Tall poppy syndrome

According to one source on the internet “Tall Poppy Syndrome is a societal attitude that occurs when people are resented, disliked or criticised due to their successes.” https://harpersbazaar.com.au/tall-poppy-syndrome-wellbeing-mental-health/

You may have seen or heard this in action and apparently, it’s quite a phenomenon in Australia and New Zealand because society in those places prefer to downplay achievements. Usually, at the basic level, jealousy of another’s success is present.

This was certainly the case in Jesus’ day. The religious leaders found their influence waning as Jesus healed and fed the poor, teaching them with simple illustrations they could understand.

‘But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were extremely displeased….’ Matthew 21:15 (MEV)

They decided to do something about it. There was no social media back then, so they couldn’t ‘cancel’ Jesus or spread lies on Facebook. They had to take a far more direct approach.

They arrested Jesus and stirred up a mob of people to demand from a weak Roman ruler that he should be crucified. We know what happened. Jesus died, and the religious leaders thought they’d won – never realising they were carrying out God’s plan to save us all.

Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven to be with his Father, but he’s coming back! The Bible tells us much more detail about how and why – it’s worth reading!