This week's Gospel teaches us that to gain, first we must lose. This is one of many ways in which God's Kingdom can appear upside down.
The Gospel reading for this coming Sunday is Mark 10:46-52. Long story short, it is the story of Jesus restoring the gift of sight to a blind man, Bartimeaus.
The part that jumped out at me was this: when Bartimeaus gets up to go to Jesus, Bartimeaus first "threw aside his cloak". First thing he did. He took off what he had been using for protection so that he could receive the greater gift that Jesus was about to give.
I like that. I have so often thought that certain things in my life protected me, or made me whole, or satisfied me. Only later did I realize that these "protections" were actually barriers to being open to God's gifts.
To gain, we must first lose.
So, yes, God's Kingdom can appear upside down. But that's just a matter of perspective. Our world is upside down. God's is right side up. Let's pray that our internal gyroscopes let us know which is which.
Peace be with you.
- The Older Brother
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