The Kingdom of God has little do with being a good, law-abiding citizen that opposes abortion and routinely goes to Church. Jesus talks of a Kingdom that has the power to change lives and impact generations. The church has forsaken the Kingdom for a weak use of words and fancy buildings and promises of ease, wealth and more.
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:18
There will be a time of ease, peace, and wealth for the true believer, but that time will be in the coming age. In this age we will have trouble. Churches today seem to cower in fear every time someone disagrees with them. They KILLED Jesus, they KILLED Stephen. Ultimately, they killed most of the apostles because the apostles were active. If that motley group of fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots would have only been out talking about the Kingdom, maybe only speaking virtually, they would have been left alone. But no, these men and women went out into all the world. They hung out with the worst of society and lived out the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many risked deaths by plague or by torture. They were men of action who were willing to hug the hurting man that carried the plague. Some had their clothes and bodies badly mangled by stones thrown at them with hateful words.
They risked it all.
Oh, and by the way, throughout history starting in Biblical times and through today, the biggest persecutors are the righteous, religious people. Sometimes they act out their hate through the government, but it is the heart of the less-than-humble religious that is often the root of the destruction.
In John 5, Jesus encounters a man who has been lame for a very long time at the pool in Bethesda. When Jesus talks with him, he asks a simple question that I ask you before you continue the journey of this column and then go live out the principles:
“Do you want to get well?”
Like the man at the well, we will shrug and come up with excuses; “I am only human.” We might even say something like, “I’m good.” We will point to past achievements and time we helped someone out or donated to a beggar. Maybe we will talk about our pastor and the church we attend.
Let us return again to the story in John 5 that is the religious leaders that condemn the man that has been healed. His reward for being made whole is being kicked out of the synagogue.
We don’t go to church to get better at going to church. We don’t pray to get better at praying. We go to church, pray, read, and memorize Bible verses so that we can be filled, empowered and activated to go out in action to change the world. YOU are the church. It is your job to take the virtues, the love for humanity, and the hope of salvation to your school, workplace, shopping establishment, and favorite entertainment venue. Are you in touch enough with God to love the hurting and ask them if they want to get well? If they say, “No,” do you love them enough to share your love and simply say that when they want to get well you are there for them? Most will argue with them and make the situation worse. Don’t be that person.
The man at the well never said, “yes,” by the way. If given the time, he would have rambled on about all the reasons that he was suffering. None of it would have been his fault of course. Later he would have gathered others around him to talk about the insensitive question that Jesus asked him. Of course, they would have backed up their friend as they laughed at the prophet from Nazareth. However, something strange happened. He took action! Jesus had told him to pick up his mat and walk and he did it. His action was his yes.
