What’s your perspective when you look at these plates? They are all flipped upside down except one. Once you see that plate, they will all be right side up. You may have to look at the picture a bit before you see them as right side up. It’s actually looking at them from a different perspective.
Consider this little story:
“Woe is me,” cried the mouse, “for life is short and full of sorrow with cats and traps all about, we’re never sure about tomorrow!”
“Oh no,” said the elephant, “for life is long and full of leisure, with all this food and grass about, each day is just another pleasure.”
And so it appears to be, as the elephant and the mouse have said, “Life is neither good or bad – it’s just what’s in your head.”
In other words, what’s your perspective in the scheme of things?
Take for instance, the death of Jesus on the cross some two thousand years ago. How did Mary, His mother, view her Son’s death? Tragic? Overwhelmed with grief and horror? Did she wonder who’s to blame for this atrocious mistake? “This is a nightmare. This can’t be happening,” she must have said a thousand times!
What about Jesus’ disciples? Did they fear for their own lives? Were they stunned at the appalling sight of their bloodied friend and teacher hanging on a cross? He was kind and loving and taught the truth. Why Jesus, they must have wondered.
What about the crowd of Jesus’ followers? What was their perspective? Did they lose all hope in the promises they heard from Jesus’ own lips? Was their grief beyond description? Did they feel deep sorrow and sadness?
What about the Jewish leaders? Were they glad because they thought Jesus was a blasphemer deserving of death? Could it be they were jealous because the crowd followed after Jesus? Were they disturbed that they may lose their prestige in the synagogue if they allowed this Jesus to preach and teach any longer?
And the Roman executioners? What was their perspective? Did they feel uncertain, maybe even guilty, seeing this Man beaten so badly; shouldn’t that have been enough, but to crucify Him? Why? Were they afraid that if they didn’t crucify Jesus, their own lives would be stake?
How about Jesus? He had prayed to His Father three times that if it were possible, “Take this cup from Me.” But because of the joy set before Him (the redemption of man), Jesus endured the cross despising the shame! Jesus had pleaded with the Father, “If You are willing, remove this cup (God’s wrath against sin – our sin) from Me; yet not My will, but Your will be done.” Why was Jesus obedient? Because He saw the plan for our salvation through God’s eyes – from His perspective. ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
We can learn a valuable lesson by looking at the upside down plates or the story of the mouse and the elephant. We can look at life from our limited point of view, or wouldn’t it make more sense to try to see it from God’s panoramic perspective?