitor?

ps. One time one of the Church toilets got backed up. The sad thing is it was a Saturday and most members were there for some activity. I forgot which activity it was. Well the toilet got backed up. And many refused to take up the task. Luckily someone merciful  took up the task and cleaned it.

Now consider that the person who cleans the church being a church member, does that weekly whenever she gets the time, whilst other members who were there at the toilet clogging had to negotiate and bessech each other as to who would do the job.


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## Preach (Mar 10, 2005)

Thanks for the response. I appreciate it.


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## alwaysreforming (Mar 11, 2005)

The Scriptures can be so confounding, especially in the way that "opposites" are contrasted with each other and what we would expect to be the case turns out to be the opposite. For example, "my strength is made perfect in your weakness"; "when I am weak, then I am strong"; "the first shall be last"; etc, etc, etc.

In my opinion, here Jesus is telling us that the Kingdom of God does not operate according to the principles of this world. We can't just take what we know here, and translate or project that into the heavenly kingdom. For the most part, we probably have everything backwards. There are things that make a person "great" in this world: power, fame, position, influence, genetics, etc. And there are things that make a person "great" in the age to come: humility, lowliness of heart/spirit, gentleness, etc. There is no way to look at those things here on earth, like humility, and in our natural state to recognize what priority that will have in Jesus' kingdom. And there is so much unseen here, like the one in the "lowest" or "last" position. The one who is "first" here, DOES get seen. And recognized. And we attribute all the greatest things to that person. Jesus is saying, "Not so in my kingdom. The things that can be sought after and grasped so hard here will not translate into "making it" in the Kingdom of God. What you consider "last", I will give great priority to."

My


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