Do you have children? How about teenagers? Have your children ever disobeyed? Have you? I know that I have.
My wife and I have three amazing kids. I look back over the 18 years of parenting and I can see things I wish I would have done differently. There are also a few things we did with all of our children that I would do again. Here is one of them, and it relates to God’s Kingdom.
We didn’t do the thing where you count to three before we got up to correct our kids. You know the situation.
- Dad: “Step back from the oven.”
- Child: looks at dad, then back at the oven.
- Dad: “Get away from the oven!”
- Child slowly moves towards the oven.
- Dad: “One (as child smiles) Two (childs eyes get big) Th”
- Child: finally steps away
We didn’t do that when our children were young. Here was our logic. If we teach them that they don’t have to obey until we count to three, what happens when they are running towards the street and we yell “STOP!” We felt that obedience was best learned when the expectation was to obey the first time. I must say, this gets tougher as they get older. As they age, there is more room for conversation, and in some cases you give the direction, and let them make their own decisions. This is hard for me.
With this in mind, let’s turn our focus to Jesus. Jesus was a master at telling stories and parables to make a point. Some are light and some are harsh. Like here in Matthew 7.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the Kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21
This very strong verse is in the midst of a picture story. Jesus is contrasting two “gates”, and two “trees”. There is a narrow gate that leads to life, and a good tree that bears good fruit. There is also a wide gate that leads to destruction and a bad tree that bears bad fruit. Then, he clears up what he is saying with the verse above. There are those who will enter the Kingdom, and those who won’t.
Jesus goes on to say in the next two verses:
“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast our demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.'” Matthew 7:22-23
I believe the main point here is not about prophesy, performing miracles, or power over demons. The point is that there was not a relationship between the person and Jesus (“I never knew you”), and in that relationship there was not obedience (“you who practice lawlessness”).
Jesus is saying that entering the Kingdom is about two things:
- Relationship –
- The Lord of the Kingdom knowing you
- You knowing the Lord of the Kingdom
- Obedience – You doing the will of the Father.
Many people mistake “doing God’s will” with a laundry list of “thou shalt not’s”. I suggest the will of God is not like that. There are laws in the Kingdom, don’t get me wrong. In fact, Jesus summed up the laws in Matthew 22:37, 39…I summarize:
Love God and Love People.
According to Jesus, this is the summary of all the commandments of God. And I have failed at this “overly simple” task. How about you?
The good news is this, we have a forgiving King. A King who invites us into His presence and offers us forgiveness and strength for a better tomorrow. A King who is simply asking us to draw close to Him. To know Him. To have a relationship with Him.
It is not too much for a King to expect obedience.
We do need to face this fact. The King of the Kingdom does expect obedience. The more I come to know Christ, the more I am okay with obedience. I still make mistakes…often. But, I know His will for me is solid and secure. I trust my King.
With the focus on the Kingdom, we should be careful to remember that God is not only King. God is father, shepherd, doctor, friend and comforter (the list goes on). The point of focusing on His kingship is to simply underscore that it is not too much for a King to expect obedience.
Ideas for reflection or discussion as you Seek the Kingdom:
- List: As you have come to know Christ more, list out His different roles in your life (similar to father, shepherd, doctor, etc.).
- Consider: How well do you know Him? Do you know Him well enough to understand His plan for you in your daily walk?
- Pray: Pray for a deeper relationship. Pray for a love for the King that draws you to obedience rather than rebellion.
Over the next few months we will turn to a few other passages to explore more about the Kingdom, King, and what it means to “Seek 1st the Kingdom” (#S1tK). Stay tuned…