Matthew 19:30

“But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matthew 19:30)

Passage from Matthew’s gospel, chapter 19

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”

(Matthew 19:28-30)

Commentary on the verse from Matthew 19:30

It is a strong and surprising statement, reinforced previously by the expression “Amen I tell you”, and repeated several times through the Gospel. Jesus reminds us here that we do not need wealth, power or success in the way we hear it in our world. We must keep our eyes fixed on God and our reward will have a hundred times the value of everything that one can have the impression of losing here.

Christians are no longer necessarily obliged to leave family and home to follow Jesus, like the first apostles, but we all have, sometimes, difficult choices to make to remain faithful to God, and the feeling of not always being understood. God's logic is not the logic of the world, but it is the miracle of God's love for each of us. A grace too great to be deserved, given for free through Jesus, who lowered Himself and made Himself a servant.

Instead of trying to “win” or “rise” in life, or even as Christians, we must try every day to think only about God’s love for us, and the Good News of the Gospel.

Put Jesus first with Hozana

With this verse, Jesus invites us to change the way we see, not to follow the logic of the world but that of the Kingdom of God. To keep his Word in us, it is important to reflect on it regularly. With Hozana, discover many proposals around the Gospel and the Bible. You can choose to receive every morning the gospel of the day commented, or a biblical verse to meditate throughout the day. You can also immerse yourself in the gospel of Matthew thanks to this online retreat and discover the path he inspires us to take!