God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. As members of the body without concern for status, but as servants of one another, giving special honour to the least among us, and in this we honour Jesus Christ whose love made him the servant of all. It would be quite wrong to see the message of this sermon calling popular ideas of equality as an ultimate value into question as a call for return to some more hierarchical and authoritarian society. There are groups who would jump in behind the advancement of Biblical truth in order to promote a less equal and less open economic system and a divisive political climate. I would not give them any encouragement.
Many people are confused.
It is an opportunity for trouble making as well as celebration. Even while enjoying the freedom of new more equal relationships in marriage, family, the work place and public life, we may be uncertain sometimes how to behave, fearing rejection for not understanding, or breaking new rules. And sometimes the new rules promoting equality can themselves be tyrannical. When things change we might find ourselves resenting lost influence, or lost income, or lost respect, perhaps when there is a move towards greater equality, or alternatively, perhaps when on the contrary we are affected by the tendency for the rich to get richer. Sometimes we fear the breakdown of discipline, from which young people might fail to learn what they need for a successful life as social relationships become more equal.