A Different Kinda King
It doesn’t take much more that a cursory reading of the Bible to see the theme of kingdom woven throughout…it also doesn’t take much more attention to sense this kingdom is not quite like all the others. Why is that???
A different kind of King!
When God speaks about His kingdom, it overwhelmingly speaks not as a realm but as a relationship.
Our minds (or maybe just mine) seem most comfortable placing the kingdom convo in the context of an eternal geo-political nation state. That’s what we know from history…and so that’s what we naturally assume. God is king and ruling His kingdom as an absolute monarch. We think, “He may be a dictator, but at least He’s a benevolent dictator.”
This might resonate with how the Bible speaks of God’s sovereignty and authority…and that’s something...but a deeper reading begins to raise a nagging uncertainty. Is this the primary way God presents? Does He show up as a primarily as an authoritarian figure come to exert His authority?
While God carries authority and might and power to rule and reign as a universal sovereign, that language begins to seem far afield from how God has chosen to describe Himself and then His kingdom.
It turns out to be only one part of how the Bible speaks and simply offers a flat view of our God and His kingdom. And whenever we drift from how God describes himself in the Bible…we will always lose.
What kind of king and what kind of kingdom?
Simply put, this king and his kingdom are not like the others. When speaking of kingdom, God most often speaks of these things in the context of relationship…specifically a relationship being restored and renewed.
In other words, God seem more interested in placing His kingship in the context of a loving king in a loving relationship. Which means, his kingship and kingdom is not less than rule and reign, it’s just so much more.
How does a king restore his kingdom?
We can recall how God restored His kingdom to learn much about Him and it. The good news of the reign of God does not come with a triumphant military victory by an exceptional hero, but instead the good news of the reign of God comes in a most unexpected way…not through the assertion of power, but the humility of suffering.
The unusual answer comes in the person of Jesus who comes to dwell among human flesh and bring victory through His death and resurrection.
A king who reigns from the cross!
A different kind of King!
When God speaks about His kingdom, it overwhelmingly speaks not as a realm but as a relationship.
Our minds (or maybe just mine) seem most comfortable placing the kingdom convo in the context of an eternal geo-political nation state. That’s what we know from history…and so that’s what we naturally assume. God is king and ruling His kingdom as an absolute monarch. We think, “He may be a dictator, but at least He’s a benevolent dictator.”
This might resonate with how the Bible speaks of God’s sovereignty and authority…and that’s something...but a deeper reading begins to raise a nagging uncertainty. Is this the primary way God presents? Does He show up as a primarily as an authoritarian figure come to exert His authority?
While God carries authority and might and power to rule and reign as a universal sovereign, that language begins to seem far afield from how God has chosen to describe Himself and then His kingdom.
It turns out to be only one part of how the Bible speaks and simply offers a flat view of our God and His kingdom. And whenever we drift from how God describes himself in the Bible…we will always lose.
What kind of king and what kind of kingdom?
Simply put, this king and his kingdom are not like the others. When speaking of kingdom, God most often speaks of these things in the context of relationship…specifically a relationship being restored and renewed.
In other words, God seem more interested in placing His kingship in the context of a loving king in a loving relationship. Which means, his kingship and kingdom is not less than rule and reign, it’s just so much more.
How does a king restore his kingdom?
We can recall how God restored His kingdom to learn much about Him and it. The good news of the reign of God does not come with a triumphant military victory by an exceptional hero, but instead the good news of the reign of God comes in a most unexpected way…not through the assertion of power, but the humility of suffering.
The unusual answer comes in the person of Jesus who comes to dwell among human flesh and bring victory through His death and resurrection.
A king who reigns from the cross!
Posted in Pastoral
1 Comment
Love to talk to you after mass tomorrow pastor Rob