"My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." John 18:36
Jesus's kingdom is not of this world, yet so often it seems that his followers have focused on power and wealth and glory as the world knows it and as the world gives it. Too often we have fought battles of flesh and blood when we should have been doing battle within ourselves. Too often we have sought crowns and thrones and titles and political office. Too often we have sought a good name and a good reputation. Too often we gauge our blessedness by the amount of money we make and what kind of house we live in and how many kids we have in private school. Too often we have been about the bigger, the better, the more, the greater, when Jesus said that who ever wants to be great needs to make them self least.
In the moment Jesus finds himself in during John 18 he is before Pilate, and he says that if his was an earthly kingdom his followers would be knocking down the doors to rescue him. While I am not sure this is literally true, after all his disciples have all abandoned him post arrest, I believe Jesus's point is a sound one, that his kingdom truly is not an earthly one. This is not, strictly, the same as saying that his kingdom does not exist here and now, because the kingdom is indeed available to us in the here and now, if we but have eyes to see and ears to hear.
If we are to be kingdom people we need to recognize the truth that wealth is not something that can be attained in a bank account or a hedge fund. If we are to be kingdom people we need to recognize that love is not something that allows us to be comfortable. If we are to be kingdom people we need to recognize that it is not about getting our way but rather about attuning ourselves to The Way. If we are to be kingdom people we need to recognize that our lives need a seismic shift from an earthly viewpoint to a kingdom viewpoint.
+ In what ways have you found yourself focusing on earthly gains instead of kingdom gains?
+ How can you align yourself with the kingdom view?
No comments:
Post a Comment