A New Perspective
I am a firm believer that no matter what challenging situation you face, everything can change when you step back and look at things from a different perspective. My favorite example of looking at things differently is the extended teaching given by Jesus to thousands of people in Galilee, more commonly known as The Sermon on the Mount.
Using timeless wisdom, the truths that Jesus spoke to the oppressed and desperate listeners on that hillside were radically different than what they expected to hear. Instead of telling people how to rise up against their Roman oppressors, he told them things like, go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, give more than what is asked of you, love your enemies, pray for those who mistreat you. He flipped their perceptions of what God’s kingdom is like by teaching that God’s favor rests on the humble and merciful, rather than on those with worldly power and wealth. He explained that those who recognize their own spiritual brokenness, and those who grieve over the brokenness of the the world are actually in the best position to experience true happiness, because it is in humbleness and brokenness that hearts embrace and cling to the incomparable love of God.
At first hearing that sounds kinda crazy. I mean, I’m surprised they didn’t all stand up and boo him off the hillside saying nonsense like that, right? Strangely, they didn’t. Perhaps because they realized that the words they were hearing were another version of what God inspired the prophet Isaiah to write some 700 years before:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, “ declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
Instead of booing him off the hillside, they stayed close, compelled to hear more of this “upside down” talk.
I, too, am compelled by Jesus’ opposite way of looking at things, so when I saw the reference photo for my drawing, “A different perspective”, I thought it was a fun yet ideal way to illustrate this upside down way of living. That’s right, I said, “living.” It isn’t just a way of thinking, it’s a way of living. Jesus lived what he preached. As Israel’s chosen Messiah he lived in poverty instead of a palace, he befriended outcasts and offended religious leaders. He showed people that God isn’t a God of rules, but a God of justice and mercy. And rather than take immediate rulership of God’s Kingdom on earth like everyone expected and hoped he would do, he surrendered his own, sinless life to give all the enemies of God forgiveness and a chance to live forever.
That kind of love is the opposite of what the world calls “love” today. Today people are told they have to love themselves first, put their own needs first, take care of themselves first, and then, if they have time, energy, and resources left, they can help others IF they want to. People are urged to strive for fame and importance, and to view humility and mercy as weakness. It is common to blame others for one’s circumstances rather than take responsibility for one’s own actions.
But don’t be discouraged. Even today, if we, as Jesus followers, choose a different perspective, living life as Jesus did, we can still make a difference. People will stop and notice. When a soft answer is given instead of a harsh rebuke, that gets people’s attention. When someone gives their own coat to a homeless person while sitting and talking with them for an evening, people will start wondering, “What’s going on here?” If we would all step back from challenging situations and turn to God, seeking His perspective, opportunities would open for us to share God’s love with others, and this world would truly turn upside down. For the better.
A New Perspective - colored pencil and PanPastel on Stonehenge white paper - by Julia McFarland