Estimated reading time: 6 minute(s)
Every nation has borders. Stakes claimed to a certain region of earth. Boundaries to keep their stuff in and your stuff out. Every kingdom has a line of demarcation that delineates where you are in, and where you are out of that provincial territory.
The same would seem to be true of the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus talked about a Kingdom quite often while he was here, likening it to several familiar things and happenings through stories he would tell along the way. The two terms kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven seemed somewhat interchangeable coming from his lips. Whichever phrase he chose, he definitely spoke of a kingdom.
At that time, the Jewish people were under the reign of a foreign empire. Rome had extended its borders far beyond where they have currently receded. Everyone answered to Rome. You were under their authority, but special privileges were given to those with Roman citizenship. Everyone else could be expendable.
Into this climate, insert a Messiah. Not just at that season, but for centuries, the Jewish people had interpreted the words of Prophets regarding a coming Savior to mean victory for their people. Peace and prosperity for those whom God has chosen. And as their lives were dominated by the Caesar at this time in history, it was easy to latch onto the hope that God would crush their oppressors via his anointed Messiah.
Jesus came speaking of a Kingdom. They listened, and nodded, and shouted. They tried to “make him king” Luke records, but Jesus slipped away. They heard the words they wanted to hear and were trying to make him the king they wanted him to be. They did not understand his kingdom.
I think today we still struggle with this. We are not trying to make him king in the same way. I have not seen and “Jesus for President” bumper stickers, or any mobs at the White House calling for a coup to replace George W. with Jesus. Nothing like that. But, we do have our own ideas of what the Kingdom is.
Often, I will hear people talking about our borders. Who is in, and who is out. In some minds, our borders are very certain. Jesus made sure we knew that you were either in, or you were out. He is the King, and he says so. Unfortunately, many of these same people may be quite surprised when the masks are removed and we stand with Jesus someday. There may be people in different camps than they had previously assigned them to.
And you will hear a preacher speaking of decisions that need to be made. You need to cross the line. You need to make a decision. You need to be in or stay out. (They don’t say that… that’s implied.) There is a very clear line of demarcation. For some it’s baptism. For some it’s a sinner’s prayer. For some it’s a more nebulous “asking him into your heart”, or “trusting Jesus”, “making him your personal Lord and Savior”. Those things are all well and good. The “Sinner’s Prayer” is not in the Bible, but a neat little collection of ideas from scripture in an easily presentable package. All part of living with Jesus.
But I don’t think Jesus was looking at the lines.
I don’t think Jesus approached every person with Border Goggles on, that display the information on current spiritual location of subject within view. “Subject is currently OUT of the kingdom. Employ conversion tactics.” No. Jesus did not seem to treat anyone as though they were in or out of the kingdom. To me, it even appears as though Jesus’ Kingdom was not anything like one of ours. The emphasis is not on the borders or the boundaries. It just is. His Kingdom… IS. It’s reality. It’s almost like Jesus was trying to get us to see how life really is, taking off our blindfolds so we could really see how he made life to be lived. As though we are already IN the kingdom, we just don’t see it. We’re missing it.
I am not advocating an “everyone gets to go to heaven” understanding of the kingdom. Jesus did tell a story of lines when he spoke of wheat and chaff, sheep and goats. There is another source of our line drawing. I do not fault the Christian line-drawers through the centuries, or even today. There is very good reason to see and draw lines. But I am beginning to think the lines are different than we present them to be.
We want clearly marked lines in time where we know if we did this we are in, and if we did not, then we are still out. I think Jesus wanted us to get away from that sort of thought pattern… it’s not about doing, or achieving. It’s about knowing. About loving. About living. The people who were made righteous by faith in Hebrews 11 were those who had some sort of relationship with God. They were far from perfect. They weren’t even necessarily trying to be. They did however know and trust God.
Life should not be consumed by getting people across the line. We are not the Kingdom INS. Letting the legals in and keeping an eye out for illegals. (We are in all fairness a lot nicer than the INS in that we WANT the illegals to become legals. But, the analogy still sort of applies.) 🙂 Jesus was not (that I am aware of) ever really concerned with this. He wanted people to know that God loved them. He told them to love God and love each other. He lived life to the full, and wanted that for everyone. He was so great at helping people see their self worth. He spent most of his time with the people that others hated. The tax collectors, prostitutes, disabled and diseased. Those were Jesus’ companions.
Was there some ritual they completed to enter his kingdom? Did he require something of them? The only thing that he required was that they follow him. Know him. Listen to him. That’s what Father said when Jesus was baptized. “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” He has words of life. He IS the Word of Life.
We keep looking at life with our old Border Goggles. We see lines, and ins and outs. We strive to use every opportunity to keep people in or move them to the decision line if they are not yet within the fold. If we could take off our Goggles, perhaps we’d see that the borders are much different than we think. And that the main thrust of life is not to point out the borders and get people on the right side. Perhaps the best thing we can do is help people see the Kingdom reality that Jesus spoke of. The Kingdom of God is near. Right here. It’s not a place, but a way of life.
People fight over borders. Territory is to be lost or gained. But we are not territory. We are children of the King. Rather than spread the word about borders, why don’t we just help people understand their true identity and begin living life to the full as the children of the Father they were created to be?
It’s not about our entry into the kingdom. It’s about living each day with our King, our Father, and knowing him more each day. About forgiving, and being forgiven. About sharing all that he has given us. It’s about knowing the freedom of his grace and his love. About loving people like he loves us.
Without borders.