In which the last are first.
In Matthew chapter 19, Jesus meets a rich young man who had done everything right. Somehow, against all odds, he had followed the ten commandments, and he came to Jesus seeking his reward: eternal life. However, Jesus’ requirements were higher. “Jesus said to him, If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in the heavens; and come, follow Me. But the young man, hearing this word, went away sorrowing, for he had many possessions.” (Matt 19:21–22).
To live the Christian life does not come without a cost. The Lord calls us out of the world, away from our distractions and foibles, out of our concepts and opinions, out of our comfort zone and causes us to grow orthogonally from the ways of the world. Paul had to let go of his high-class Pharisee education. He went from commanding a crowd of Jewish law-enforcers to spending years imprisoned by the same. James and John left behind their deceased father before burial. Peter left his nets.
Peter saw the exchange with the rich young man. Evidently he felt he had met the requirements that the young man did not. “Then Peter answered and said to Him, Behold, we have left all and followed You. What then will there be for us?” Peter was in effect saying, “We paid the price that others could not. What is our reward?” Jesus answered, “In the restoration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for My name’s sake shall receive a hundred times as much and shall inherit eternal life. But many first will be last, and many last first.”
What does that last sentence mean? I read the Life-Study exposition of this chapter and saw so much light. There’s no way to paraphrase. I’ll just post it here.
The Lord seemed to be saying to Peter… “Although you must pay in order to receive the reward of the kingdom, receiving the reward is not a commercial matter. Actually, the price you have paid means nothing.” The same, of course, is true of us today. What we have given up does not mean anything. Even if the President of the United States were to give up his presidency in order to have the kingdom reward, that would not mean anything. However, what the Lord gives means a great deal. If you pay a dollar for something at the department store, you receive something worth a dollar; and if you pay a hundred dollars, you receive something worth a hundred dollars. But, in the eyes of the Lord, the price we pay for the reward is just a few cents, but the reward He gives is worth millions. What could we pay to receive the full enjoyment of eternal life? The full enjoyment of eternal life in the manifestation of the kingdom is priceless. The price we pay cannot compare with the reward we shall receive. Receiving the reward is not a commercial transaction. It is not a matter of paying a certain amount and of receiving something equal to that in value. (Life Study of Matthew, Message 54)
As always, Peter is just like us. When I was in my early 20s, I was considering whether it was really my path to pursue medicine, or whether God was calling me to do something else, like serve Him full-time. Something in me thought, how glorious it would be! That I would be able to set aside a promising career for the Lord’s sake. How self-sacrificing I would be! Truly it would be such a testimony! At the time I was reading about Mary breaking an alabaster flask of ointment, pouring out what at the time amounted to a life’s savings’ worth of pure nard onto Jesus’ feet [1]. We were singing songs like Hymn 473 by Catherine Booth-Clibborn, “O never speak of sacrifice / a privilege untold / is to be His at any price.” But I wanted to speak of sacrifice. Some part of me, much like Peter, hoped to receive some extra portion of glory if I were to sacrifice more. I had my eyes on the wrong part of the transaction.
Philippians 3:8 — I also count all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ.
Paul considered the price that he paid to follow the Lord to be worthless, especially in comparison to what he gained — the Lord Himself.
This last week’s semiannual training topic was a grand overview of all that we gain as a reward, not only for eternity but also for today. We gain Christ as the Person living in us. He is our supply of grace for pressing and limiting circumstances; He can live His all-fitting life through us in every circumstance; He is our refreshment and satisfaction, a broad realm of rest; He is like water in a mountainous land, carrying us through valleys and mountains alike; He is living as the ascended One in us, and can bring even our most mundane situations into ascension. He fights for us, He feels with us, He intercedes for us. And day by day, as we let His life spread in us, we can become more and more Jesusly human.
In light of such vast riches, it is a small price to leave all and follow the Lord. Even to give all that we are and have would not recompense God for what we receive.
If we pay the price, then the Lord will give us a reward. It may seem that the reward is purchased by our work. If we think this, then we are like Peter with a commercial mentality… Even the reward is based on grace. The way to receive the reward is not to pay the price, but to enjoy grace. (Life Study of Matthew, Message 54)
What shall I give unto the Lord
For all, for all, for all
He’s done for me?
I’ll take the cup of salvation
And call, and call, and call
Upon the name of the Lord.
[1] Matthew 26:8 footnote 1 says: “Throughout the past twenty centuries, thousands of precious lives, heart treasures, high positions, and golden futures have been “wasted” upon the Lord Jesus. To those who love Him in such a way He is altogether lovely and worthy of their offering. What they have poured upon Him is not a waste but a fragrant testimony of His sweetness.”
