The Upside Down Kingdom Summary

The Upside-Down Kingdom by Donald B. Kraybill has become an interpretation tool in helping one unravel the Bible. The way in which Kraybill develops his book is to give those who may be first time biblical connoisseurs an insightful interpretation of the seemingly difficult text. In other words, Kraybill focuses on the elements of the Kingdom of Heaven, and how it is truly an upside-down place of euphoria. The Upside-down Kingdom told through Kraybill’s text, accommodates all cultures with a surprising new outlook on how one may have viewed Jesus. One of his main goals is for the reader to understand that the Kingdom of God announced by Jesus was a new order of things that looked upside-down in the midst of Palestine culture in the first century. Kraybill gives his readers a relatable

interpretation of Jesus and his word, fit into our time and gives meanings to parables so individuals may apply them to their own setting or life situation. Throughout this paper, I will show how three chapters from Kraybill’s text relate to his strong thesis of helping individuals understand what the Upside-Down Kingdom entails.
According to Chapter One “Down is Up”, relating to the thesis, Kraybill goes in depth on the fact that merely reading a parable may not entirely make sense to the reader. In this instance, one may not know the background of the passage or how to apply it to their cultural setting. In example, Luke 1:40-53 talks about Mary’s vision and how people are surprised by it. “For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has put down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:40-53). I can personally relate to this type of confusion the individuals around Mary endured during this time, for my initial thought was why our Lord would want to punish those who were of such strong social stature and “put down the power from their thrones”. However, I can now understand through Kraybill’s analysis that the upside-down kingdom had its name for a specific reason; things were not the same as they were on earth. The individuals who strived so hard to be on top and look below to their secondaries would be considered the bottom ranking of the social pyramid in heaven. Meanwhile, those of slavery and lower class would have the upper-hand at the tip of this hypothetical pyramid. Chapter one also goes into depth on the Kingdom of God, and how Matthew calls it the Kingdom of Heaven. “Jesus does not portray the kingdom on the margins of society. He doesn’t plead for social avoidance or withdrawal. Nor does he assume that the kingdom and the world split neatly into separate realms”. This chapter truly helped me as a first time biblical reader to a more enlightened idea of what heaven truly consists of. A quote from this passage that changed my interpretation, and I know helps form the understanding of Kraybill’s thesis is that “Kingdom patterns arise from God’s love not a sectarian impulse to oppose or withdraw from the rest of society” (Kraybill, 1989).
After gaining a better understanding of the Upside-down Kingdom through Chapter One, Chapter Five’s title “Free Slaves” foreshadows how those of a lower social status prove importance in the eyes of the Lord. Through “Leveled Pyramids” Kraybill elaborates on the upside-down kingdom once again, in relations to the Jubilee vision. With the Jubilee, the social order generated inequality amongst the people of god through controlling of the land, ownership of slaves, and borrowing and lending money. Moreover, the Jubilee “flattened” the social pyramid allowing equality amongst all social classes; slaves were released the seventh year, debts were diminished, and the ownership of the land was given back to the original owner (from 50 years prior). According to Kraybill, the Jubilee was an “upside-down revolution”, allowing all of God’s people to rejoice in the natural resources given to them. Today’s society is shaped in an almost identical manner to the social status of ancient times in a sense that the wealthy are at the top, and below them form the middle and lower class. Kraybill helps us to understand how significant a Jubilee was in biblical times, for it was truly an important act of equality amongst all rankings of the social pyramid. In relations to our times, “Christian obedience today doesn’t mean duplicating the historical details of the Jubilee. Many people no longer live in a theocracy where civil and religious legislation flows together under God’s Kingship” (Kraybill, 1998). The Jubilee was a celebration of God and his kingship where the vision of heaven is placed on earth. The upside-down kingdom is clearly demonstrated through this chapter with the given example of an upside-down social order as it is held in heaven.
People of this earth have their own views and relationships with Jesus, yet one may gain a surprising new outlook on him after reading Kraybill’s text.

In relations to the thesis, chapter 8 “Impious Piety” allows readers to better acquaint themselves with Jesus and his personality. As a vast majority of us know, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. However, his purpose for roaming the earth was to spread the way of the heavenly kingdom and to shape the individuals who followed the Lord, and to hear his word instead of merely listening. Throughout this chapter, a deeper understanding of why Jesus deplored religious rituals, scorned civil laws, and broke the rules of piety by working on the Sabbath is acknowledged which may shock many individual readers. In example, I was personally influenced by the boldness of Jesus’ ways due to the fact of always thinking he was not one to go against laws. However, Jesus needed to spread the message which was prevalent in ancient times, and still relevant today, that we must serve God and only God. This meant breaking the rules such as working on the Sabbath, and going against civil law, for they were not right in the eyes of the

Lord.
The Upside-Down Kingdom by Donald B. Kraybill has become an interpretation tool in helping one unravel the Bible. Personally, reading the Bible has not been an easy task in my life; therefore, I am grateful to have been introduced to Kraybill’s Upside-Down Kingdom novel. This book has been a superior tool in helping to understand the bible, and Jesus’ message. My only concern with this novel is that I have grown up with the understanding that the bible is all in how one interpolates it, so how can one validate that Kraybill’s evaluations (although they make sense) are entirely true. In contrast, I do see the significance of the upside-down kingdom and the social order “flipped” within. I believe in this concept and would recommend this novel for others to gain their own perspectives while reading.