“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be last and the servant of all…” “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” Mark 9: 30-37
On a human level, we expect those who work the hardest to get the first and best reward. But Jesus flips this concept upside down and says rather that, “the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Our God is a generous God, far beyond our human understanding. God always shows His infinite love and generosity, yet we often struggle with the temptation to believe He is somehow holding out on us. Rather than holding out on us, He is actually giving us far more than we have earned. He is giving us His very life. His thoughts are far above ours, as is His generous love. Our love knows bounds, His does not.
The last will be first, which to our ears sounds backwards, but if we truly know who God is, we will be able to hear this as love. The Gospel is about reorienting our hearts back to God and being fully convinced of His passionate love for humanity and understanding that we are being called to lean into that mission and take part in it. If we truly love like God loves, by deeply desiring the good of humanity, then we would desire to always be last if it meant that many souls could reach heaven. If we see Him where He can be found, especially in the Eucharist, our outlook even during the darkest times will become a light for those around us.