A Kingdom not of this World

Amanda MacQuarrie August 25, 2024 0 0

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John 18: 33-38 (NRSVA)

33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ 34 Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ 35 Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ 36 Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ 37 Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ 38 Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no case against him.

Encounters,

Jesus was all about encounters!

At his birth the heavens rang out with the song of the angels,

And throughout his life, heaven…

The Kingdom of heaven came near.

The Kingdom of heaven broke in…

Touch by touch.

Heart by heart.

Life transformed by life transformed.

As the blind gained sight, the lame danced and the dead were raised.

All it needed was Jesus’ touch

And the Kingdom quickened.

This Kingdom…

The Kingdom of heaven,

Not of this world,

Yet breaking through,

In this world.

Bringing peace,

Bringing wholeness,

Restoration, life.

And yet…

The religious rulers, they wanted to stop it, halt it, to hold it at bay.

They didn’t understand it, they feared the loss it meant for them.

Doing all that they could to shut it down.

And yet…

Still that Kingdom crept in,

Inch by inch,

Like the dawn returning after night.

A Kingdom not of this world,

But for this world.

A force.

Bringing peace,

Bringing wholeness.

Restoration, life.

Pray:

Lord,

We live in this world,

Yet we are called to serve this Kingdom breaking in,

Give us eyes to see its birthing,

Hearts to discern its beating,

Ears to hear it and feet willing to follow where it calls…

Amen.