As we continue in our DIVOC series of backward living we are exploring the life of Jesus and examining the ways in which he lived that really seemed counter to the culture and almost opposed to the regular and expected ways of doing things, especially from a religious standpoint.
Today, I don’t have a fancy story or comical anecdote to share, but I want to jump straight to the point. It’s a matter of forced entry, or rather UNforced entry. Jesus shows up with the hope of fulfilling a promise that is centuries old. This promise is understood to be political and even militant. “The government will rest on his shoulders” and “his kingdom will have no end.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)
The people familiar with this promise lived with a faint yet formidable hope of things to come that would be different, would be better, would be the best yet known!
You feel that way – things HAVE to get better; things CAN’T stay this way forever; you’re SICK of the way things are, tried everything to make a change, believe that it MUST improve?
How pumped are you the moment things begin to turn or there’s a glimmer of a coming new reality? You take it with both hands, lean into with all you got, and press on to see it through! It is beautiful!!!
But has that dream lost steam? Have you run out of time and just feel like it might never happen? Are you ready to give up? Have you ever felt like what the writer in Proverbs 13:12 says – “Hope deferred makes the heart sick,”?
This was definitely the Jews of Jesus’ day.
Let’s see what Jesus does, though, because it’s likely not what we’d expect…that’s the whole point of this series.
Jesus…WAITS! He just lives. The promised king is nothing more than a squishy, vulnerable, drooling, pooping vermin. Ok, maybe not a pest, but certainly no prestigious, pompous, and powerful king. Alright, but any king has to start out that way, right, as a baby that is, so let’s cut him some slack and follow the timeline and see where he rises.
He goes off the radar. Radio silence for 30 years with the exception of a slightly rebellious yet spiritual moment when he was 12 and got left by his parents because they didn’t know he was in the synagogue meeting with the religious leaders.
On top of that, he was simply a carpenter’s son. He was born in lowly circumstances and raised in a very humble family with little to no status to speak of in society. He had no formal kingly training, held no internship in the palace, attended no king camps as a kid, joined no club soldier teams, nor subscribed to any elite memberships.
So, what’s his action plan – to serve, to elevate others, to help, to love. He shows up and declares the rise of his empire with transient style living, hanging with a rough crowd, and simply healing, feeding, and teaching people. He never takes anything from anyone (except their illnesses and sins) nor forces his way in any situation (except overcoming evil in a variety of ways and situations).
This ‘king’ let’s himself be captured and crucified in order to REALLY solidify his reign. He ‘takes’ his kingdom with no forceable entry required by receiving brutal punishment and harsh mistreatment.
And the people ready for change simply needed to receive the love and follow the way of this teacher.
So today, maybe instead of looking for the expected or staying discouraged due to lack of deliverance, start anticipating something new. Be ready, willing, and receptive to change through something unexpected. This is no generic fortune cookie quote but a genuine reflection of the transformative life that is in Christ.
Jesus initiates and stakes claim to his kingdom from an UNforced Entry rather than a forced one. Maybe it’s time you stop trying to TAKE yours and open up your hands to receive that which God wants to give you.
#DOVIC
#BackwardsLiving
#UnforcedEntry
#RestoringWholenessOfLife
Brett
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