The Last Shall Be First

The last shall be first and the first shall be last" Jesus of Nazareth

If you were like me your mama told that you were supposed to take turns. Do not break in line.  Wait your turn!

You can imagine how irritated I became at my visit to Universal Studios. It is all about economics. Now you would think that a theme park which is all imagination oriented might be different. It is not.

So what is the irritation? Fast pass. It is where you pay off the park to skip the lines. For about $40 a day, you can eliminate all line waiting. There is something wrong with this. But it is all about economics. Pay the price and you go to the front of the line.  If there are about 200 people in line, You go to a special line (not the ordinary line) where they scan your "special" pass. And you walk in front of the rest and go immediately to the front of the line.  Airlines have their own version of this.  At the airport, if you are part of the airline's "club," you do not have to wait.   You pay for the privilege of not being in line.

Honestly most of us are really not very patient.  Waiting in line is a test of character.  Waiting in a long line is form of purgatory on earth.  Waiting in a long line that is not moving is more than most of us can handle.  Somebody in the marketing department of each business has learned that the capacity of people to wait has a correlation to their pocketbook--a direct correlation.

Now I could afford the pass. But there was something just not right about it.  It creates a conflict with my Jesus life.  Conflicts with my Jesus life do not resolve themselves quickly.  I admit that I have tried to numb that relationship for convenience sake but it simply does not work.   That Jesus voice, as small as I try to make it sometimes, still rings in my ear and touches my heart.

So tell me Jesus, how much do I have to give to be in a right relationship? How much does it cost me? If I just give a certain amount of money, am I then exempt from all the hours of service or worship?  Will I get Sunday's to just play golf?  

Lots of folks are looking for a "fast pass" relationship with God. I am sorry to tell you it does not exist. God wants more of you than just giving you a free ride.  In fact, Jesus' words tell us that those who are of great privilege in this world and seemingly at the front of the line, will find themselves at the back of the line. Your final placement in heaven will be determined by your sacrifice on earth.  If you read the book of Revelation, it is the martyrs that get all the breaks.

Being last teaches us to observe those who are before us.  Maybe we could learn from taking the time to observe.  We would see those who are alone.  We would see those who are struggling.  We would see the world from the back of the line instead of no line at all. 

When we finally arrive, we are ready.  Life has not passed too quickly.  Along the way we have made some friends if we are lucky.  Sometimes the most faithful thing we do is spend time in line.

Pray for me as I pray for you.