The Way Up is Down
These famous words of Jesus known as the Beatitudes are completely backwards to the way we have come to understand life in this world. We are taught by the world around us to make our own way and find our inner strength. We are led to believe that only we can reach deep within to find our true purpose and success. There are shelves full of $15 books to help us get there.
The words Jesus spoke are to be understood in a completely different context–the Kingdom of God. In the Kingdom of God, up is down, the way to greatness comes from being a servant, and power comes from weakness. The only way to capture the powerful love, forgiveness, and strength of Jesus is to relate to His words on His terms.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” – Matthew 5:3 Being poor in spirit means that we come face to face with the truth that we are deeply flawed and weak and we are powerless to fix it. It fosters a dependence on the only one who can. In Jesus’ Kingdom, he leads us away from “I got this” to “I need help.”
Alcoholics Anonymous captures this truth well with its foundational admission, “We are powerless over our problems.” We are powerless, but God is not. When we admit our failures and weakness and place our dependency on Him alone, we belong to the Kingdom of God. When we stop “doing” and embrace what Jesus has already done, we receive the gift of Heaven paid in full by Jesus’ life. Jesus releases us from the exhausting cycle of striving toward something we can never accomplish and gives us rest in His gracious exchange–His life for ours, His sacrifice for our freedom, and our weakness for his power.
The way up is down. When we lower ourselves to the ground in need of God’s mercy, we find ourselves at the feet of our loving Savior. He lifts us to His side. The truth is, when it comes to our failures, we don’t ‘got this.’ But Jesus has us—and He holds us with all His strength.
Lord Jesus, teach us to turn from our self‑reliance and confess our deep need for Your mercy and strength. Help us rest in Your finished work—Your life for ours, Your righteousness for our sin, and Your power made perfect in our weakness. Hold us firmly in Your grace, lifting us up as we humbly trust in You alone. Amen.