Devotion - Tuesday, November 27

In our Gospel lesson this past Sunday, when asked whether he was a king, Jesus spoke of his kingdom as one that "was not of this world."  He said that if his kingdom were of this world, his followers would come and fight for him.

Too often we make assumptions about such Jesus comments.  We may be inclined to think, "In the place where Jesus is King, the followers do fight for him."  I am of the mindset which believes that Jesus is saying, "My subjects belong to a kingdom in which no one is threatened or harmed or murdered.  In my kingdom, the subjects lay down their lives for others.  Even for their enemies."

Jesus sets before us a choice between Kings, and between kingdoms.

The Kingdom of God is like so many things, yet it is unlike anything we have ever experienced.  It is different, so entirely different.  And we need to be careful not to think of it as more of the best of what the kingdoms of the world so desperately seek.

One of the challenges of this Christ the King week is to be able to discern the kingdom(s) which currently hold sway in our lives.  to what degree are we able to even discern the cultural assumptions which abound around us?  Whole books have been written about this.  Two which I recommend are Carter's "Culture of Disbelief" and Hall's "Stewardship of Life in a Kingdom of Death."

We "sell our soul to the devil" in so many ways and are not even aware of it.  The transaction seldom involves the 30 pieces of silver, but it does rob us of all that is precious and dear and life-giving.

When Jesus says, "Be in the world but not of the world" he is encouraging us be aware of the ways in which we are lured away from the loving, giving, caring, forgiving way which he reveals in his life and in his words.