by Whaid Rose

The history of the world has turned on ideas. From those of ancient philosophy to modern science, and from the American experiment to global politics, ideas have shaped the course of world history — with intended and unintended consequences.

Yet none has more positively impacted human history than the idea of the kingdom, introduced by Jesus some two thousand years ago!

Upside-down kingdom

It was radically different from the kind of kingdom that the Jewish people had long waited for. Its king would reign from David’s throne in Jerusalem and bring about an end to Rome’s tyranny and domination over them.

Jewish history records various attempts to bring this about, including revolt and diplomacy. Some even tried religious piety, believing that if they lived righteously enough, God would grant them the kingdom as a reward.

It was to this kingdom-zealous people that Jesus announced the arrival of a kingdom unlike any the world has ever seen, before or since. In it, the king has no throne, the poor are rich, the weak are strong, and the truly blessed ones are reviled and persecuted. It is an upside-down kingdom where to lose all is to find everything and to be great is to become the servant of all.

It makes sense, then, that Jesus’ followers found this idea so difficult to grasp. It was not only counter-cultural but also counter-intuitive, and therefore required regular reorientations. This explains the call to repentance in the announcement of the kingdom: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). To repent is to change one’s mind, to adopt a whole new way of thinking and living.

Throughout the Gospels, we find repeated reorientations to one aspect of the kingdom: service. For example, as the disciples argued among themselves about which of them was the greatest, Jesus called time-out to teach the following:

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (20:25-28).

Notice that Jesus not only contrasted the way earthly rulers treat their subjects with the way kingdom people should treat each other, but also defined His mission in terms of service.

We derive from this that when Jesus said, “I am the way” (John 14:6), He was pointing to Himself as the way to salvation and to His way of life as the model for how His followers are to live.

Humble act

Following Jesus, therefore, ushers us into a life of service. Time spent with Him was time spent serving others, for Jesus was always moved with compassion for those around Him. This makes sense because His ultimate mission was to give His life as “a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

This calls to mind another reorientation, this time just before His crucifixion. At the end of the Passover meal in John 13, Jesus took a basin with water, girded Himself with a towel, and proceeded to wash the disciples’ feet. Peter’s objection is understandable, for by Jewish custom, foot washing was reserved for the lowest of servants.

That’s why in the context of the kingdom, foot washing is called the “act of humility” and why Jesus was using it as an object lesson. He explained:

“You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:13-17).

Connecting what Jesus did in this account with what He would soon do on the cross is important. His act of humility was the precursor to His ultimate act of service. We don’t always think of the Crucifixion as a humble service, but it is. Paul captures it in Philippians 2:5-8 where he says that Jesus took the form of a bondservant, “humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Jesus became a servant to redeem us. We are to become servants to live out the life of Jesus’ upside-down kingdom, which begins by cultivating the same mindset as Jesus’ (v. 5).

This requires reorienting the way we think about ourselves to match the way Jesus thought of Himself. In His relationship with those around Him, Jesus selflessly abandoned rank and reputation, preferring a towel over a title — all for love’s sake.

Practicing the call

This is especially important for church leaders, though it applies to all believers. Paul admonishes, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

If Jesus’ radical call to love our enemies and bless those who persecute us is the zenith of the call to discipleship, service is how we practice it. Persecution isn’t a daily occurrence (for most of us), but service opportunities present themselves every day. Seizing them, we discover that this upside-down way of Jesus’ kingdom is actually the right-side up way to true joy!