"But the First Shall Be Last, and the Last Shall Be First"

In Mark's Gospel, chapter 10, verses 17-31, the Holy Spirit records through Mark the account of the rich young ruler who sought to justify his reserved right to eternal life. 

When that sad encounter ended and the young man walked away grieving, Jesus says: "“How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were shocked that Jesus could say that! Why? Because for generations, the religious leaders and the Pharisees had taught that following the rules of the Law and the Pharisaic interpretation of the Law (known as Oral Tradition or Mishnah, which is now a part of a more broader set of interpretations called the Talmud) gives a person the right to consider themselves "good", deserving of riches/wealth, position through which gave them seated authority over others who were "less". They were taught that those people who remained poor, or who could not conceive or bring to full term a child from their womb, who were born blind or deformed, or who met with some kind of calamity - well, to them it was proof that these persons or someone in their family line had to be sinners, scorners of the Mosaic Law and the teachings of the Pharisees. (compare John 9)

Jesus repeats His statement, and adds:  "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”  Jesus uses hyperbole to make the point that it will be very hard for a rich person, so schooled in and adherent to the Pharisees' "prosperity gospel", to enter into God's kingdom - which would have been the expectation of those whose wealth and comfort should have confirmed their residency there. It would be like trying to fit a camel through a sewing needle! So in just one sentence, which he repeated, Jesus overturned the prosperity teachings of the Pharisees, and the expectations of the proud. 

Well, good grief Lord, who can be saved? - was the essence of the stupefied response from the disciples.

Jesus answers them, but not how they expected: “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news [Gospel] who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life."  They were expecting Jesus to offer them some good-deed-doing options, but instead, Jesus continued with them as He did with the young ruler - you must be willing to be living sacrifices for me. That you will inherit a spiritual family through Me, and all of your needs would be met by Me, and your richest reward will be eternal life with Me. 

Then to add to that eye-opener, Jesus says at the very end of this account in verse 31, "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” Who are the "first"? Who are the "last"? What does all of that mean?

Jesus' statement ties to the running theme here, which is, how do we perceive ourselves in the perspective of deserving God's grace and favor? (Until doing some Bible research - comparing scripture by scripture as God commands, and following a discussion of this during our regular Bible study, the Spirit has begun to bring us some understanding of this difficult statement. Some of us had been taught that this referred to the order of salvation, as if we are given some ticket to show us where we are to stand in line relative to salvation. That there would be those who would be at the head of the line and others wayyyyy in the back of the line. Thus, it was a blessing from the Holy Spirit to be corrected on this matter.)

The Pharisees' prosperity gospel teachings were - to put it in the contemporary vernacular - a "set up" as regards attaining eternal life and entering the kingdom of God. It may have given a sure "slam dunk" in the minds of those who had the accoutrements to show for their adequate to fervent adherence to the Law and those interpretations of the Law (for example, the Pharisees brought forward interpretations that would cast certain people in a very good light, deserving of honor and praise, and cast others in the role of unrepentant sinners, persons without the favor of God. Like the dozens of interpretations on how to carry out the Sabbath (for an indepth look at the interpretations, view this page on Wikipedia). By such "oral traditions" and other add-ons, the Pharisees were able to set themselves apart (and those who would closely follow their teachings) pridefully, and even exalt themselves as models of a good Jew.  

In their own determination, they set the standards that should be followed to attain to righteousness. Their "faithful" obedience to the Law and traditions rated them A-one in their own sight and estimation. Their self-righteousness gave the impression that they were of great importance, and should be followed - if you, too, wanted to be recognized as righteous. Have you ever had to experience such an attitude either in or outside of the Church? Many of us have. How did we deal with their put-downs and better-than-thou attitude? That they followed the rules that they made gave them the self-embossed rubber stamp of approval before God, their self-assurance that they were, indeed, in right standing before God. Positionally in the scheme of things, they considered themselves "first" in importance and portrayal of righteousness. Proud of their pride.

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount recorded by the Holy Spirit through Matthew in chapter 5, Jesus speaks of those principles that undergirded the Mosaic Law as originally given by Yahweh God. We are familiar with the Beatitudes topically, but do we understand what Jesus was actually teaching relative to what the Law was conveying?1/  Following the teaching of the Beatitudes, Jesus goes into the deeper meaning of certain of the commandments, indicating that God's favor was not found in shallow obedience to rules, but in relationship with Him on a personal level, in being "holy as He is holy" in mind, heart and soul. Not the "holiness" proffered by the Pharisees that amounted to self-righteousness. In that context, Jesus says, as found in verses 19-20: "Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  The light is getting a little brighter now regarding the "first" and "last", maybe?

"Whoever teaches others to break the Law of God..." Jesus would also speak later and boldly of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and of how they had misled the people. In Matthew, chapter 23 we read of Jesus' condemnation of the scribes (those who taught the teachings of the Pharisees) and the Pharisees - who set their teachings equal to or above the Law of God. Jesus' words are damning. His judgments were also foretold by the prophet Isaiah in words God-breathed found at Isaiah 11:1-5 --

"A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge for the poor and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill [condemnation judgment] the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist and faithfulness the belt around his loins."

The "wicked" were those who had transgressed the Law of God and were those whom God had judged and condemned; Jesus, fully God and fully man, announces the judgment of God on those scribes and Pharisees -- as a group -- and who have - in God's sight - committed atrocities that were unforgivable (most comprehensively recorded in Matthew 23). (As scripture shows us, not all the Pharisees were condemned to eternal judgment - there were individuals who dared to not fully identify with the body of Pharisees as a whole, such as Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, and later through a miraculous conversion, Saul of Tarsus, and some Pharisees per Acts 15:5) The Pharisees demanded strict obedience (see John 7:47-49 for example), to the extent that they would ban individuals from the Temple for not obeying them. Per Jesus' words in Matthew 23, the scribes' and Pharisees' hypocrisy and errant teachings made persons who followed those teachings "twice as much a child of hell" - eternal death rather than eternal life.

Within the Matthew 23rd chapter, Jesus clarifies His statement in verse 31 of Mark 10 regarding the "first" and "last". Verse 12: "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." Thus, as Jesus points out, the Pharisees themselves (and all who practice their ways even unto these modern times) have positioned themselves as above others, exalting themselves through pride, and were then and now by Jesus condemned. He condemns those who have throughout the centuries exalted themselves as demi-gods, positioning themselves to be the spokesperson of God or even equal to God. They place themselves (or even their denominations) first according to their self-righteousness to the detriment of all who would embrace through coersion or free will their false teachings and behaviors.  

We who have lived in the latter half of the 20th century and forward have witnessed the growing trend of such leadership in the Church - regardless of denomination. Those who will teach false doctrine with assurance to their hearers that it comes from God's mouth. Those who would call "right" their teachings which condone those things God says are "wrong". They exalt themselves even in false humility and demand obedience. They put themselves and their teachings "first" before or even in place of sacred doctrine. They put heavy demands on their people or congregations financially - chiefly for self-aggrandizement; e.g., who of their ilk will be "blessed" with the most luxurious vehicles and homes, or "build" a gleaming edifice that is supposed to bring glory to God, but who instead brag about what they have accomplished. God Himself demotes them in His eyes, while the world applauds them, and He counts those sins against the unrepentant; in His view, they are not only "last" but also condemned. 

Therefore, it is God who exalts the lowly and humble, who makes the "last" the "first", and it is God who humbles the proud and haughty, who makes the "first" the "last". 

As we consider the foregoing, we must ask ourselves as the disciples asked and ruminated on: how do we perceive ourselves in the perspective of deserving God's grace and favor? Can the grace of God be deserved? Are we in right standing with Him, or simply righteous and good in our assessment of ourselves? Ask the One who sees the heart to help with the answers. 

 

1/  For those who may be interested: I have written up in a separate blog post series in the form of a regular Bible study some lessons that were shared with the youth a while back on the Beatitudes. The study goes a bit further past what was shared with the youth, as it helps to highlight the principles undergirding the Mosaic Law that Jesus exposited on in His Sermon on the Mount.

Holy Week - Jesus Last Days on Earth and The Cross, Death and Resurrection

 I have created slide decks that were converted to MP4. (the PDFs will be distributed separately)
The first two - about Nisan 8-12 - are linked to  below.

Slide Deck 1 -- Nisan 8-10

Slide Deck 2 -- Nisan 10-12

The next slide deck has two links in it that are not accessible through the movie: 

(20+) Watch | Facebook and a link to the first Passover: Exodus 12 NASB - The Passover Lamb - Now the LORD said - Bible Gateway

These slides go from the close of Nisan 12 to the Last Supper and the. Two separate slide decks will follow; one dedicated to John 14-17, which will be posted, and a second, "The Stations of the Cross", which will be made available as a PDF.

Be - Atta - What? The Nine Beatitudes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount

Our youth group had this assignment recently - to understand the Beatitudes or the statements of promised Blessings by Christ that He spoke during what would be called His Sermon on the Mount. 

Here they are listed as they occur in Matthew's Gospel. The Bible version is the New Revised Standard Version.

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

           A view from a mount near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus preached His Sermon on the Mount
                on a hillside near the Sea.

Here is the initial and general write up I provided:

Many of us are growing up in households where we are told the “do-nots” and the “dos” of behavior by our parents, and then when we go to school we are given more! Things like, “say thank you, say please, don’t read in the dark – turn on some light, don’t hit your brother/sister, don’t watch tv – do your homework, don’t chase a ball into the street, don’t eat so many sweets, don’t push the swing too high, don’t touch the stove, don’t run with scissors – even as you read this you are remembering some of those and other “do-nots” and “dos” from your parents, uncles, aunties, and grandparents. Sometimes we are kind of ‘bribed’ (clearing my throat) – I mean, taught that we could be rewarded for good behavior; consequently, the reward became our goal for “obeying the law”. So the standards were “do-not, do this” and you receive a reward for obedience. From time to time the parents or other authoritative figures would explain to you the “underpinnings” [look this up if you don’t know what it means] of those household laws – that is, why they were important, how they would protect you and keep you safe, how they would help shape you into a responsible adult, how it involved a closer relationship with your parents and one another in your family and with your friends. Maybe even how does God feel by the way you act. And maybe we didn’t want to hear the explanation and just focused on the rewards! 

Something similar happened with the ancient nation of Israel. When God gave them the Law at Mount Sinai through Moses (found in Exodus, Leviticus and emphasized in Deuteronomy), after He saved and delivered them from bondage in Egypt, it was His follow-up to what Moses told Pharaoh several times – God wanted to bring the people out of Egypt to bring them into relationship with Him, so that they could serve and worship Him according to His promise. God created the Law to teach His people how to worship, to teach them the proper way to depend upon Him, to reveal to them who He was (for 400 years they lived in a society that worshiped animal spirits, humans, Pharoahs, idols and images, things of nature and magic; they only had stories of this God of Abraham and who He was; now He was there, showing them that He was the true God, that no power – not even the mighty Egyptian Pharaoh and his armies which kept them in bondage and fear for hundreds of years – could trump this God of Abraham). God wanted them to learn that He was their true reward, their true Promised Land. That a relationship with God was the best; that treating family members and neighbors/others with a new level of righteousness, i.e., being fair and respectful, would reflect their LORD’s character and bring them peace and joy – the ‘side effects’ of worshiping the true God. This God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would reward them with lands full of crops, the rain to keep their crops alive and flourishing, the fruit of the womb, no shortage of livestock and other animals that would give provisions to the people, that He would protect them from their warring neighbor countries, would provide healthcare and all needs - when and only if they obeyed Yahweh, the Great I Am. They would be the most prosperous and the strongest nation in all of that known world - if they obeyed Yahweh. Readers of Israel’s history know that, despite all of what God had done and provided, the people still rebelled. For centuries. The rewards of obedience were not enough for them!

Religious leaders sought to “improve the law” by adding interpretations that would require  more duties and create burdens on people to try to keep them in line, but mostly in line in ways that benefited the rich, the king, and the religious establishment. Only a small few grasped the essence of the Law of Moses God had given  them – that God was not only a Rewarder, but that He was a Father to them who wanted a reciprocal [look it up if you don’t know what that word means] relationship. By the time Jesus came, the religious establishment had enlarged the Law – adding various rules and regulations that had little to do with relationship with God.

For example, the sabbath law which was a simple, concise Word from God in the Ten Commandments that would give His people an opportunity for true rest from labor and to enter more deeply into relationship with God, where they learned how to trust and depend on Him for their lives and livelihood, that law had become polluted and expanded to hundreds of regulations by the religious establishment: how many steps you could walk on the sabbath; that you were not allowed to pick up sticks to keep the fires going – in fact, they iterated all the things you could not do. They were very big on not even getting medical attention on the sabbath – you’d have to wait until the next day. The laws were strict and restricting; much of the essence, i.e., the things of God, had faded from the law and now it was all about being legally right. Instead of drawing people to God, the religious establishment was seeking to be more important than God, in fact, to be a god to be obeyed, or else.

So, for hundreds and hundreds of years, the people of Israel/Judah were subjected to religious teachers who did not teach the essence of the law of Moses, only the legal demands – adding rules and regulations that created burdensome obligations. These superfluous additions took the focus off the true God and Father, rather than encouraging a relationship with God. The leaders exalted Abraham as Father – claiming their worth and righteousness in his name; they would even make it wrong for a person to say the LORD's name. It seemed like the “dos” and “do-nots” – those legal burdens on the people that had little to do with God or had a "God flavor", would continue to be the norm for His people.

In Jesus’ first advent, His commission was two-fold: He came as the Lamb to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29, 35-36), not just the sins of Israel. He also came to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let those long oppressed by burdens and taxes to be set free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:16-21). He would teach the truth about the kingdom of God and be a revelation of the God of Moses and Abraham. (Matthew 4:12-17,23;Matthew 5-7; 13:1-53).

Jesus would reframe the true Law of Moses through teaching the true essence of God’s law. In interpreting the Law and God’s intent behind it – for the religious establishment had failed in their obligations to do that, Jesus taught the people the fundamentals of worship that the Law was intended to bring to people – the essence and underpinnings of the Law to instruct the people what a real relationship with God was about. One of the most notable and recognizable of Jesus’ teachings of such are found in the Sermon on the Mount; Matthew's Gospel reports the Sermon in three consecutive chapters - 5,6,7. In the opening part of His sermon, Jesus speaks to the “blessings” (also referred to as the “beatitudes”) inherent in true worship of God. He contrasts the legalistic structure that the religious leaders had created and substantially voided out the essence of the Law; Jesus speaks to the spirit of the Law, which was that of relationship with the true God. As we examine these blessings - all 9 of them - that help us to see how they support God's covenant with Israel, and which transcend to those covered by God's New Covenant through Christ, we will consider what good news Jesus is intentionally teaching to them and to us today. 

It is important to reiterate:  The Beatitudes and the teachings contained in the Sermon on the Mount were not just an 'event', a one-and-done and solely historic episode, nor were they given to be a palliative or a salve on our human condition; instead, these are to be fundamental means of growing in relationship with God; they were to become integrated, even renewed, into our daily faith walk. They are a continual awareness of who we are in Christ. Jesus' initial listeners of this Sermon - persons of Jewish heritage - understood the phrases "blessing of God" or "blessed by God" differently than how it is most often used now. For the Jewish person, to be blessed or receive a blessing meant for them to be called into the presence of the LORD, Adonai, Yahweh - to experience God's shalom peace and uniquely commune with Him. Today, though, we most often equate the "blessing of God" to mean a material reward or position of some type that lasts for a little while, brings us a temporary pleasure or happiness, or easing of our situations - something which would essentially aggrandize the human and his/her circumstance. The human satisfaction is the desired focus, rather than having the most incredible experience a human can have - the privilege of uniquely communing with the Sovereign of the universe, the sanctified person's Abba Father, having an experience of eternal reverbrations. As one reads through the Beatitude expositions found at the links below, the recurring theme will be a God-centered awareness and relationship.  (Psalm 34:8; Psalm 65:4; Romans 6:4,11)  This and the following papers were written so that we may bathe in the Light of His wisdom and power, as our knowledge of God grows deeper and more rooted.

The promised Blessings of Jesus (the Beatitudes) in His Sermon on the Mount are posted individually, showing us the relationship with God which He continues to desire.

Bonus: "Order My Steps in Your Word," feat. HCC Choir

EXPOSITION/EXPLANATIONS OF THE BEATITUDES ARE AT LINKS BELOW. (The series is designed to be used as a small group Bible study.) 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."