Mtr Beth Clarke
Dear Friends,
“But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
—Matthew 19:30
Cape Verde, a tiny West African island nation, is among the smallest to ever qualify for the Men’s World Cup. With a population of 500,000, it is among the smallest nations ever to qualify for the tournament.
Recently, they drew an impossible opening match: they met Spain, one of the world’s best-ranked teams and a championship favorite. Shockingly, and to the great delight of Cape Verde supporters, the match ended in a 0-0 draw. Given the remarkable performance, the last was first, and even though the match was a tie, it probably felt to Spain’s faithful that the first were last.
Those who are last, said Jesus, will find themselves at the front; and the front-runners will find themselves at the back. Astonishment, joy, and embarrassment will follow, as God stands everything on its head. God’s favor will appear where we least expect it. The nobodies will lead, and the sombodies will follow behind.
In the Gospel of Matthew, we meet Jesus today between two well-known Gospel stories; shortly after the rebuke of the rich young man and shortly before we learn that it is harder for one who is wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God than it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. Jesus warns that the rich and famous are not guaranteed a place in the Kingdom of God. This would have been shocking to his listeners, as wealth was often seen as a sign of divine blessing.
To illustrate his point, Jesus draws on a ridiculous image: on a camel, the largest animal in Palestine, passing through the eye of a needle. Jesus’ teaching is clear– you cannot achieve the Kingdom of God simply by trying really hard. A camel passing through the eye of a needle is impossible. Some have argued that the “eye of the needle” was a small gate into the city of Jerusalem through which a camel could pass if all its gear were removed and the camel crouched, but this misses the point. God’s new possibilities start where human calculations fail.
What is impossible to us is possible to God.
Yours in Christ,
—Mtr Beth