Luke 22: 27; Matthew 18: 1-4; Luke 10: 25-37
Jesus looks at the world upside down from how you and I do. This opposite view shows up in so much of what Jesus taught.
In my forthcoming book, "From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone: How Jesus Urges Us to Take Leaps of Faith for His Kingdom," there is a chapter on how Jesus emphasizes service to others. For example, we think of serving Jesus, but Jesus says at the Last Supper in Luke 22: 27, "But I am among you as one who serves." And he proves that by washing the disciples' feet at the same meal.
Jesus was always turning things upside down from the disciples' perspective, such as in this exchange in Matthew 18: 1-4.
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Lowliness. Servanthood. A rejection of earthly greatness. These are the characteristics our Savior exhibits in himself and desires in us.
Take the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37). Every action you see from the Good Samaritan stems from service. He doesn't scold the victim for traveling alone on a dangerous road. He doesn't quote scripture. He doesn't preach to the victim about his sin. The Good Samaritan simply helps the victim by offering healing and protection. From the parable, we can glean that service is at the core of loving our neighbor.
Jesus has an upside down view of the world that resonates across my book. We learn that we are the safest when we're the most vulnerable. We learn that we get through tough times by looking at Jesus rather than the obstacles in front of us. We learn that we find things of greater value when we give up things we cherish.
Take an upside down look at your world today and see where it leads you!
There are few things I like better than speaking to live audiences. I would love to speak at your church or to your group! The topic can be a 7-day practical faith topic from one of my books, or it can be a topic of your choosing. Let's get something going! Please reach out to me at Cecil@CecilTaylorMinistries.com.