I

haven’t won many awards. I’m not especially gifted at anything

that might earn me an award or a trophy. I coached a middle school

team a few years back, and we won some tournaments. That was great,

but no “coach of the year” trophy came with it—and that’s

fine with me.

Winning

can be a thrill, though. It’s a pretty big thing for most

people—and many of us are so competitive that we feel we just have

to win. That’s why today’s verse is so countercultural. The first

will be last, and the last first? That doesn’t make sense. No one

competes for the goal of being last. No one remembers the ones who

come in last. But maybe that’s the point.

The

economy of the gospel isn’t like everything else. Good looks and

megatalent don’t earn anything. In fact, very little that we value

in this world—from wealth and prestige to power and position—means

anything when it comes to following Jesus. At times, our stuff and

accomplishments can even get in the way of following Jesus.

Think

of it this way: when we realize that the things we often rely on

don’t actually gain us anything, we find ourselves in a place where

we are ready to rely on Jesus. We realize that everything good we

have and all we have accomplished is a gift from God. And we are

ready to share it with others, rather than holding on to it for

ourselves. With love and generosity and making room for people,

putting others ahead of ourselves, we begin to follow and act like

Jesus.