Mat 19:30 But many [that are] first shall be last; and the last [shall be] first.

Alternative version: But many of the best shall become the worst and the worst, the best.

Christ describes the larger reality of our lives as a growth process. This process starts with the spirit. We then pass through physical, mental, and emotional stages (though not in any particular order). The process returns us at last to the spirit. In this process, only the spiritual has permanence. Everything else is transitional and temporary. In other words, the life we are living is meant as a journey, but it does accomplish something. It makes us richer (or poorer) in spirit.

In this process, Christ teaches in this verse that our positions often (but not always) reverse themselves. The physically strongest do not usually become the richest. In other words, the high school football star doesn't often become the most successful business person in his class. The high-school beauty queen doesn't often have the most successful marriage. The richest people do not often become the most loving or loved. Extraordinary success in business doesn't often lead to becoming the best husband and father. Great success in one realm (physical, mental, emotional) often leads to a problems in another area. I have describe this as getting "stuck" in one realm instead of making the transition through them all.

This is the general topic of this entire chapter, which starts discussing the problems of marriage, that is, the emotional realm, and ends discussing wealth, which is in Christ's system, the mental realm. Christ doesn't mention the physical realm here because the lesson about the strongest or most beautiful person becoming weak and homely in his or her old age is obvious, but it is a logical extension of this lesson.

The point is that only our spiritual progess matters in the end. Our experience of the physical, mental, and emotional is meant to refine our spirit. This is the "treasure" we want to accumulate because this is the only property that lasts. Our physical, mental, and emotional connections are all lost over time.

The Greek vocabulary used here is interesting because all the key words are adjectives that have different meanings depending on their context. The terms translated as "first" and "last" are superlative forms of adjectives. The meanings of these words are all connected.

"Many " is from polus. In number, this means "many." In size, degree, and intensity, it means "much" and "mighty." Of value or worth, it means "of great worth" and "of great consequence." Of space, it means "large" and "wide." Of time, it means "long."

"First" is from prôtos. In place, this means "the foremost." Of time, it means "the initial." In order, it means "the first." In math, it means the prime numbers. Of rank or degree, it means "the highest" or "the best."

"Last" is from eschatos. In space, this means "furthest." In degree, it means "uttermost" and "highest." In persons, it means "lowest" and "meanest." Of time, it means "last" and "ending."