City Life Starter

Written by Nate Warren

The Word

“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’ But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’  So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.”

And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”

Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone’?

Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.

Luke 20:13:19 (NET)

Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Listen carefully: This child is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected. Indeed, as a result of him the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul as well!”

Luke 2:34-35 (NET)

He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.

from Mary’s Magificant, Luke 1:51-53 (NET)

Reflection

A supernova shines in the sky.  Angels herald the birth of Israel’s promised Messiah, “Peace on Earth! Goodwill toward men!” At first glance, this scene carries the expected majesty for the coming of a Divine King. There are, however, some surprises. The first to honor this “God-with-us” child are shepherds, not government agents, priests, or rulers. There are wealthy men here, but they came from a far country – no honor was brought from His own rulers. In fact, when the ruler learns of a messiah born in Bethlehem, he quickly sends a sword against Him.

Days before His death, Jesus stands near the very spot in the Temple where, when He was just eight days old, an old man foretold that He would “be rejected, cause the rising and falling of many,” and “reveal the thoughts of many hearts.” The Jewish rulers, trying to undermine Him in a political trap, are instead the ones caught. These men do not want a humble king who rides in on a donkey, but a warrior that will oust the occupiers from the land through violence and give them positions of honor in the new Empire of Israel.

As Mary carries the God-Child in her body, her magnifying song captures the heart of the Kingdom of God. “He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.”

Application

The coming of Jesus into the world, then and now, is a reckoning. Those who seek to control through coercive power or soul-crushing regulations will find their efforts at odds with His Kingdom. Here, the one who serves to the greatest degree will be the most honored. The one who puts their own interests last will be exalted above the one who snatches what they desire. Rather than kings, priests, and noblemen, it was foreigners and shepherds that were given the honor of announcing His arrival. 

The secret to this good news is to acknowledge two things. The first is that, no matter your authority or privilege, you have been oppressed by the kingdom of this world. You were born a slave to the system of sin and death, which pits us against each other and elevates desire above others. The other thing is that you have been complicit with this worldly kingdom. You have, on purpose, capitulated to desire above the good of your neighbor. 

The good news is that by His brutal self-sacrifice, the oppression we are under has been permanently lifted. Now, in declaring allegiance to this King and His kingdom, we can be rescued from the kingdom of tyranny. Then, under His governance, we can let go of the pattern of that old kingdom for the kingdom marked by self-giving love. 

Prayer

Father of Heaven,

Today, as every day, we celebrate Jesus. He is the King we need, both in our daily lives and over the whole universe. By Your Spirit, help us to love the way of this Kingdom. May we, by Your Spirit, challenge the oppression brought by the kingdom of this world through the expansion of Truth and Righteousness.

Amen