PODCAST
An Upside-Down World
January 31st, 2014
Mark 9:28-37
Christians aren’t called to turn the world upside down; we’re called to turn an upside-down world right side up. In Mark 9, the disciples are learning from Jesus, and this passage shows they still had a long way to go. They thought they had sacrificed a lot to follow Jesus. They wanted to know how He would decide who was most important in the kingdom, each one hoping He was the “One.” Jesus turned their expectations in a direction opposite to what they anticipated. He stated the guiding principle, “be servant of all.”
Then He gave them a real-life example. He asked a child to stand in front of them to picture what real acceptance looks like. Children are, by definition, not yet mature. They can be fidgety, moody, playful, and hyperactive, sometimes at one moment after another. They can often be treated as the least important person in the room. Yet Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (v. 37).
“The servant of all” starts here. Seeing the world from the bottom-up, rather than top-down allows us to see the little ones first, and minister best to everyone along our journey.
Author: J. Timothy White
