Upside Down: Everything
about this kingdom was upside down. In it, the poor and meek were the winners,
not the rich and aggressive. In it, some prostitutes and tax collectors were
far ahead of many priest and Pharisees. Children and women were given
unheard-of status, and God was brought nearer than ever before: Jesus said that
in this new era of the kingdom of God, God could be known as a loving, caring,
compassionate father and that even rebellious runaways would be warmly welcomed
home.
The crowds flocked to hear this message. Reports
of miraculous healings were commonplace, although Jesus himself tried to keep
them quiet. Naturally, the religious establishment felt threatened, and so they
conspired with the Roman authorities to have Jesus arrested and killed. Their
plot succeeded through the help of an insider, one of Jesus’ twelve prime
students (called disciples or followers), and one Friday afternoon, Jesus was
crucified and buried.
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