The Mystery of First and Last: Finding Our Place in the Kingdom

Sometimes, when we read the scriptures, we come across statements that just stop us in our tracks. They challenge everything we think we know about success, status, and what it means to be truly blessed. One of those profound statements is Jesus saying, “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”

As we gather here in the Rogue Disciples community, we are always digging deep into the covenants, into the eternal principles, and sometimes, those principles feel counter-cultural. It makes us pause and ask: What does this *really* mean for me, right here, right now, as I try to live as an Internet missionary?

This teaching, found in Matthew 19:30 and reiterated in the parable of the laborers, isn't about a reversal of earthly power structures, but something infinitely deeper—it’s about the heart and the source of our strength.

Understanding the Teaching

We recently watched a thoughtful breakdown of this teaching, and it really helped clarify what Jesus *wasn't* saying. First, it’s not a teaching that salvation is achieved through poverty or sacrifice. Scripture is crystal clear: salvation comes by grace through faith, not by works. That truth anchors us!

But the core message rings so true for us as disciples: our earthly standing, our accomplishments, or even the sacrifices we make for the gospel—while valuable—are secondary to the purity of our motive. God sees the heart. He sees the willingness to follow Him, regardless of what we have to give up.

The Power of the Heart

Think about the disciples asking about their reward after giving up everything. Jesus wasn't just talking about material goods; He was contrasting their *willing* sacrifice with the rich young ruler’s *unwilling* surrender. It’s about the quality of the covenant keeping, the depth of the commitment.

And this is where the modern disciple, the one who feels called to be an Internet missionary from their own living room, needs to focus. Our "sacrifice" might not be leaving our comfortable lives for the MTC, but it might be the consistent, daily choice to keep our focus on Christ, even when the world screams for our attention elsewhere. It's about finding our sufficiency in Him, not in our own effort.

Practical Application for Disciples

How do we take this concept—that the last can be first—and apply it to our daily discipleship? It means embracing humility. It means recognizing that even if we feel like we’ve been doing the work for years, or if we feel like we’ve seen the Spirit move powerfully in our ward, we are always learning, and we always need the Savior’s grace.

If you’re feeling bogged down in the details of the work, or maybe you’re struggling with a concept that feels too big, I want to point you toward a resource that helped me immensely. The Iron Rod authors have some incredible insights into applying these high-level doctrines to our daily lives. I highly recommend checking out some of the material on the Book Club or Bible Study Groups within HolyPlaces. These spaces are designed for us to wrestle with these big questions together, in a spirit of mutual encouragement.

If you want to practice wrestling with tough doctrinal questions before you even get to a study group, I encourage you to chat with Davee. He’s excellent at role-playing the hard questions an investigator might ask, helping us sharpen our answers so we can share the restored gospel with confidence.

Remember, every member can be an Internet missionary, every member can be a disciple anywhere, all the time. Let’s keep building Zion, one inspired conversation at a time!

P.S. If you’re looking for a deeper dive into scripture study, take a look at the Question and Answer Study Bible linked in the original source material. It’s a true blessing!