Imagine a concert: the energy is electric, the music loud, the crowd packed tight. You’re not in front—you’re surrounded, straining to see the stage. But then, you notice the joy around you—the singing, the shared rhythm. It’s no longer about the stage; it’s about belonging to something bigger.

Now, picture everyone the same height—no one towering over you, just shoulders aligned. A level plain where no one is elevated or diminished. This is the vision Jesus offers in Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. He calls us to abandon hierarchies of mountaintops and valleys, to stand together on holy, level ground.

We love mountaintops—the illusion of control, the view from above. But Jesus flips the script: “Blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping. Woe to the rich, the full, the laughing.” He isn’t condemning success but warning against the isolation of elevation. The mountaintop distances us from what matters: each other.

Jesus doesn’t preach from a peak; He stands on a plain, amid the sick, the outcast, the powerful. He teaches, heals, and acts—showing God’s Kingdom isn’t about status but connection. Like a family table, the level plain is where all belong: poor and rich, hungry and full, weeping and laughing.

So, where do we cling to elevation? Careers, wealth, social media? The invitation is to step down. Create level plains in homes, workplaces, churches. Welcome those we’d rather ignore. Love enemies, bless critics—this is the heart of the plain. It’s messy, uncomfortable, but here, the Kingdom becomes visible: the poor are blessed, the hungry filled, the broken made whole.

This week, seek the level plain. At work, see colleagues as equals. At home, foster belonging. In your neighborhood, reach out to the overlooked. Here, welcome those unlike you.

The level plain isn’t easy—it’s a promise. When we stand together, love boldly, and serve humbly, we glimpse God’s Kingdom. And that changes everything.

So, imagine the concert again: the crowd, the singing, shoulders aligned. The view isn’t perfect, but it’s beautiful. That’s the Kingdom. Step into it.