Naturally, the first should remain the first but in our topic, the Lord warned on the possibility that the reverse could the case. The Lord was in essence saying that the first to come to church may not necessarily be the first to be saved; the first to be saved may not necessarily be the first to grow spiritually; the first to start growing spiritually may not necessarily grow the fastest. It also means that the first to start working for God may not necessarily be the greatest worker (cp. 1 Cor. 15:9-10).
The Lord, being a righteous judge (2 Tim. 4:8) would prefer the first to seek and come to him to always be first. However people’s attitude makes this statement real. Some have not come to God wholeheartedly but respond to God’s word with some reservations. Such people will necessarily be overtaken by those who come later but wholeheartedly (cp. Mat. 21:28-32). Those who resist strong but sound teachings can become stagnant and unproductive while those who came later but are willing to receive sound doctrine will outgrow them (Jn. 6:60, 66, Lk. 9:62). Those who fail to live according to the word of God will be left out though they may have been first to come (1 Sam.2:30).
The Lord’s statement that the first shall be the last is not a recommendation. In fact, it is more of a lamentation. Let us wholeheartedly resolve to be first that remains first; then back up out resolves with action.