From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:17 NIV)
Change? Change to what?
The narrative of life in Christ is set against a backdrop where those who follow Him do so as strangers and pilgrims in this world.
The world as a system is set in contrast to the Kingdom that Jesus invites people to experience. This Kingdom is not the world. The world is not the Kingdom. The two are distinct. Efforts are made to muddy the waters as counterfeit Kingdoms arise to give people the impression it’s what they should be aiming for either through detachment from the world or through a system that appears different to the prevailing systems and mirrors similar themes to the true Kingdom but on closer inspection the differences are glaring and obvious.
As pilgrims and strangers, it is not to abandon those in the world and seclude ourselves. It is to follow in the footsteps of the Master who walked the earth and presented what the true Kingdom was about.
Focus on Jesus gives us the only path we have to presenting this true Kingdom. Jesus only – only Jesus. Anything else and the things we might want to add to that because it might appear to help, will only go to detract from the truth of the Kingdom that the prophets had pointed to and the apostles referred back to.
That focus remains so crucial as we are bombarded by blatant and subtle efforts to compromise that stance. What’s the point in pointing people to news that we ourselves have not embraced and don’t pursue?
Maintaining the focus on the hope we have to set before others is pivotal. Maintaining the focus gives us content to point to others as to what change we want to see. Not change on the surface, but change throughout every level of life. Change from the systems of the world to the Kingdom of our God.
Maintaining the focus is pivotal.
Guide me, great Lord and Saviour. Let me follow your lead alone in all things, so that I can be a witness of the change that comes and not be distracted.
(Photo by Ashley Rich on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 