This Sunday, February 17th

There is a popular TV show (actually, a Netflix original that’s only available on the streaming service) that talks about a place called “the upside down” (the show is called “Stranger Things,” in case you are wondering). Well, the upside down isn’t actually a place so much as a hidden dimension that is always present though invisible. They call it the “upside down” not because everything is reversed or because people and houses and everything else are literally upside down—they call it that because of a metaphor that one of the characters uses to explain it to his friend. But the gospel of Luke has another kind of “upside down,” and Jesus calls it “the kingdom of God.” This week, we’re going to talk about the ways that Jesus’ ministry turns things on their head: the way he seems to reverse everyone’s expectations and even their values. In our passage from Luke 6, the rich and the well-fed and the happy are declared miserable, while the hungry and the poor and the persecuted are called “blessed.” Why did Jesus say this, and what does it mean for us? How does our faith continue to reverse our expectations and even our values? How can we live in this “upside down” world? Do we even want to?