The Kingdom of God Starts Now
As I've studied it, I've noticed that the Gospel of Luke talks far more about ways we can change the world today than I used to give it credit for. Growing up, my concept of the Christian life had its main focus on either heaven or the second coming of Jesus. That's the "end game".
Between now and then, our goal is to do as much good and as little sin as possible. Feed a homeless person, suppress a lust. Day by day, deed by deed, get through this life until we get to the "good stuff."
In Luke, that's not how Jesus talks about things.
Consider Zacchaeus. In Luke 19 we read about this wealthy, probably corrupt, tax collector. After he experienced Jesus, our Lord declared, "Today salvation has come to his house." This "salvation" was more than the fact that his eternal destination had changed from Hell to Heaven. Salvation was also seen in the fact that he was going to change his business practices and bring justice to those he'd wronged. He wasn't going to sit back and wait for God's Kingdom to come. He was going to actively make God's kingdom known that very day!
This theme continues. Later in that same chapter Jesus drives the money-hungry opportunists who had turned God's temple into a den of robbers. Crowding out gentiles and women, they capitalized on people's desire to know God. God's house must be a house of prayer; not just in heaven. Jesus helped that happen on that very day.
If we maintain this perspective, we are forced into action. Christianity can't be a passive "save me from hell" religion. Following Jesus is active. Jesus is building a church that the gates of Hell can't stand against. That's a church on the move. Gates don't attack entrenched forces. Gates try to stop armies that are acting, moving, and attacking.
One of the reasons I love to read the Bible every day is that it motivates me into daily action. Let's move our faith forward!
With you;
Pastor Tim
April 20, 2022
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