What do you Seek?
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. John 1:36/39
Where are you staying? Jesus: Come and See And they stayed with Him that day - what kept them there, what were they seeking? Why were these men willing to give up everything? They were in pursuit of something, they didn't know what, when, where it would lead – all they knew of was that their Jewish tradition spoke of a coming Messiah.
But their life was a pursuit . . . I like to say that “the proof was in their pursuit” How about your life? What are you seeking, is your life a life of pursuit for God - one God offesr eternal life. Jesus never said it was going to easy, but he did promise that he would be with us every step of the way. Jesus also promised that he had come to give us abundant life (John 10:10) and all he asks is to seek first his kingdom. So what is the kingdom of God? Why seek it first?
I would like to offer that the kingdom of God is not an explanation of some literal governmental kingdom, but an experience. Yes, the Kingdom of God is an experience with the King of Glory that transcends all humanity and our frailties. Jesus said the Kingdom of God was within us.
Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, `Here it is,' or `There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21
Jesus' ministry was about healing, making people whole, setting captives free, and embracing the outcasts, down-and-outs, the unwanted, the untouchables, the misunderstood, and women. Jesus said that when we saw these things, it was a sign that the kingdom was among us. When was the last time you saw these activities? When were you apart of such activities? Can you say the kingdom of God is within you? So what are you seeking??
** the photo is called "The Charity", 1611
Oil on canvas at
Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples
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