The Jewish culture had their own idea of the Messiah to come, and it turned out they thought Jesus was a radical. Jesus spoke of the kingdom in much different terms than they expected.
Jesus spoke of a kingdom where God ruled as king. Jesus broke into history at a real point in time, died on a real cross and left behind a real, empty tomb. This was God's plan for bringing His kingdom to earth. The cross and resurrection changed history; now we are pointed toward heaven, our home.
But then the radical idea that we can live in this kingdom right now was Jesus' teaching. Not some far-off, distant, future realm. Not a state of mind or a dream. We are in it! God's kingdom is a real place where we walk, work, worship and have relationships. Another amazing thing is the King wants to live with us and in us. Living in the kingdom with the King is discipleship and worship. We have no higher calling.
The very essence of being a worshipper and disciple is spending time with the Master Himself. It is not about rules and regulations but an intimate, passionate relationship with Him. He wants our whole heart. It is not a part-time occupation. It requires full, radical commitment. It requires fighting against what may be popular. Jesus will not be short changed - He wants all that we have to offer.
That means both commitment and passion. Are you that kind of worshipper and disciple? mjm
