This blog is written by Tim Taylor for Jack Taylor...
The Kingdom is not a material object that can be owned or possessed, but there are certain ones to whom it belongs; or better yet, there is a special class of people who belong in the Kingdom. Robert Capon in his book Kingdom, Grace, Judgment describes those who belong in the Kingdom as the lost, last, least, littlest and lowest. In the other words the Kingdom of God is inhabited by losers. Before your pride reacts, let me explain.
For far too long we have allowed our culture (the kingdom of this world) to define success for us. So, we assume that material wealth, social status, being in first place, being the strongest and maintaining control of our lives brings fulfillment. Some of the least satisfied and secure people on earth are the richest. Those with great authority know it is a weight too heavy to carry alone. A victory this year is quickly forgotten the next. There is nothing more empty than what this world calls success.
So, Jesus comes along and turns the world upside down. He says we are blessed when we are poorest. It is precisely for those who are spiritual bankrupt that the Kingdom has come. I describe it this way. The Kingdom is for the helpless, the humiliated, the hapless and the hopeless. If we are honest we would have to admit that we are helpless without God, but we continue to try to make our way as if He is not there. Shame and humiliation are universal experiences. Either through our own failures or as victims, we have all been brought to our proverbial knees. In addition, we do not have a clue. We are most miserable because we think we know something when we actually know nothing. Our wisdom only buries us deeper in the muck of this world, leaving us hopeless. There is no sadder state. To be without hope is to be locked up in the prison of this body in this world with no possibility of parole. This is the state of everyone apart from the Kingdom.
So, we are pathetic trapped in an untenable condition and Jesus calls us blessed. He proclaims our happy state. Does He know something we do not? I think so. He knows that until we acknowledge our actual condition we will not change. He knows that until we admit our absolute frailty we will never advance. He knows that until we accept our complete state of "loser-ness" we will never really succeed.
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
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