One day while speaking of believers’ rewards in the kingdom yet to come, Jesus said these words: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” I’m sure we will all be in for a lot of surprises at the judgment seat of Christ. Some who headed up ministries that bore much fruit, their names known by Christians throughout the world, will not have abundant reward. Yet others, who had pastored simple storefront churches, their names known only by a small number of people in the neighborhood, will have great reward. But how can this be you may ask? It’s because God will judge us by our spirit man in that Day, and not by the man who can now be seen, the one who the world knows.
What if the one whose fame and popularity was unmatched had secret sins? What if he lived in adultery? On the other hand he may have been the ideal husband, yet loved money more than souls. Or couldn’t it have been that he was a wonderful husband, the love of money was not a vice, though his own personal relationship with God had grown o so cold; all but ceasing to have communion with Him any longer; too busy with ministry. He’d lost his first love - a thing we were all warned against by the Son of God.
Now what if there was a storefront preacher who ever searched his heart, fearing God, and whose greatest desire was to walk in a manner pleasing to his Maker all of the days of his life? To add, he was fully dedicated to the people that the Lord had put him over. However, living in an impoverished area made it impossible for him to be supported by his small congregation. He therefore had to work a forty hour a week job in an old and noisy factory. On Wednesday evening he’d head straight from work to conduct the midweek service. Most Saturdays along with some week nights were spent attending to church business or dealing with matters concerning the flock. Worn to the bone by thirty years of such devotion, and never seeing his congregation grow past forty in number, he quietly slipped away in his sleep one night, and into the everlasting arms of his Jesus. I ask you - will this man’s reward be lacking in the kingdom of God? I think not. I believe I’ve described a humble hardworking man who walked in a manner not of this world. Neither did he expect anything from it. Instead he had ever set his vision on a heavenly country and on its King, who would one day grant him glory, honor, and eternal life. On the day that we stand before Christ, I see this man in wisdom and lowliness of heart, taking his place in the shadows along with those who are of the poor in spirit. In the meanwhile there will be many church leaders seeking higher ground, while others will scramble to get as near to the glory as they can. But on that day the Lord will send His attendant to walk past the throngs and into the shadows. There he will take the hand of the storefront preacher and lead him to a seat of honor in a high place. And so the words of our Savior will come to pass: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
The wise and humble preacher remembered and lived by a parable that Jesus once taught us: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
As I contemplated this one day, the Lord spoke to me. This was what He said. Son, don’t ever seek the place of honor. When you do, you’ll have no further ground to gain, but much ground to lose. Choose the low places. There you’ll have no ground to lose, but there will lie before you much to gain.
J. Pecoraro
