Although I’m not much of a traveler, I’m beginning to learn the ins and outs of Southwest Airlines. Unlike American, United, and others, Southwest has “open seating,” which means no one can choose their spot ahead of time. As ticket holders receive their boarding passes, they check for an important letter:     A, B, or C.

If it’s A, lucky you.

You get to board first and pick any seat you want. The C people are the unluckys, having to squeeze into leftover spots here and there between passengers who were hoping you’d sit somewhere else.

I’ve always viewed the A group with boarding-pass envy, wondering why I inevitably rated a C. Finally I asked an A how she did it. It turned out “good grades” were the prize for winning a cyberspace game: be the first to check-in online.

For my next flight, I entered the competition for an A slot. Each of 3 attempts flashed the “Oops!” screen, but once the computer clock moved into that golden 24 hour zone just before my flight’s departure, the check-in click worked. And when my boarding pass emerged from the printer, it had a big A on it!

What a satisfying feeling to finally be part of the privileged pick-your-seat A-people. As I waited in the A-wave of passengers, I tried not to look over at those holding B and C boarding passes, knowing they were eying me with envy. How lovely to be holding an A.

Scripture isn’t big on A-passes and actually promotes the C’s. One day Jesus’ disciples were mourning all they’d given up to follow him when he assured them brighter days were coming. Future first/last places would have nothing to do with earthly firsts/lasts but would be just the opposite. He told them, “Being in the C group now is setting yourself up to one day be in the A’s.”

This was hard to believe, and Jesus knew it. He told them several stories to push his point, and today we can do whatever we want with those. He knew putting ourselves last would go against our natural egotism but continued to insist that being last was the only sure way to get ahead.

As I surrendered my A-pass and boarded the plane, I surveyed scores of empty seats, choosing a window spot in the second row. “First on, first off,” I thought with smug satisfaction. “And a wall to lean on for a nap.”

Gradually the plane filled as flight attendants announced it would be a full aircraft. And wouldn’t you know, the last C boarding pass belonged to the biggest passenger. I don’t have to tell you which seat (and a half) he wedged himself into. As nearby A-people sent sympathetic glances my way, I learned that even an A-level boarding pass can lead to a C-quality seat.

“Jesus said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all.” (Mark 9:35)