What does it mean that the first will be last and the last will be first (Matthew 19:30)?

from the old testament

• Although the statement "the first will be last" appears only in the New Testament, we also learn from the Old Testament that God shows no partiality. It is filled with stories about the unexpected person being elevated above the one that society considered first. For example, David, the lastborn, was the one God chose to be king (1 Samuel 16:7). Similarly, though Jacob was the second brother, God raised him to be over his first brother (Genesis 25:23). These demonstrate a reversal in how the world thinks about who is to receive the best things.
• When the world thinks of the first as best, it’s usually from a standpoint of pride. The first has somehow earned greater standing and therefore deserves the best. However, we learn that “The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:11). Part of the reason that the first and last will be the same in the kingdom of God is that the focus will be on God, not on human accomplishment.

from the new testament

• Matthew 19:30 reads, “many who are first will be last, and the last first.” That verse, however, begins with a “but,” signaling that it is in contrast to what came just before it. So, it’s helpful to summarize the context of what led to that statement.
• The conversation started after an encounter with a rich ruler (Matthew 19:16–22). That man had asked Jesus how to be saved, but when Jesus challenged him to sell everything and follow him, the man walked away because he was very rich and loved his money more than God.
• Jesus used that moment to teach his disciples that the “first,” those with a lot of money, do not find it easier to get into heaven. Indeed, He explained that it was impossible for anyone to be saved without God’s intervention (Matthew 19:23–26).
• Peter then replied that, unlike the rich man, they had left everything (Matthew 19:27). The implication was that Peter expected both praise and reward because of that. While Jesus affirmed Peter’s statement (Matthew 19:28), He corrected Peter’s assumption that being first meant a better reward, saying, “but many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
• Jesus then gave a parable to explain what He meant (Matthew 20:1–15). That parable was about a master with a vineyard who hired day laborers to help him in the field. The master starts by hiring some workers in the morning, promising them a denarius each (a denarius was equivalent to a day's wage). He then went out as the day passed to hire even more workers. The last group he hired was hired right before the work was done.
• Those who had been hired first expected to be paid more than those who had been hired last. That was both the normal expectation and how Peter was thinking about being among the first to follow Jesus. However, unexpectedly, the master paid the last workers a full day’s wage despite their having worked barely at all.
• The first workers were upset because they had done the most work, but the master scolded them. He pointed out that, first, he paid them what they had agreed upon and that, second, as the master, he was free to pay each worker whatever he wanted. The first workers had no ground to complain, therefore, because the master was both honest and generous.
• Jesus then ended the parable saying, “So the last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16), showing that the parable was specifically answering what he meant by the first being last and the last, first. Those in the kingdom of God who follow Jesus last will be treated the same as the disciples who followed Him first. God is dealing fairly and generously with them all. The first followers will receive what Jesus promised (Matthew 19:28–29), while God will also generously reward the last followers.
• The idea that the first will be last and the last will be first is contrary to how the world thinks and shows that God is not a God who has favorites (Acts 10:34). Ultimately all glory is to come to Him, not His workers (1 Corinthians 1:29–31).

implications for today

The kingdom of God contains an immense diversity of peoples and talents. Not everyone in it is someone we would consider important, yet God hand-selected each member and is fitting us together as His people (1 Peter 2:5).

Sometimes, we believers desire to be the “first.” Not chronologically first, but first in importance. We dream about being one of the great pastors, remembered throughout church history. We long to be the first missionaries to unreached peoples. Some of us even imagine what it would be like to have immense resources to help fund our churches. As we think about these “firsts,” we can become disillusioned about our value in the kingdom.

Paul, speaking to the Corinthians, reminded them that there were no “firsts” in a church. There was just one body, and all believers were members of that body. Just as heads are useless without feet, so a church is useless if it has only pastors or missionaries. Though those more visible positions are needed, for every one of them, there are hundreds of quiet, faithful servants behind the scenes making the visible work possible.

How does this relate to this question? We were each saved at a particular time in history and given specific gifts, but it wasn’t because of who we are. It was because God chose us to be a part of His people. The last and the first are the same because we are all God’s chosen people doing the good works He prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). The next time you are tempted to imagine yourself obtaining some prominent role in His kingdom, thank Him that He has saved you and made you equal with the “great ones.” And be faithful in what He has given you. Because it has never been about the “firsts” but about Him displaying His great mercy to those who didn’t deserve it.