Acharya Prashant comments on a verse from the Holy Bible, "The last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen." He begins by stating that everyone's destiny is the same because, fundamentally, we are all one. Since there is no essential difference between us, our destiny is also one. What we are, we are; to be something else is an illusion that must be dispelled. Time is the name of this illusion. As long as time exists, the illusion that we are something else will persist. Time itself is an illusion, and it is within time that this illusion will be dispelled. Jesus is not saying that some will not reach their destination. Everyone will reach it; the only difference is time. Some will arrive sooner, some later. From a fundamental perspective, even 'before' and 'after' are illusions. In reality, everyone has already arrived. For those who feel they haven't arrived, there will only be a difference in time. The question then becomes, who will take less time and who will take more? Who will arrive first and who will arrive last? Jesus's answer is that those who are first in this world will be the last to reach the ultimate destination. Those who appear to be at the forefront in this world believe that this world is all there is to conquer. They are fools who have forgotten that this world is a baseless duality. The mind is made of the world, and the world is made of the mind. They forget to ask what both are made of. They remain in the race of mind and world and keep winning. To them, Jesus says, "The first shall be last." The more you run ahead here, the further behind you will be there. It will take more time. Jesus is not destroying hope; he is not saying that those who run ahead here will never reach there. They will, but after suffering punishment, and they will be the last. Acharya Prashant explains that the world Jesus is talking about is the real world, the inner world, the kingdom of God. This world is not the one perceived by the senses, but something that exists beyond them. It is the world of truth, love, joy, and liberation. Those who are first in the dualistic world will be last in this real world. He then refers to another verse, "Suffer the little children, to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." The kingdom of God belongs to those who have become like little children—innocent and guileless. Children are drawn to Jesus because they feel his love, even if they don't understand his words. The world—society, parents, education—stops them. Jesus says, "Forbid them not." We are all those children who have been stopped and sent in other directions. The obstacles are artificial walls created by our own consent. If we withdraw our consent, the walls will fall. The battle is already lost, so why fight? Surrender sweetly; it's not a defeat.
