Mark 10:31Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Lord entrusted the final purification of His chosen ones to the Holy Spirit and assured them, as His first and beloved disciples, of the promise to reign alongside Him on twelve thrones when the Son of Man takes His place on the throne of glory. Moreover, He emphasized that those who sacrifice their personal desires for the sake of the Kingdom of God would receive their just recompense in due season. To illustrate the abundance of God’s grace, which is generously bestowed upon all who heed His call, He shared the parable of laborers called to work at different hours throughout the day. At the day’s end, each was rewarded equally by the generous Master, demonstrating that what seems impossible for man is made possible through the power of God.

To prevent the disciples and all the believers in Christ from expecting the promised blessings as if they were guaranteed rewards for their deeds, similar to the way the Pharisees sought prominence in the Messiah's realm, Jesus states: “But many of the first shall be last, and the last first.” In the Gospel of Mark, this teaching stands alone, while the Gospel of Matthew also includes the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, who were compensated equally despite working at different times. This example illuminates the context in which Jesus made this statement, as He had done in other teachings (Matt. 20:16; Luke 13:30).

Many who are deemed first will actually be last, and those who are viewed as last will take the first position (Matthew 19:30). The Jewish people, chosen by God prior to any other group, naturally regarded themselves as the foremost among all nations and anticipated remaining at the forefront in the life to come. In addressing this misconception, Jesus reiterated that those who see themselves as paramount in this life will ultimately find themselves at the end in the next. Conversely, those who perceive themselves as least in this world can attain the highest place in the life to come, for salvation is not contingent upon the timing of one's call or conversion.

To prevent this significant promise from fostering arrogance among them, the Savior quickly clarified that they should not place too much significance on being among the first to follow Him. The kingdom of heaven has its unique standards, which means that ‘many shall be first last, and last first.’