Greetings, readers and friends! Today I’m sharing a blog from 2022 that made it into my first book. Enjoy!
Those who carefully study the gospel of Jesus Christ—and especially those of us who sincerely endeavor to live it out—soon learn this: Jesus doesn’t measure things the same way the world does. Not success, power, wealth, honor, justice, sin, forgiveness, or even love.
Sometimes it seems an upside-down gospel because Jesus’s way is opposite, the inverse of the world’s way. I’d prefer to think that the world’s way is upside down, and Jesus’s way sets it right for those who dare to believe it. It is a way of being in the world without conforming to its faulty ethics.
Let me offer two biblical examples of these inverted realities.
FAIRNESS
The first is Jesus’s parable of the vineyard owner who hires workers to harvest the grapes. He employs a crew very early in the morning and promises them a certain wage for the day’s work. At nine, noon, three p.m., and again at five p.m., when he finds men standing idle in the street, he sends them out to join the rest.
At day’s end, they all line up to receive their wages, and are all paid the same amount. Outrageous, right?
We are well-conditioned to the way the world measures fairness. Even young children are alert to what is fair and unfair. We hold it to be self-evident that our reward should always be proportional to the measure of time, effort, or talent we have invested.
The workers who began their workday before the sun came up cried,
“These who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day” (Matt. 20:12).
Jesus’ answer, in the voice of the landowner:
I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others? (v. 13-15).
Was Jesus promoting an injustice in the message of his parable? Think of it this way—based on this, would you hire him as your union negotiator?
No, of course Jesus is not unjust. He is the only one who always judges rightly. Jesus says that it is the master’s prerogative how he deals with his servants. Those who arrive early are blessed in doing so. Those who arrive late are equally blessed for showing up. It is not about how long we’ve been part of the work—it is that God has welcomed us into his vineyard at all.
God’s sovereignty in our salvation is a key principle in the kingdom of God. Sinners, tax collectors, and latecomers to the party still get to eat at the Master’s table. This is only unfair when judged by a worldly, jealous, or religious spirit.
Photo by David Kohler/Unsplash
FORGIVENESS
The second example is Jesus’s parable of the two servants. The first owes his master a huge sum of money. When the master tries to collect, the servant falls at his feet and begs him to forgive the debt, and he does.
This servant then goes out and finds another servant who owes him a comparatively small debt. He demands that his fellow servant pay up, or he will send him to debtor’s prison. The master hears of this and calls the first servant in. He reprimands him severely, saying,
“You wicked servant, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” (Matt. 18:32–33).
The master sent this servant to prison until he could sell everything he owned and repay the debt.
This parable makes clear that it is not the size of the debt that is of concern to the Lord, but the command to forgive. His forgiveness of our incalculable sin debt makes it a bit ridiculous that we would not be willing to forgive those who owe us something.
God’s mercy toward us is a key principle in the kingdom of God, and it compels us to forgive one another, whatever the size of the debt. Those forgiven much are often those who love and forgive the most (Luke 7:47). This is only illogical when judged by a worldly, hard-hearted spirit.
The Bible is replete with examples of this upside-down/right-side up dichotomy. Our faith and courage are bolstered when we remember that Jesus knows we are living in an upside-down world. We also become more alert and consistent in our pursuit of the truth that turns us right-side up.
RESPOND
I’d love for you to respond and share more examples of the way the gospel of the kingdom stands opposed to our worldly, deeply embedded individual and cultural value systems.
As usual I loved it !