Across time and place, the mountains are the place where revolutions begin and from where they emerge to overthrow kingdoms. Just consider the last 100 years: the Communist Chinese movement began in the Jing’gang Mountains; the Cuban revolution descended from the Sierra Maestra mountains; the Afghan Mujahideen’s power base was always in the Hindu Kush mountains – and other examples are plentiful. In today’s gospel, another revolutionary, Jesus of Nazareth, comes down from the mountain to a “stretch of level ground.” A divine revolutionary whose goal was to overturn a kingdom.

One way to look at kingdoms is to understand their patterns of values, power, and product. When Herb Brooks took over the US Olympic Hockey Team before the 1980 Olympics he brought a new set of values to the team. He knew that the Russians were the most skilled hockey players in the world and were essentially paid professionals in an amateur world. Coach Brooks brought the value of conditioning, he trained his players in the power to outskate the Russians, and the product was the Miracle on Ice gold medal. Kingdoms can be understood by their patterns of values, power, and product.  Old kingdoms are overthrown with new values, new power, and new results.

Our gospel outlines two kingdoms. One kingdom is of God. Its values are weakness, sacrifice, discomfort/grief, and exclusion. The values of the other kingdom are riches/power, material comfort, recognition and success – the ones who laugh – in Greek the word means to gloat. Those in that kingdom look down upon the values of the Kingdom of God because it just doesn’t make sense to them. Rich and powerful vs. poor and weak? They are going to choose rich and powerful every time. Comfortable vs. struggling/sacrificing? Laughing vs. weeping? Recognized and thought well of vs. ignored and excluded? The “other” values belong to what seems like an upside down kingdom.

And they are upside down, making no sense, if “now” is the only time horizon that matters. Did you hear how many times “now” was used: “you who are filled now… you who laugh now”? And if “now” is all there is, perhaps they are not wrong… if “now” is all there is.

But what if there is so much more than “now?” Then you need to decide to which kingdom you belong; where your fealty and commitment belong. You can’t be citizens of both kingdoms. St. Paul tells us in Colossians 1:13, Jesus “..delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.” If only it was as clear cut as that? St. Paul also tells us: “the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness [and] put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12) We live in the time at the approach of dawn; the tentacles of darkness are present even as the sun rises. It is the time of the two kingdoms: a right-side up makes-sense kingdom and an upside down kingdom proclaimed by the revolutionary Jesus who indeed means to overturn the kingdom of the present age. You can only be a citizen of one of the kingdoms.

Choosing to belong to the Kingdom of God does not mean you have to sell your house and become poor, but it does mean that you are not controlled by riches, power, comfort, success and recognition. You can take ‘em or leave ‘em.

To be a citizen of the Kingdom of God does not mean you seek weakness, grief and exclusion. But it does mean that you do not run from those things. If they come, we are to know that in those moments we are blessed by God. If they come to others, we are drawn to them because that is what upside down kingdom citizens do for others. 

Consider the scenario when, in order to keep your job, you have to lie. Your job which provides for the comfort of your family, the education and future of your kids, gives you status and recognition. You might prize all those things, but do they have control over you? Do the values of the present day kingdom control you?

You tell the truth and are fired. Jesus and the upside down kingdom proclaim: “Blessed are you!” And not some delayed blessing in the next life. Blessed are you now. “Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!” Because you are rich in God, famous with God, comforted by the grace of the Holy Spirit – because you were blessed with power to live with courage and integrity.

From where comes that power? It comes from Jesus, the life he lived and the death he endured. These were not simply examples, but are sources of power. When St. Stephen was being martyred how was he able to respond with courage and love to his executioners rather than fear and anger? “…filled with the holy Spirit, [he] looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” and was able to proclaim “cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’” (Acts 7:55, 60) Such is the power of God given to those who believe in Christ Jesus.

Jesus did not come to make the poor rich or rich poor. He came to reverse fortunes and change hearts so that we could live by his ultimate reversal. The Son of God took our place on the cross, the place we deserved to be because of our sins, so that we could stand in the place He deserves to be – in the throne room of the Kingdom of Heaven.  So that we could stand there now. “Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!”

That day when you tell the truth. The day when you encountered the hungry and gave them something to eat, welcomed a stranger, visited the sick, and cared for the least among us. (cf Mt 25:35-36). That day when they felt a little richer, less hungry, felt included, and laughed.

On that day, the pattern of the upside down kingdom is on display. 

On that day dawn is just that much closer and the darkness recedes.

On that day the values, power and results of the Kingdom of God give witness to your citizenship.

On that day you are blessed.

“Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!”

Amen

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Image credit: Sermon on the Mount | Carl Block, 1887 | Museum of Natural History at Frederlksborg Castle – Hillerod, Denmark | PD-US