Speeches change the world.
Think of any important event, there would be a famous speech connected to it. Words are powerful. Words bring colour and meaning and emotions to the table.
Not every person’s words are impactful. The majority of us speak into the air. Nothing really changes. But there are some people that, when they speak or teach, the whole world takes notice.
Some of the most famous speeches that have shaped our world come from the lips of those that are in charge : the Kings and the Queens. When they address their Kingdom, things happen. Things change.
A king without speaking is no king at all.
Now if Jesus was a king, that means he too would have words to speak. When you ask anyone what they know about Jesus they will usually say something like :
I really like Jesus and the teachings that he said. He spoke a lot of common sense.
They may not agree that he was God or even a King, but almost everyone agrees that he was a powerful preacher, teacher, and prophet with a message.
In fact, one of the most basic questions to ask is:
There’s many things he came to do. But this is one of upmost importance:
So Jesus, the King, had a message. One about the good news about God’s kingdom.
But remember, Jesus is an UpsideDown King.
That would mean his teaching
will also be UpsideDown.
Below are a small sample of the crazy upside down speech that Jesus had.
Usually you would think you are blessed if you were RICH! Does anything think they are lucky and going well when they are poor?
Supposedly hunger is better than getting your meals. Again, imagine hearing this teaching from Jesus. Does he have a form of dyslexia?
Speech after speech, when you listen to Jesus teach, he says things that are simple to say, but they just sound a little upside down. He flips the obvious things over. If people think they like the teachings of Jesus they probably haven’t seen all of it!
Now these above passages are not saying that you should not have money or food or celebrations. Jesus is going at a deeper level here. People who yearn for more meaning in life, who know that they need real help and feel like they are poor when it comes to knowledge. He is ultimately talking about that. Blessed are you if you look at the bigger picture of things, because those who don’t are in for a rude shock.
People want to be popular! What are you saying Jesus? I cannot be a Christian with everyone saying nice things about me? Again, whatever you think is the right way of saying something, chances are, Jesus will have a teaching that is the opposite of that.
Let’s turn it up another notch.
It is very easy to love those close to you. And even those who love you back. But Jesus is saying to love your enemies. Enemies. Not strangers. Those who are enemies.
Was anyone taught this teaching growing up? I thought that you are allowed to hit back at someone only if they hit first. Jesus, what’s going on? You let that person hit you again?
Here’s the thing. Words in general do this to people . They have an effect. So much so that I think this idea is very true:
There is this parable where Jesus says that his words are like a man throwing seeds in the field . And wherever the seed lands on, that area is much like a person’s response to Jesus.
Some ignore him, others accept him but fall away, and then others take him as their king.
In other words, Jesus does in fact divide people into different groups.
But his words go much further than that. They actually divide people in half. They cut to your soul. You know that you are reading the words of Jesus correct when they jar up against you.
Have a listen to this teaching:
Okay so there is a guy here that not only listens to Jesus but obeys his words. Jesus says he is like a man building his house on a good foundation. Struggles and difficulties will still happen, but the house has such a firm foundation that it will not be shaken. But notice the other guy:
Those that do not pay attention to Jesus and do what he says, it is the equivalent of building a nice lavish sand castle. It’s not going to last. It will get smashed to pieces.
In other words, the words of Jesus will affect you now and will affect you later. His speech is upside down in nature. It’s a little weird. But it’s also upside down in that it completely changes the outlook of your life in the present, and in the past.
Which leaves us thinking about this question:
In what other ways is Jesus’ speech powerful?
Can he stop the wind?
