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Written by Cory Collins on April 12, 2021

Upside-Down: The Great Kingdom Paradox in The Gospel of Luke

Gospels

Jesus often had a way of reversing categories like first and last, greatest and least, rich and poor, etc. Consider what happened at the Last Supper, for example:

Lk 22:24 And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ 26 “But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. 27 “For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

This kind of radical about-face is evident in all the gospels; it is especially prominent in Luke. We can start with the blessings and woes he pronounced in Luke 6. Then we can go back to the beginning of this gospel and trace the idea farther through the rest of it.

BLESSED ARE … IN LUKE WOE TO …
THE POOR 6:20,25 THE RICH
THE HUNGRY 6:21,25 THE WELL-FED
THE WEEPING 6:21,25 THE LAUGHING
THE INSULTED 6:22,26 THE PRAISED
THE TRUE PROPHETS 6:23,26 THE FALSE PROPHETS
EXAMPLES
MARY- SOCIALLY REJECTED 1:47-53 SOCIALLY ACCEPTED
THE HUMBLE 1:52 THE PROUD, THE RULERS
THE HUNGRY 1:53 THE FULL, THE RICH
CAPTIVES, THE BLIND, DOWNTRODDEN 4:18
THE DISEASED 5:12-26
LEVI, TAX COLLECTORS 5:29-32 LAWYERS, PHARISEES
THE “SINNERS” 5:29-32 THE “RIGHTEOUS”
ROMAN CENTURION 7:2-10 NATIVE ISRAELITES
THE IMMORAL WOMAN 7:36-50 SIMON THE PHARISEE
THE 5,000 9:12-17
CHILDREN 9:46-48 THE GREAT ONES, DISCIPLES
THE SAMARITAN 10:25-37 THE PRIEST AND LEVITE
THE BEGGING FRIEND 11:5-13 THE WELL-OFF FRIEND
THOSE RICH TOWARD GOD 12:13-21 THE RICH FOOL
WOMAN BENT DOUBLE 13:10-17 SYNAGOGUE RULER
FOREIGNERS, GENTILES 13:28-29 THE JEWS
THOSE WHO ARE LAST 13:30 THOSE WHO ARE FIRST
SELF-HUMBLED GUEST 14:7-11 SELF-EXALTED GUEST
POOR, CRIPPLED, LAME 14:15-24 INVITED, WORTHY GUESTS
PRODIGAL SON 15:11-32 ELDER, “RIGHTEOUS” SON
LOVERS OF GOD 16:14-15 LOVERS OF MONEY
LAZARUS THE POOR BEGGAR 16:19-31 THE RICH MAN
THE ONE SAMARITAN LEPER 17:11-19 THE NINE JEWISH LEPERS
THE HELPLESS WIDOW 18:1-8 THE UNCONCERNED JUDGE
THE PRAYING PUBLICAN 18:9-14 THE PRAYING PHARISEE
ZACCHEUS, CHIEF PUBLICAN 19:1-10 THE RICH YOUNG RULER
THE POOR WIDOW 21:1-4 RICH CONTRIBUTORS

 

Written by Cory Collins



Cory Collins is a Bible teacher and a minister of the gospel. He serves with Keller church of Christ in Keller, Texas. He and his wife, Tanya, have been married since 1977. They have two children and two grandchildren.

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