Upside Down

Are you the first man who was born? Job 15:7

Now that is an interesting question. Of course, it was asked of Job by Eliphaz. But let’s take a broader look at the question. What rights belong to the first born? In the days of Job, the first-born son received the larger inheritance from the father. Sometimes the first born got it all. Sometimes he got half and his brothers shared the other half. The sisters got nothing. Which does not seem fair at all.

God does not see the world this way. In fact, God turns this cultural rite up-side down. God chose Able over Cain; Isaac over Ishmael; Jacob over Esau and David over all his brothers. In turning the world upside down, God is actually turning the world right-side up. Something we desperately need right now.

Jesus arrives as the firstborn over all creation, Colossians 1:15. Jesus as authority over everything in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. Why? Because all things were created through Him and for Him. If anyone has the right to assert their power of the firstborn, it is Jesus, the Son of God. But Jesus continues to turn the world upside down.

Jesus says, the first shall be last. The first shall be servants of all. The least shall be the greatest. This does not make any sense to the minds of a fallen world. So, Jesus is rejected. He is killed.

But the first-born over-all creation cannot remain dead. He rises from the dead. He walks out from the tomb. The creator of all creation cannot be suppressed by the rulers of this world. Jesus builds a new community from the seconds of this world. He heals the sick—the lame—the blind—the deaf connecting them with others who have been given a new lease on life—a new life. This new royal family follows Jesus as servants. They turn the world right-side up by turning everything upside down. They reverse everything!