Series: Kingdom of God
Sun am 14 August 2011 – Kobus Swart
Matt. 6:10; Matt. 13:10-17,24-25; Mark 4:13-15,23-24; Matt. 18:1-6; John 17:15-21;
Luke 22:9-12, 24-30; John 13:2-5,8-10
Jesus taught His followers to pray, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10). We (the Church) are heaven’s colony on earth. Ambassadors of the kingdom live according to the statutes of the government that sent them. They are then also protected by that government.
And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” (‘Them’ meaning thePharisees and Sadducees; the religious order of that day). And He answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted… Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see. This is what the religious spirit does to people – you will act like you see, but you’re not seeing. You will act like you hear, but you don’t hear. A religious spirit will say all the right things; but the test is – do you see? Do you hear? (Matt. 13:10-17).
“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.” The truth will become sons of the Kingdom. But the enemy usually sows tares (the lie) among the good seed. The lie becomes sons of the evil one. The word will become flesh, either sons of the Kingdom or sons of the evil one. There’s nothing Satan fears more, than a living Word. He will do everything to distract you, or to close your ears. “If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.” And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to (Mark 4:23-24).
Later the disciples came to Jesus with a question: “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” People love titles; the world has taught us to want to be noticed. It’s the spirit of this age. And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Becoming like a child applies to every level of migration deeper into the Kingdom. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea (Matt. 18:1-6).
The way of the Kingdom contradicts the ways of the world. We are challenged to think differently. Sometimes God tells us to do things that sound foolish, but when you obey God, the results are more powerful than any worldly method (example of the walls of Jericho). The meek will inherit the earth.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth… I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one (John 17:15). We represent another government. We are surrounded by the spirit of the age, the governments and mindsets of this world.earth. Our operations will often seem to be contradictory to what is natural and logical. Jesus prays that we will be kept from the thinking and mindsets of this world.
On their way to eat the last Passover with Jesus, the disciples argued on a worldly mindset. And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But not so with you, but let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. And just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:24-30)
Jesus did everything that He was assigned to do, to instil a Kingdom mindset in His disciples. And Jesus – knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God, rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’feet (John 13:2-5). In those days, when people entered a house to sit down and eat, the first thing they didwas to wash their feet. In the upper room, the disciples sat down without anybody offering to wash feet;instead they were arguing, ‘who is the greatest.’ Then the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords girded Himself and washed their feet! Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you” (John 13:8-10).
He that wants to be the greatest in the Kingdom must be the servant of all. Let us manifest this spirit and see how effective it will be in leavening the systems of this world.