I hope to start the first in the series of brief insights into the gospels in February with a look at the gospel according to Matthew. As I was thinking about that some bloggers I read were referring to different parts of the book and stirred in me a reminder of how this Kingdom that Jesus was preaching about and introducing and living out is the one to which I am a part. That rule is borne out in my own individual living, also through my family and then through the community of believers who also claim to pursue the King and His Kingdom.
I was thinking about the little ways … what appears to be little ways … in which we express the core values of that Kingdom as expressed by the King. A really good scenario – a true life scenario – popped up to exemplify exactly what it should look like.
A sister in the local fellowship, we’ll call her Jodie, has been attending for over a year. She had been a part of another gathering having been brought up in the church and knowing the ropes of regular church life even if she had been somewhat protected in her first years. She was in a marriage that eventually became physically abusive with a child also suffering in the middle of the husband’s physical abuse.
Thankfully she left that abusive relationship and underwent and is still undergoing the support in terms of counselling to establish her own life for her and her son away from the shadows of the husband. Yet, quite rightly she looks for financial support especially for the child from the estranged husband. Despite his well set life and the flash lifestyle to match, he conveniently cannot cough up sufficient funds to support his child. In the meantime, Jodie and her son struggle with issues like clothing and schooling as well as settling into the new neighbourhood.
Now there could be an argument to say that someone should assist Jodie in getting her due support from the husband. After all that’s what the Child Support Agency is meant to be all about. Yet I think that’s missing the trick of the community of believers and kingdom living.
What I love about that part where the conviction of the Spirit kicks in to us as that community is when we start looking to see how we can support Jodie. Meeting physical and material needs however we can sometimes getting those precious anonymous donations. As well as that coming alongside her to support the external counselling she’s receiving with whatever expertise the community has whether through ‘spiritual gifts’ or through other talents that can build Jodie – being aware of social skills to use to improve her conditions, looking after her son from time to time, inviting them over for dinner on occasions, just being a presence without being stifling or nosey.
That to me is Kingdom living. No fanfare needed. No need to whip out a Bible and do a hermeneutic breakdown on true understanding of Ezra. No need for the ordained overseer to pass down the go ahead for these measures. It is the community of believers in light of the Kingdom Mandate loving the brethren and expressing that priceless love of God that makes all the difference.
In preparation of reviewing those gospels again I hope to make further connections between what the ministry of Jesus proved and the Kingdom implications for living today individually and corporately.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
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