The Kingdom of God can seem far away, and when we hear “The first shall be last,” this can be discouraging. In this episode of A Few Minutes with God, host Felice Gerwitz shares hopeful news: “The first shall be last” is a call to a joyful heart, not a threat hanging over those who already love the Lord.

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The First Shall Be Last And How To Avoid This Happening To You ~ Episode 377

A landowner hires workers at dawn for a denarius, the usual daily wage. He returns through the day, even at the eleventh hour — and hires more. When evening comes, every laborer receives the same pay. The first workers grumble. The landowner has not cheated them. He has kept his word, and he is free to be generous.

How Does Matthew 19 Prepare Us for This Parable?

This teaching is already echoing in Matthew 19:16-30. A rich man had kept God’s laws from his youth. He came to Jesus wanting eternal life. When he was asked to sell everything for the Kingdom, he turned away sad. He had followed so much — and still could not let go.

Jesus said:

“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24, RSV-CE)

The disciples wondered who then could be saved. Jesus answered:

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26, RSV-CE)

And He closed that scene with the same refrain that frames the vineyard:

“But many that are first will be last, and the last first.” (Matthew 19:30, RSV-CE)

Do we need to worry? No.

The rich man trusted what he already had. The first laborers trusted what they had already done. In both places Jesus shows the same mercy: the Kingdom is God’s gift. What is impossible with men is possible with God.

What Is the Parable of the Laborers About?

This Gospel is about the Kingdom, not about keeping score.

The vineyard is the Lord’s field. The denarius is eternal life, not a paycheck we calculate by the hour. The first workers can stand for those called early who then resent latecomers — tax collectors, sinners, and those the first group never expected to see as equals. The hours of the day can also be the seasons of a life: childhood, youth, the years of strength, and even old age.

St. Gregory the Great taught that the landowner keeps going out because God never tires of calling. St. Augustine and others remind us that the wage is the same because the gift is the same: God Himself. The Good Thief received the same promise as those who followed for years.

The last workers were not lazy. No one had hired them. If they did not work, they did not eat. God has an abundance to give. He is just, and He is generous.

“Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity? So the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20:15-16, RSV-CE)

The Good News If You Already Believe

You do not need to fear that a lifetime of faith will be wasted because God is kind to someone who comes later. Heaven is a gift, not a contest. The years you have already spent with the Lord are themselves a blessing.

When a sinner finds Christ, heaven rejoices. We are invited to rejoice too.

Five Encouragements from This Episode

Joyous: Be joyous knowing you are on the right path.
Surround yourself with like-minded Christians who can encourage you.
Listen to more podcasts like this one that can encourage and help you on your journey.
Rest in this: the same Lord who called you is still calling others — and His generosity has not run out.
Thank God that heaven is a gift, not a contest. Your years with Him are already a blessing.

You are a believer. You are headed toward the Lord, who waits with an open heart. Spend a few minutes with God today, and ask Him to fill you with His joy — joy over your own calling, and joy over every soul He welcomes home.

Related Episodes from A Few Minutes with God

Unworthy of God — Mercy for the heart that feels it has no claim on His love.
God’s Love Is Sufficient — Grace is enough when we cannot earn what we need.
Living on Purpose: God’s Plan for Everyday Life — Ordinary days in the vineyard still matter.
Christian Example — A life that lifts others up.
Called to Be Saints — Embracing Holiness in Everyday Life — Holiness walked out one faithful hour at a time.