“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.”
Matthew 5:3 (NET)
The concept of power is often one we handle with a bit of discomfort. We have seen horrendous abuse of it in both the sacred and secular worlds. So, we think of power in its most corrupt, dehumanizing forms. It can be threatening and merciless. Left unchecked, power is like a chaotic monster that feeds on our worst fears.
One Sunday evening, I was looking for some mindless entertainment to help me unwind before the start of a new week. I decided to watch Disney’s 2023 animated film, Wish, directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn. In the story, Asha, a hopeful young woman in the kingdom of Rosas, discovers that its beloved ruler, King Magnifico, hoards the wishes people entrust to him. Magnifico and his wife, Queen Amaya, once suffered a devastating tragedy that led him to believe that granting people’s deepest desires could lead to chaos or heartbreak. Hoarding the wishes becomes his way of controlling outcomes. He convinces himself that by deciding which dreams are “safe,” he can prevent harm. He really believes he is doing this to protect and help his people flourish. But in reality, he’s tightening his grip on power and denying people the very agency he claims to protect. When Asha makes a desperate plea for help, a cosmic star answers, awakening magic she never expected. Together, Asha and her friends challenge Magnifico’s grip on power and fight to restore people’s wishes and agency.
Most of us have been schooled in the language of power as a limited commodity, something to be grabbed, held tight, and protected. That’s the only way to get anything done. Few of us may reach the levels of corruption of Magnifico, but I think we all experience the lure of power, especially when others challenge us. I recently discovered that I’m an Enneagram 9, the Peacemaker, someone who longs for inner and outer harmony and instinctively avoids conflict. Even I, when in conflict or frustrated by my team’s behavior, am surprised to feel a surge of desire to “power over” whoever gets in the way of my goals. And to my shame, I have resorted to tactics that silence or sideline them. Power based on fear is truly an evil cancer eating away at the better angels of our nature.
In the midst of such a world system of power, Jesus’ blessing on the poor in spirit seems incredibly naïve and unrealistic. It seems the rich and mighty should inherit the world. But no, Jesus says it will be gained by the poor in spirit, according to his kingdom’s politics and economy. This is the upending, table-turning wisdom of Jesus. He seems to believe it’s possible for his followers to live this way in this world!
Kingdom power is intended for the flourishing of creation and is tied to our speech. God spoke the world into existence and called it very good. He then made humankind in his image and blessed them with the commission to fill the earth (with more of God’s image-bearers), rule it, and cultivate it (Genesis 1 & 2). We image our Maker when we speak words that lead to the flourishing of other image-bearers. Our words have power. They can either bless or curse. They give life or destroy it.
Listen to how the apostle James describes the tongue and its sheer power:
So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence—and is set on fire by hell. For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind. But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water. (James 3:5-12, NET)
Humbling, isn’t it! Do we realize the awesome power we possess, given to us by God? There is a language of power, and it changes depending on which kingdom our hearts truly belong to. Truly, our words reveal which kingdom is ruling us.
In the Kingdom of Jesus, power is not a limited resource to be grabbed and hoarded. It cannot be used up, and the King is generous and abundant in his creative love. Instead, Kingdom power is generative and multiplying. According to author Andy Crouch in his book Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power, power is a “positive-sum” resource. The more you pour your power into loving, creative, life‑giving ends, the more that power multiplies, both in you and in those you invest it in.
James ties the use of our words inextricably to wisdom. He continues:
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical. And the fruit that consists of righteousness is planted in peace among those who make peace. (James 3:13-18)
Again, he doesn’t beat around the bush, does he! Our world prizes the ruthless, dog-eat-dog, power-over, get-it-done-at-any-cost kind of leadership. We have built our organizational and leadership cultures around some form of worldly power, even in Christian ministries. But our brother James, speaking by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, calls this demonic. Very sobering.
“Power-over” is a zero-sum game. It depletes until it’s used up, and those around are bereft of dignity, robbed of their image-bearing uniqueness, and exhausted. We’ve all experienced words used to berate, belittle, and cut us down. It hurts more than a physical injury. Why? Because physical injuries don’t usually destroy the image-bearing beauty God made us in. Words do; they go right to the core of who we are. Careless and mean-spirited words are not only hurtful to those they’re aimed at but also a fiery affront to God himself, who created them in his image.
“Power-with-and-for” is the power of our King Jesus, the Word of God (John1), who gave his life so his people would have an abundant life. It is a power that shapes and creates, reflecting the God who spoke and brought forth a flourishing world. It is the wisdom of God, the same wisdom that delights playfully in God’s creation (Proverbs 8) and unites heaven and earth in the eternal language of praise (Psalm 19).
I believe the wisdom of God calls to us from Jesus’ beatitude, inviting us to be poor in spirit in our use of power. Jesus was not naïve about the “real world.” Sometimes we have to say hard things, and sometimes our words will hurt. But I fully believe those words can be a life-giving blessing when they come from a place of love and a desire for the other’s flourishing. Ultimately, the language of power will shape our relationships, teams, and organizations so that they truly expand the horizons of what’s possible, and the kingdom of God will continue to colonize the powers of this world.
