Kingdom Paradox

Dave Currie was my ministerial hero when I was a kid, and he first introduced me to the idea of 'Kingdom Paradox' when I was 18. Yesterday I found Dave's sermon notes while digging through my old note books, and thought I'd reprint his basic outline.

JOHN 12:23-26
The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will also be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

4 Kingdom Paradoxes

1. Dying to produce life ("...unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies..."

2. Losing to possess life ("...the man who loves his life will lose it...")

3. Following to proclaim life ("...whoever serves me must follow me...")

4. Serving to be promoted in life ("...my Father will honor the one who serves me...").

Kingdom Paradox

God’s kingdom works backwards. His reasoning and promises and ambitions for us are often counterintuitive. It’s one of the most difficult truths to explain to people, yet also one of the most important. So I’ve compiled a list, here, of kingdom paradoxes from Scripture—ways that seem backward to us, but normative to God.

The humble are exalted. The exalted are humbled.

"Those who humble themselves will be exalted." (Luke 14: 11)

Lose your life to find it. Find your life and lose it.

"Those who find their life will lose it and those who lose themselves for my sake will find it." (Matthew10:39)

Slavery leads to freedom.

"Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." (Rom. 6:18; cf. 1 Cor. 7:22)

The foolish are wise.

"If any one among you think that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish that he may become wise." (1 Corinthians 3:18; cf. 4:10)

The poor are rich.

"Listen, my beloved: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom." (James 2:5)

The weak are strong.

"...for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Die to live.

"...always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." (2 Corinthians 4:10)

Give to receive.

"It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)

The first are last. The last, first.
"The last shall be first, and the first last." (Matthew 20:16; Mark 9:35)

There are other places in Scripture where this backwards spirituality is neatly summarized, most notably The Sermon on the Mount, which describes:

Wealthy Paupers (Matthew 5:3)

Happy Mourners (Matthew 5:4)

Passive Victors (Matthew 5:5)

Zealous Gluttons (Matthew 5:6)

Self-Enriching Benefactors (Matthew 5:7)

Everyday Visionaries (Matthew 5:8)

Adopted Ambassadors (Matthew 5:9)

Winning Losers (Matthew 5:10-12)

Additionally, there are plenty of koans describing spiritual development that, while not listed specifically in the Bible, are nevertheless agreed upon universally by mature believers.

The paradox of spiritual growth—the more you mature spiritually, the more you realize how much you still need maturing

The paradox of spiritual enlightenment—the more enlightened you become, the more childlike you will seem

The paradox of knowing and mystery—the more you know God, the more comfortable you are with all that you do not know about God

The paradox of love—the more love you require, the more love you give away