Being upside down is not comfortable.
Maybe you've hung upside down as a kid. Or attempted to do a handstand. Or pretended to be a bat in the playground. The inevitable blood rushing to your head as you hang suspended in the air. I enjoyed it as a kid! But as an adult, it's not quite fun anymore.
In the Gospel of Luke, the author writes his account of the Jesus story with one glaring theme in mind: the Upside Down Kingdom of Jesus. The powerful are brought to their knees. The strangers are welcomed in. The most powerful Person in all of the galaxy empties Himself of strength to be with us.
The more I think of Luke's theme, though, I can't help but realize something: Jesus and His Kingdom aren't upside down. We are. The love and justice that Jesus came to serve wasn't upside down to reality. It is reality in motion. Sin, death, and the Enemy have led us to believe that worldly things should be exalted. We think that we need to depend on war and violence to protect ourselves. Or that we need to hoard for ourselves money and goods to preserve our families. Or that we can only call our lives "blessed" if we can look "blessed".
Luke's Gospel shares with me that life with Jesus is actually how the world really is. It can feel off-putting at first. Like standing up on your feet after being upside down on the monkey bars for some time. But once you see the world for what it really is – seeing Jesus for who He really is – our life will never be the same.
-Pastor Rhidge Garcia
