“So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

I read a fascinating analysis on Quartz of how to best board an airplane to get the most efficiencies and speed.  Jason Hyrum Steffen, a professor from Nevada came up with this: “His own method, which many consider to be the most efficient, boards passengers in a series of waves, with the first passengers called to board seated in window seats two rows apart—first 30A, then 28A, then 26A and so on. Next, the same for the other side of the plane (30F, 28F, 26F). The process continues with odd row window seats on either side, middle seats, and finally aisle seats. Each person can sit down within moments of one another without getting in anyone’s way. In field tests, it proved to be almost twice as fast as most conventional methods, and 20% to 30% faster than have-at-it, entirely random boarding—which is also faster than the method used by airlines. (He would board slower passengers requiring assistance first.)”  Seems complicated, huh?  It is especially when we are pretty used to how we have always done it.  There is an “ordering” for many things and first in, first out doesn’t always stand true (if you are an Angel Investor you know exactly what I mean here).  But, we should be encouraged that with technology everything that gets packed in (boxes, materials, or people) will get more and more efficient with time.

Jesus was pretty clear with how the ordering goes in His Kingdom.  It’s so contrary to the world we live in that it may be hard to really grok what it means.  I take it that today, we are to not think that our position, our resources, our power or influence mean anything to God. What matters is how we lower ourselves to Him and how we treat and care for the least among us.  We can’t be reminded enough of this truth!

Reference: Matthew 20:16 (New Living Translation)