Best Night Pod

In our self-righteous assumption about our character, we have a tendency to assume that if we do the right things, and say the right words, it means we have faith. As long as the good words and actions outweigh the bad, we’re fine. In the Upside-Down Kingdom, character actually flows from faith that impacts the words, which influence the actions! Our lives can’t be measured by “more good than bad” but by the object of our faith. Jesus flips the entire reality of what “character” is on its head.

Two identical homes face two identical floods, why does one not even shake while the other is completely demolished? Part two of “The Heart of the Issue” looks specifically at what we can practically do to live a life with deep roots and a firm foundation.

This two-week series aims to take an authentic look at what is below the surface and in the heart. This week, we will direct the conversation to an intentional focus for honest reflection and asking, “Where am I truly?”. Here, Jesus uses a divided heart over “treasure”, but could apply to many things, not just money. 

When external piety seems to give platform and prestige, Jesus displays that it is in fact the opposite that is celebrated in the Kingdom. A humble heart fully aware of its need for Jesus and willingness to pursue him is what’s elevated in this passage. If you look at the opposite of each of the blessed statements, you'll quickly find a pattern emerging of a self-centered self-focused individual, this is the same attitude found in people whose primary goal is to achieve the “blessing” of fame. So, what will you pursue? Fame, or Humility?

The religious elite in Jesus’ day saw themselves as just that “elite”. They set up an entire system of rules that would “protect” them and others from breaking God’s laws. Unfortunately, this was actually oppressive which God never intended his commands to be. Jesus intentionally breaks idle laws of man to prove a point about the rules.

Jesus shows up to four fishermen and in giving them the best catch of their lives, opens their eyes to a calling greater than they could have ever dreamed.

Jesus walks into a cultural situation where people are actually offending God in the name of worshiping him! This sends Jesus over the edge. In his perfection, he starts flipping tables! In all of this Jesus shows us a new way to approach God.

Jesus gets led by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days of fasting and temptation, during this time, we get a relatable model for how Jesus fought temptation. 

Knowing that Jesus was fully God gives us hope in His deity, but the fact that He is also fully man has implications for us beyond what we typically think about. Jesus being man means salvation is available for us and for all mankind.