:: in.a.mirror.dimly ::

John and Jesus started their ministries in the wilderness, away from the centers of power. They didn’t necessarily aim to attract the elite or the powerful religious establishment. They waited for the temple establishment to come to them as they preached and ministered, rather than going to the temple to work on legitimizing their message.

It worked. The Pharisees and Sadduccees eventually went out to figure out what John had that they didn’t have. Herod took notice of John’s preaching as well as of Jesus.

There’s a lesson here in how the Kingdom of God spreads best from the bottom up, not the top down. When something goes to the top, it tends to stay there because that’s how things work at the top. Those in power work hard to consolidate their power, make wise investments, and neutralize threats to their position.

If John or Jesus took the Gospel to the rulers and religious leaders, these people in power would have tried to figure out a way to tame the message and to then use it to their own advantage. Those on the bottom are generally better prepared to receive the Gospel, even if they are still just as capable of misunderstanding it and ignoring it as the rich and powerful.

Those on the bottom don’t have anything to lose and don’t have the capacity to protect their gains. The Gospel is a giveaway, and giveaways work best from the bottom up, not the top down.