Living Right Side Up in an Upside Down World
September 19, 2019
I once had a toy clown that no matter how I set it down, it would always stand on its head. If I placed it on its side, on its feet, or in any right side up position, it would flip to its head and rest upside down! The reason for this? The clown’s head had a weight in it which caused it to always stand on its head.
As I began to teach a bible study this Fall, I was reminded of this toy clown from my childhood. The topic of the study is the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) which is Jesus’ longest recorded message and what was His inaugural address to His disciples. Within these three chapters of the book of Matthew, Jesus taught His disciples how to live within a culture and time when the expectations of the world were far different than the expectations of the Word and of a true follower of Christ. The world was upside down in many ways; the Word is always right side up.
Our present day world is not much different than in biblical times. If we think for a minute, we can answer this question: “Besides everything’, what is upside down in our world today?” On the first day of bible study this Fall, I asked my class this very question. Their responses led to some very specific characteristics of upside down living:
Truth is trashed; lies are lauded
The honorable are despised and the depraved are empowered
Morality is mocked and immorality is praised, paraded, and protected
Just like my toy clown, no matter how we spin it, the weight of the world causes it to rest upside down. However, Hebrews 12: 1 reminds us:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”
And Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, taught us how to do this, how to live right side up in this incredibly upside down world!
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not …’ 22 But I say to you that…”
Matthew 5: 21-22