The Upside Down Kingdom

What does success look like? Our society is very much built on hierarchies, power pyramids, where the goal is to work our way to the top of the pile. On our way to the top, we often leave behind some of ourselves, our ethics, our empathy. We scratch and scramble, tramp on the fingers and toes of others in our quest for what we perceive to be a success.

In our text this week, we hear James and John hanging on to that paradigm as they ask Jesus for positions of power in his coming kingdom. They want to be right at his side, on his left and his right hand.

Jesus surprises them with his response to their request. In his kingdom, he says, it's about service, it's about lifting others up, it's about being a servant. In his kingdom honour and power aren't found at the top but at the bottom. It seems to be upside down.

This Sunday, we'll spend some time with this teaching wondering how this teaching relates to our lives and the life of our church.