Scripture Upside-down

    For those of us in the U.S. our perspective of scripture has been
skewed by our wealth. We are "the camel trying to fit through
the eye of a needle." We don't look at scripture the same as the rest
of the world. The rest of the world is looking for a better life than
what they have. We on the other hand have a good life, we just don't
realize it.
    From the time of Solomon and all the splendor that was Israel's
until John wrote Revelations, Israel was under attack and submission
to foreign powers. In Jesus time, Israel was in submission to the
Roman Empire.
    Jesus and His message was to the masses, to the poor and
down trodden of society. His "Sermon on the Mount" talking about
the meek inheriting the earth, blessed are you when persecuted,
was to workers, slaves, the poor, the outcasts. It was looked down
upon by the rich, the authorities, the rulers of both religion and
society.
    The rich of society would sneak, under darkness to find Jesus.
They didn't want their peers to know, they didn't want the ridicule
or the persecution.
    In the U.S. we watch the news and see enormous crowds fervently
worshipping in other religions to other gods and we talk about how
backwards they are. I would imagine, in Jesus' time, that would be
how the rich and powerful would react, as they watched from their
terraces and rooftops. I can hear them discussing the masses that were
following, this Jesus person, and how backward they are.
    When you are a slave, an outcast, hired help or poor there is only
one direction to look or go and that direction is up.
    In America, we get upset and mad when people look down on us
or disrespect us, but the people Jesus spoke to were used to that. It
was the way of life. When Jesus and His disciples offered a change,
a chance to be lifted up by God, a chance to be with God, they
couldn't keep their mouths closed about this man called Jesus.
    And we here in America in our Ivory Towers look down from
our balconies at the masses and say, how backward they are.
    So we sit in our towers, knowing we have the answer in Jesus
Christ, and do nothing. While a world is dying without Christ.
    We need to come down from our towers and go to the masses.
If we can start the fire of Jesus Christ in their hearts, it will spread
like wildfire once again. We can turn this world upside-down for
Christ, if we are willing to turn our lives upside-down for Him.

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