Good News for Guttersnipes Like Us: Heaven Is Not a Meritocracy

Do you ever wonder what Jesus meant when he said, The last will be first, and the first last?

The statement sounds like typical rabbi-speak or else something Yoda would say were we to invert the wording a bit: First the last shall be, perhaps.

Jon Tyson

Nevertheless, Jesus didn't waste words. So the phrase, no doubt, points to some important truth. In fact, last month we explored one such meaning behind the phrase. That is, heaven's value system is often in opposition to that of this world's. The rich young man of Mark 10 and Matthew 19 found this out the hard way when Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow Jesus.

The rich man, obsessed with firstness, could not do it.

And yet, if we probe deeper we uncover more layers behind the saying, The last will be first. These nuances are interesting and useful enough that I thought it would be worth spilling more digital ink in contemplation of the phrase.

Did Jesus Contradict Himself?

You may have heard your preacher quote Matthew 11:30 in which Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The verse brings comfort to us who are weighed down by the realities of life. Anyone who has trusted in Jesus has no doubt felt a huge burden lifted from his or her life.

James Lee (CC)

But if you were to go back to the previous chapter in Matthew's gospel, you would find a statement that seems at odds with light burdens and easy yokes:

Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:38 (ESV)

Last you checked, a cross isn’t very light. How can we reconcile these two statements? Did Jesus contradict Himself?