by Pastor Douglas Brauner

Jesus Turns Our World Upside Down

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“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22 English Standard Version

I begin my morning devotions with a saying of Solomon from the book of Proverbs. Along with this proverb, I read a psalm and some other portion of Scripture. It is fascinating how the Holy Spirit helps me connect these passages.

Such a connection happened recently in my time with God.

One of my favorite accounts in the New Testament is when Jesus received children into his arms and blessed them. I think about the adults that brought those children to Jesus and what they must have felt that day. Their spirits were defeated when the disciples rebuked them for bringing their children to Jesus and physically prevented them from approaching him.

Imagine what those adults must have experienced when they saw Jesus take their child into his arms and speak a blessing over that child. My gut tells me that this feeling lingered well into the evening and probably for the rest of their lives.

But let’s consider the disciples for a moment. Both in Jesus’ words and in his actions, he rebukes them. Their spirits were probably humiliated as they watched Jesus hug each child and speak a blessing over that child. The visual of Jesus blessing the children might have stuck with them well into the evening, and since the story is recorded three times in Scripture, Jesus’ actions lingered with them for the rest of their lives.

Jesus once again turned their world upside down.

We who have a relationship with Jesus, who believe in his death and resurrection for us, are more like the parents than Jesus’ disciples. Both Jesus’ words of forgiveness and the visual of that forgiveness linger with us. They cause joy to rise up in our hearts. His words and his actions are the medicine we need.

Jesus once again turns our world upside down.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado