How many times did your mom tell you to wait and let someone else go first? She wanted to teach you the principle of the last being first. Now, this is not a rock-solid rule in everything. The Dodgers just won the World Championship in Baseball by being first, but in most areas of life, it does apply. A true gentleman opens the door for a lady. When it’s time to eat, we make sure the elderly eat first. These are all part of the principle of the last being first.
Luke 13:30
“And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last.”
Competing for Attention
The Pharisees in Jesus’ day loved to give the impression of being humble, but secretly they loved the attention and craved the honor of sitting at the head of the table. Jesus was the polar opposite. He didn’t wear his religion on His sleeve but lived in how He went about His day. He was humble.
Think of Others First
The theme behind this principle is giving and humility. In a world where people are screaming to get anyone’s attention, these are so stark that they stick out. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us to give in such a way where even our left-hand doesn’t know what our right hand is doing. He also tells us to think of others first and never bring attention to yourself. That is humility. We need more Christians like that.
The Principle of the Last Being First
There are some people today who think they are winning at life. They like to point it out to others because it makes them feel better when treating people wrong. Some people think they are losing because they don’t seek the limelight and go about their business. I can almost guarantee you that when those two types of people stand before Jesus on Judgment Day that those who think they are winning right now will be last, and those who everyone thinks are losing will be first.