Tempted To Fight Like the World

-


Scripture

Matt. 19:30 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. 

Observation

The way things function in the kingdom is simply not the way of the world. Jesus spent a lot of time teaching his disciples these truths. He had just been teaching them about the struggle that wealthy people would have in entering the kingdom of God. The disciples wanted to know where they fit into the picture and Jesus talked to them about the last being first and the first last.

In the kingdom of God things don’t function the same way that they do in the world. Winning by the worlds standards — getting the most money or the most powerful position — may not make anyone “first” in the kingdom, but instead, it may result in being last!

Application

Jesus was constantly revealing the kingdom to his followers. Little glimpses of the kingdom of heaven allowed them to understand the direction in which Jesus was leading them and the way in which God planned to transform the world. God doesn’t work by the world’s standards and that’s why it was so important to understand, “for mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” (v. 26)

If this is true, why do we continue to fight battles in a worldly manner? Let’s be honest, we love to adopt the tactics of the world which include power and money to accomplish our goals. And maybe that’s the problem — we want to accomplish “our” goals, which are not necessarily God’s goals for humanity. Getting our own way and winning the day doesn’t quite sound like Jesus, does it? In moments of weakness his disciples were tempted to fight in the ways of the world. Peter struck the man in the garden, cutting off his ear. That was the worldly response — fighting back and doing some damage. Jesus healed the man.

The temptation to fight like the world is great. We are angered when we experience injustice and we want to right the wrongs. There are times to become engaged, but never without the participation and leading of our holy God. In the kingdom the last shall be first and the first will be last. It’s the upside down nature of the kingdom and it’s the way in which God works. We can’t necessarily figure it out and that’s where faith must become a part of the equation. Only with God is all of this possible and that’s why we are told to first seek the kingdom of God and when we do that, he will take care of the rest.

If we are trying to “win” from a worldly perspective, we will ultimately lose.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to seek you and your kingdom. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a time when we try to carry
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her
Read more

The Advantage of Sanctification

-
Scripture: Rom. 6:22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Observation: Two sides of life are presented here in great contrast.  One is a life of sin and enslavement to evil.  The other side of life is freedom which provides the advantage of sanctification (or holiness as some translate the word) that leads to eternal life.  The options here are a life of sin, slavery and death; or freedom, holiness and eternal life.  The advantage of holiness or sanctification is the benefit of the life of freedom.  Jesus died so that we might be made holy like him and this is something that is offered as a “fruit” or “advantage” right now.  The end is eternal life — but the living of life is that it can be lived out in holiness.  The next verse is really just an affirmation of the verse 22.  Sin will lead
Read more