Clay in the Hands

I was reminded this morning while reading from the Gospel of John, that Jesus came to usher in a new kingdom.  When he was questioned by Pilot during the mock trial he received, his response was that his kingdom is not of this world.

As I have thought about those words, I have reflected on the fact that what Jesus came to do was so revolutionary – so counter-intuitive that it could only be described as something not of this world.

This world would teach us that success is the ultimate goal and success only comes to those who work for it.  And by “work for it” this world would acknowledge that obtaining success by any means necessary is acceptable – even applauded.  The only rule that one must follow is “there are no rules.”

So people are celebrated when they achieve “success,” regardless of how it was achieved.

Jesus, on the other hand, taught that what is truly important in this life is pleasing the father.  What sets an individual apart and makes them stand out is not fighting to get ahead but rather, putting others needs before his or her own.  Jesus illustrated a different kingdom.

He calls us to live in this kingdom – to take on this counter-cultural, counter-intuitive lifestyle.  We are to love our enemies.  We are to put others first.  We are to surrender our lives to him.

We spend our lives striving for meaning and fulfillment, peace and happiness.  But my experience has taught me that these things can only be found by following Jesus’ teaching and living in his kingdom.

Live into that meaning and peace today!