Sunday, August 25, 2013

Putting The Last First


" Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as He made His way to Jerusalem. Someone asked Him, 'Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?' He said to them, 'Many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the master of the house closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers.' Indeed, there are those who are last who shall be first, and some are first who shall be last.' " [ Luke 13: 22- 30].

Sometimes it seems like the "bad guys" in this world always win. I have at at times been haunted by this notion.

The greedy people seem to amass more and more wealth, not caring who they step over to get there.

Violence for its own sake seems to be overtaking our world. Now, in the news, there are cases of youths killing another human being, just to see what it feels like to kill someone.

I have "been there" in my own life, enduring those close to me seemingly getting away with cruel behavior. At the time, there did not seem to be a way out, or any justice.

I have gone to the Bible for answers and found Psalm 73: "I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff and speak with malice; in their arrogance, they threaten oppression. This is what the wicked are like -- always carefree, they increase their wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure. All daylong I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.".

In other words, having spent my entire life doing the right thing, sometimes I have wondered, Why do I even bother?

The Scripture of today promises justice in the End, when those who behaved as if they were first on earth, end up last with God.

Psalm 73 confirms this: "When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me, till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny."

And yet-- waiting until our own Judgment Day seems an awfully long time to wait for Paradise.

What would the world be like if we did NOT wait for judgement day to put those who are Last, first? Let me tell you a story of a boy who devoted himself to putting the Last first, on purpose.

On the very first day that a certain boy went to school, his mother told him, "God made you smart and strong. If you have done your best with your school work, and you have time and energy to spare, be part of the solution; not part of the problem."

In kindergarten, the boy met another student, D. The boy was assigned to sit with D. at lunch. Every day, D. asked, "Are we going out to recess?"

D. could barely see out of his squinting eyes, to the point that he was partially blind. He struggled with his school work. Other students would snicker at D. Yet, every day, this boy patiently explained to D., that if it was sunny, there would be recess outside.

When lining up for recess, the students were required to stand on every other tile square in the cafeteria, to avoid shoving or crowding. The boy always made sure that D. was standing behind him in line. He told D., put your hands on my shoulders and follow me outside. Then, the boy played with D.

There was another boy in the playground, J. This student J. was also struggling in school. He had no friends. The boy played with J., since J. seemed so alone.

When other students tripped J. on purpose, the boy pushed them away and risked getting in trouble himself, to protect his friend.

At the end of the school year, the students were told to write something nice about each student. The students wrote about the boy: "He plays with the kids that no one wants to play with."  "He helped a girl who fell off the end of the slide, by helping her up and running to find the teacher". 

In fourth grade, the boy won a grab bag in a raffle. Another student won nothing. The boy saw the other student crying, and gave him one of the toys from his grab bag.

In sixth grade, the boy went with his class on a field trip to a State Fair. The boy kept winning prizes in various games of chance. His classmate won nothing. The boy spent his last dollar on a game of chance, and won his friend a stuffed animal.

The boy's mother donates hats and scarves to a local homeless shelter. The boy asked, what was his mother doing? When she told him, he went silently to the coat closet, and gave her his own hat and mittens. He told her, Give these to someone else who needs them more than I do.

The passage in Luke, that the Master of the house will close the door and say, ' Get away from me, you evildoers, I do not even know you' -- is terrifying. I cannot imagine God telling me that He does not even know me!

Those who commit violence and evil may say, " How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" [Psalm 73].

Yes, God knows the Love or the Evil in your heart. And I know that God knows who this boy is. But, do YOU know who this boy is, who systematically puts the Last first?

This boy is my son. . . .

What a wonderful world it would be, if everyone would put those who are Last, first. I tell you, I have learned a tremendous amount from this boy, my only son. I have learned what True Love is.

[Related Posting, "The Last Shall Be First", Sept. 17, 2011].

(c) Spiritual Devotional 2013.  All Rights Reserved.







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