“Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he said in reply, “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.”
Luke 17:20-21 (NIV)
In this scripture, Jesus was not talking about the place of Heaven. He was talking about the kingdom of God, which cannot be observed visually because it’s not a place, it’s a lifestyle. Kingdom living is living in a personal relationship with a king, specifically the King of all kings, who is Jesus.
There is a difference between the observance of religious rules and having a relationship with the Lord. In any kind of relationship, the bond between two people is not based on following rules, but on love for one another. I think that churches have probably lost members over time, because Christian teaching tends to be reduced to a system of rules, instead of a relationship of love with the Lord.
Jesus’ words to the church in the book of Revelation says it all,
“I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Jesus just wants to be our first love.
(Revelation 2:4)
God sure seems more interested in a relationship with us than in rules.
The gospels repeatedly show examples where Jesus was not impressed with the most religious rule followers of His time, especially since He was often accused of breaking rules and hanging out with the outcasts. Kingdom living means doing as Jesus did and being led by compassion, even if it means befriending people who live a totally different lifestyle. Kingdom living leads to placing relationships over rules.
Speaking of rules vs. relationships, I just received a disappointing notice that it is now against the rule for me to bring any kind of edible treats to residents at the Nursing Facility. I used to share treats with them at each visit, since most residents are lonely and never have visitors at all.
No specific incident occurred to cause this, but there is a new Director who seems wholeheartedly convinced that rules are more important than the joy and dignity residents get in receiving treats.
Kingdom living requires us to adapt to unpleasant changes in our lives, but instead of resisting, it helps to consider that God might be telling us something through those changes. Whether it involves difficult managers on the job, or a strict director of a Nursing facility, dealing with disappointment is also part of kingdom living. When Jesus dealt with it, He prayed and looked to His Father, seeking His will, not His own. Maybe God is trying to teach us something while we adjust to certain unpleasant changes happening around us, so that we will pray for God’s wisdom.
Kingdom living requires looking for a new approach to show kindness toward the residents, since I will continue to visit them, but no longer bring treats. So thankfully, there are no rules against showing kindness to residents in other ways.
Sometimes medical professionals forget that a Nursing Home patient is more than another human body to medically care for, but a soul made in the image of God, and deserving of dignity.
Lord, help us to find our place in kingdom living, and to show love, dignity and compassion to those who feel forgotten, and give us the grace to forgive our enemies and to learn what God is teaching us through unpleasant changes. Amen
