The Great Inversion

No soul would dare sing of redemption on that hollow Friday evening when our Lord was crucified. No voices rose to exalt the mighty victory of our Lord over rulers and authorities¹; this was no picture of the overwhelming triumph for which they yearned, but yet another bleak portrait of defeat and the utter crushing of their hopes. The history of the universe pivots on these two events – the Cross and the Empty Tomb – yet the entire world was blind as they unfolded. Having eyes, no one was able to see – truly see².

There’s a kind of defect that distorts our vision and darkens our understanding. Like mirages in the desert, our cravings discolor the reality around us and invert our logic, until we mistake the abyss for the heights; and staring into the depths, we find ourselves calling them the heavens. How often do we look down on the meek, the mourner and the reviled, not being able to see that our Lord himself counts them most “blessed” ³? Don’t we often exchange true riches for that which does not profit? Have we not forsaken the fountain of living waters, and hewed out broken cisterns that can hold no water⁴? Setting out to find the path of comfort and pleasure, how many ended up the way of Sheol, going down the chambers of death⁵? Don’t we oftentimes celebrate what we should be ashamed of and cherish what is vile? What logic can explain the fact that we willingly pierce ourselves with many pangs⁶ instead of gazing on the one who was pierced for our transgressions⁷? How skewed is our vision?

We truly need to learn, by the help of the blessed Spirit, to see through new eyes⁸ – His eyes – and get our logic and reason turned upside down and inside out. We need a new mind altogether.
Therefore, let us go down at the cross so that we get fresh eyes to see the crown beneath the thorns, the life bursting through the shed blood, the victory through the seeming loss, the power in weakness and surrender, the coming joy after godly suffering, the exaltation through humiliation, the supremacy of the one who seemed low and despised, the surpassing wisdom through what looked like folly, the everlasting life through what appeared to be death, and the beginning of a new creation where it appeared to be the end of all hope.

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
1 Corinthians 1:27-29

For this season of lent, I’m studying through a book on the Atonement. See below, should this be of any interest and make sure to subscribe by email to get notified when new articles are published.