FIRST CLASS UPGRADE
Why is it, by the way, that First Class passengers board the plane first? Sure it is great to get off the plane first, but is it so great to board the plane first? Shouldn’t First Class Passengers be the last ones on the plane and the first ones off the plane?
For me the idea is to spend the least amount of time of the plane as possible – the least amount of time in that stuffy cabin, the least amount of time in breathing in re-circulated air filled with who knows what bacteria or virus – less time sitting next to the guy who didn’t think he needed a shower to travel in a tightly packed plane.
In addition to the privilege of being exposed longer to communicable disease, getting on first allows the First Class passengers to be struck by various sized carry on luggage, and of course, in the summer, the bonus of spending extra time in a hot humid space.
What is the real reason airlines want the First Class passengers to board first? Because then the airline attendants will not be asked one hundred and twenty five times by the people sitting in coach if they can sit in first class since they see a seat is open. So if there are people sitting in all the seats in first class, no one will ask to sit there.
The airlines want the First Class seats to be seats of prestige, of privilege, and of rank. They want the coach passengers to not think about all the money they are saving by walking an extra eight feet; they don’t want the coach passengers to think about the fact that everyone will arrive at the destination at the same time regardless of where they sit – what they want is for the coach passengers to feel less privileged, to see that for a few extra dollars….or airline miles, they too could be people of privilege, to sit in the seats of honor and you know what, they are right, if given the opportunity to switch from coach to first class, who would say no?
The disciples James and John have sat in coach, they know first class is better, so they take Jesus aside, here in Mark chapter 10 and ask for an upgrade, the seats of honor next to Jesus, we see this in verse 37.
Really what they are asking for, is for Jesus to give them seats at the banquet of honor when Jesus is crowned as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, when he as Messiah comes to power. Someone has to sit there, so why not ask? We know at the last supper John was seated next to Jesus, and this was no accident. They see that they are in Jesus favor and they simply would like to see this continue. If Jesus has John sitting close to him now, why wouldn’t Jesus agree to let this seating arraignment continue?