11.19.12
Matthew 4.17 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and
say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” NASB
The word repent
means, to turn: Turn, for the Kingdom
of Heaven is at hand. At hand, means:
within reach. Turn for the Kingdom of
heaven is within reach. So if we look
at the phrase, Jesus was encouraging His listeners to turn from the direction
they were going in life and to give themselves to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Sometimes, when we travel we turn into the wayside and
use the facilities. Sometimes we stop at a local store or fast-food place for
some kind of snack or refreshment. Sometimes we just pull over and rest for a
minute or two and then take up the traveling again. Jesus was urging the people
who were sitting in darkness (Matt. 4.16) to stand up and get involved with the
newness, freshness, and life of the Kingdom of Heaven – it wasn’t far away, it
was right here!
If we consider where the people of that time were, they
were under Roman occupation and rule. They were bound by a religious system
that was impossible to live by. There didn’t seem to be much in the way of
hope. (They, then, sound a lot like us now…) There wasn’t much to live for
except to get up and do it all over again today what I got up and did all over
again yesterday. And here comes Jesus, saying “C’mon! Heaven is right here! Quit
living the way you’re living and get involved!”
Have you seen heaven in your life? I didn’t think so. It’s
not that it isn’t there, it’s just that it isn’t all that visible. At least to
the one who gets up today to do all over again what they drudged through
yesterday. Heaven, we think, is so far away. Heaven is for when you die
and I’m not ready to die today…I’ll think about heaven some other time.
But what if we can have heaven now? And I don’t mean just
the concept of heaven, I mean heaven? Jesus was offering that to a depressed
and downtrodden people. Heaven is for right now! It was for them and it is for
us too. All we need to do is quit thinking and living like there is no heaven
and start living and believing there is; because there is: Heaven is for right
now.
But we have to turn from the way we think to the way
Heaven thinks. We have to believe that God’s Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven – a
place where there is no sickness, sadness, sin, or sorrow – exists and it is
right here right now, not over there somewhere for later…We have to believe
that and take Jesus up on His offer of: Heaven right now. We have to turn
from what we believe and cling to before we can get Heaven now.
Isn’t that the way things are? Don’t we have to give to
get? Try buying something without money – see how far that gets you. Heaven is
for right now and the price of entry is simply: turn (repent). Heaven supersedes
everything else because it is right now and despite all else that makes that
claim, Heaven is the only thing that will endure when all the others fade away.
That’s the message Jesus gave to those folks and it’s the message He gives to
us: Turn, because everything you’ve ever sought for life and happiness is right
here within your reach and I have it. Come follow Me and I will take you to the
Kingdom of Heaven right here right now…
No comments:
Post a Comment