Jesus teaches and lives a counter narrative in his culture. Mary
his mother sings about this, before Jesus is born; that the poor,
the lowly, will be lifted up, and the mighty and the rich brought
low. Jesus enacted this narrative in the meals he was invited to,
and the ones that he organised, or invited himself to. A man
with dropsy, with a big fluid build-up, was healed, restored,
lifted up. At the same time Jesus drew attention to how those
who were already up in that culture, tried to get further up, in
recognition, and status. Jesus highlighted the call to ‘use’ ones
privilege and status to serve those who
were ‘lower’ or ‘low’, lifting them up.
When I was training to be a pastor, the
term ‘servant leadership’ was
popular. What does true humility look
like? How can you/ we be more fully part
of Jesus’ freeing narrative of lifting up
the lowly, and ‘letting go’ of the pull to
be focused on status and recognition?
Up and Down
