Kingdom Principles – Part 5: Jesus and the Kingdom Turned the World Upside Down
Summary
Jesus turned the world of first-century Israel and every generation since upside down. His basic message was that life is not found in material prosperity, but in the Spirit of Christ. Whether we are rich or poor, in the Life of the Spirit we will always be wealthy. Apart from Life in the in Spirit of Christ, we will always be poor no matter how rich, powerful, or sophisticated we are now. If we want to be great in the Kingdom we must be the servant of all. The first in the kingdom of the world will be the last in the Kingdom of God. His message is as radical today as it was 2100 years ago. But it is the only way to change the world. It is the only world where the love of Christ will rule and reign in our hearts.
Approximately 2100 years ago Jesus rode into Jerusalem and delivered a devastating message to Israel — “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes?’ Therefore I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Matthew 21: 43).
He had gone too far. That evening Jesus was arrested and the next day crucified.
With these words Jesus announced to the nation of Israel that He had turned the world upside down — for them and also for us. Paul tells us that by cutting these branches off of the tree, God made room to graft us in (Romans 11). Embodied in these words Jesus spoke to the Pharisees is one of the key notions of the upside-down world of the Kingdom of God: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Mark 10: 31 NIV).
For generations Israel operated under the assumption that they were God’s chosen people, that salvation, the Kingdom of God, would come to them. Jesus takes the Kingdom away from Israel, and in one of His final acts, gives it to a people who will produce fruit — the Gentiles, and ultimately the Church. Why? Because Israel “did not repent and believe” (Matthew 21: 32).
By the way, Paul makes it clear in Romans 11 that all Israel will be saved. Israel’s rejection is neither total nor final. When the fullness of the Gentiles comes into the Kingdom, the blessings of salvation will flood back to Israel.
But, in the meantime the world has been turned upside down.
‘The first will be last and the last will be first’ describes much more than the relationship between Israel and non-Jews or Gentiles. In Mark 10 this fundamental Kingdom principle is announced to the disciples right after Jesus meets with the Rich Young Ruler. The first, the self-sufficient wealthy and powerful in the kingdom of the world will be the last (or be the last to find) the Kingdom of God while the poorest, most lowly person in the kingdom of the world who totally depends upon Jesus will be the first in (or the first to find) the Kingdom of God.
Jesus is saying that more times than not the rich and powerful, the ones with knowledge and sophistication, the first in society, are self-sufficient. These will be last in the Kingdom. And more times than not (although not always) the poor and weak, the last in society, depend upon Jesus. These will be first in the Kingdom.
But I think we need to be cautious about how we interpret these words of Jesus. Jesus’ point is that it is not most fundamentally about the rich vs the poor. Over the centuries some have used this teaching of Jesus to advance a type of liberation theology saying “Jesus is against the wealthy and for the poor and down-trodden”. There is truth in that, but that statement is not the whole truth. The poor can be just as covetous and idolatrous about wealth as the rich. And many rich men can be Kingdom men to a greater extent than the poor. It is not about wealth and power. It is about the heart.
If your heart lives for and worships Jesus, you are a Kingdom person, no matter your status in life. If your heart lives for and worships wealth (or anything else), no matter your status in life, you are living in the Kingdom of the world. But Jesus makes it clear in His instructions to the disciples after the Rich Young Ruler leaves disappointed, that in general, the rich are more susceptible to worship wealth and power, and therefore less likely to be first in the Kingdom.
Jesus is speaking both about position in the present age (the Kingdom now) and in the age to come (Mark 10: 29 –31 NIV). The first in the Kingdom will be blessed, they will be like a tree whose leaves are always green, who never fail to bear fruit. This is the abundant life, the life of freedom. The last in the Kingdom, shall be like a bush in the wasteland. This is a life of despair and loneliness, a life of slavery. Like the Rich Young Ruler — he did not own his wealth, his wealth owned him.
(If I am reading the text correctly it does not say that the first in the kingdom of the world will not enter the Kingdom of God. Only that they will be last in the Kingdom. Interesting.)
Jesus is describing a world upside down. In Mark 10: 14 He says the Kingdom of God belongs to little children, the last and least in His culture. The opposite of children are the learned, sophisticated, powerful men. These are the ‘first’. He goes even further near the end of Mark 10, captured here in the Message translation:
“You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, he said, and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served — and then to give away His life in exchange for many who are being held hostage” (Mark 10: 42 – 45 MSG).
Paul carries on this message in 1 Corinthians:
“Brothers think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of nobel birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1: 26 –30 NIV).
They were the uneducated men with no influence, of lowly birth, foolish, weak, even despised in the eyes of the world. They were the least. God used them to shame the wise and the strong. But look out — it is only because of Him. They are in the Kingdom of God, in Christ, living in His power, righteousness, and holiness because of God (and I would say, their choice). Again, it is about our heart. We can be influential and live in the Kingdom of God. We can have no influence and live in the kingdom of the world — but in general, Jesus is saying when men get a little power they let it go to their heads.
These intertwined ideas — “the first shall be last and the last shall be first” and “if you want to be great, you must be the servant and slave of all” — are the root of Kingdom life. They are the basis for Jesus telling us to:
turn the other cheek.
love our enemies
go the extra mile
give the coat off my back to someone who asks
live you must die
deny self, pick up our cross, and follow Him.
trust in and depend upon Jesus for everything.
They are the essence of Jesus’ life and death. The man Jesus died a brutal death on the cross as a common criminal — the lowest or last of society; so that He could be raised as the first, the King of Glory.
Jesus turned the world upside down. Not just in His teaching. There is power in His Kingdom to turn our lives upside down. Power to turn addiction into glory, anger into compassion, hate into love, decadence into holiness; loneliness, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, fear, lust, and anxiety into great things; sadness into joy, broken hearts into healed hearts, sickness into health, the dark things in our life into light, the defeats in our life into victories.
This is also what Jesus meant when He said ‘the first shall be last and the last first’. We all struggle with the afflictions of the world, as individuals and as nations — we must all deal with addictions, anger, hate at some level, loneliness, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, etc. How can we live in this fallen world and not, to some extent, experience these emotions and problems? Those who trust in Jesus, and they generally are (but not always) the ‘least’ in the world (think Bartimaeus; or more globally Africa, China, the Middle East, for example) will have access to His power to defeat and overcome these things. And they will rise up in victory. Those who trust in self, and they are generally (but not always) ‘first’ in the world (think Rich Young Ruler; or more globally — America, Europe, Australia, Canada, Russia, for example) also struggle with the consequences of the fallen world, but do not have access to the power of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, they will not know victory, only defeat, because they are up against a power much greater than themselves.
The first will be last and the last first; you must be a slave, a servant to all. Jesus was radical and revolutionary. He delivered a hard message to Israel, and He delivers a hard message to us today. It is not a popular message in self-centered Western culture — if you want to have life, you must die. To be first you must become last. To be great in the Kingdom you must be the slave to all.
What would our world look life today if all who profess Christianity truly repented and asked God to “make them the slave of all”? What would it look like if you and I adopted this attitude toward our spouses, friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors? What would it look like if I adopted this attitude toward my enemies or those who are different from me or think differently than I do? And how could I do this without the Holy Spirit? And how can I get the Holy Spirit unless I live in the Kingdom of God? And how can I live in the Kingdom of God without repentance and faith? Really, the question is “how can I truly love anyone unless I allow Jesus to turn my world upside down?”
I thank God for His great love for each of us. What is the ultimate measure of love? That a man would give his life for his friend. Christ died for us. But more than that, He rose so that we too might have resurrection life. Will my world be turned upside down? Or should I say, put right side up. I hope so.
He is Risen!
Hallelujah!
John