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Keeping a Kingdom Perspective
By Linda Rex
January 21, 2024, 3rd Sunday | Epiphany—One of the lessons I am learning through my ongoing battle with malignant melanoma is to accept every new day as a gift from God, and to be thankful for the little blessings that come my way in the midst of whatever struggles I might be facing. Recognizing and accepting the fragility and temporality of life enables me to be grateful for the simple pleasures I have in the past so often taken for granted.
The apostle Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 7:29–31, our passage for this Sunday, that it is important to keep this perspective throughout our lives, in every area of our lives—in marriage, in how we handle loss, in our actions in the marketplace, and in our involvement in our society and culture. We live, he writes, as though this is all coming at any moment to an abrupt end, and so we do not set our hearts on what we own, what we feel, what we experience, what we buy or sell, but on Christ alone.
In the gospel passage for this Sunday, Mark 1:14–20, we are given a glimpse of what this might look like. Here, as these four men are busy occupied with their everyday tasks of life, they encounter Jesus Christ, who invites them to follow him. Their response is immediate and dramatic in Mark’s account—they drop everything, leave behind their families and businesses in order to join Jesus in his ministry to proclaim the present reality of the kingdom of God, calling people to repent and believe in the gospel. When you think of the tight-knit social context in which these men lived and what they were turning their backs on when they begin to follow Jesus, you begin to see the profound change they were experiencing—one that impacted every relationship in their lives. But the kingdom, in Jesus, was present and real to them and these men wanted to participate in it, so they dropped everything and followed Christ.
The apostle Paul reminds us that this is the same level of commitment we are to have as followers of Christ in every century, as we wait for the fulfillment of Christ’s promise to return in glory. In this particular place, Paul seems to focus more on the immanent return of Christ, whereas in others, he talks about it being a future reality. Either way, the point is that our focus is not to be on the temporal kingdoms of this world, but on the eternal kingdom which is present and real right now through Jesus in the Spirit, and on its ultimate fulfillment when Jesus returns in glory. Whatever we do in our daily life keeps this in mind, recognizing the temporality of this world in which we live. We live each day within the context of work, family, community, and society, but we do so with our first allegiance to the claims of Jesus Christ and his kingdom.
One day, the wonder and beauty of our intimate relationship with God will be fully realized in the new heaven and earth, where we will all love God and one another in the way God created us to from the beginning. There will be union and communion between God and humanity that will so far supersede anything that is possible in this present human sphere. There will be no more need for marrying or giving in marriage, Jesus said, for things will be different in the new heaven and earth. So marriage today, in the light of our eternity in union and communion with God, must be kept in perspective, being merely a reflection of that union and communion, and meant to be filled with mutual sacrificial, other-centered love, concern and service of the covenant partners toward one another. As covenant partners care for one another in this way, they bear witness to the kingdom of God. Though their time with one another on this side of the grave is only temporary and may be laden with challenges and suffering, it can be also be filled with moments which reflect the glories of heaven.
In this everyday world, we so easily get wrapped up in going through the motions of work, play, school, and community that we miss the meaning behind it all. We can be so obsessed with attaining goals, acquiring things, grieving our losses, or building empires that we forget the reality that one day all of these things will melt away and be replaced by the true reality of the eternal kingdom of God, where such things will no longer have any value or real existence. Paul reminds us to keep first things first, remembering that this world is filled with temporary things that will not last. As Paul says in Philippians, we want to count everything else as loss for the sake of knowing Christ and being included in his kingdom life and love (Phil. 3:8). As Jesus taught his disciples, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Mt. 6:33). God gave us many things to enjoy, but we mustn’t set our hearts on them, for they and whatever wealth we may accumulate as time goes by will eventually pass away (Jas. 1:17; 1 Tim. 6:17).
At this time of year, when we are goal-setting, resolution resolving, and plan-making, it is good to be reminded again about what really matters in the over-all scheme of things. We are reminded that Jesus Christ is at the center of every part of life, therefore, we ground all of our hope, dreams, plans, and goals in him. Guided and led by the Spirit, we then seek kingdom aspirations which will be a participation in the renewal of our cosmos by the One who is working to make all things new. And this helps to give us a whole new perspective as we look forward into the New Year. Wishing you all God’s best as you move forward into 2024!
Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder that we are only passing through—that one day this will be replaced by the true realities forged in the finished work of Christ. Grant us the grace to remember to keep first things first throughout this new year, and to seek your kingdom first as we allow you to provide all we need for life and godliness, through Jesus Christ our Lord and by your Spirit. Amen.
“But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.” 1 Corinthians 7:29–31 NASB
“… the urgency of these times might demand mutual sacrifices from those who are married, such as sacrificing their time together for other priorities. Even our most personal space for grief or joy is invaded; that leaves you with no time to indulge in your own interests and possessions. If you are in the process of buying something, buy as if you will never own it! Do not lean too hard upon the fragile (economic) structures of this world; they are here today and gone tomorrow!” 1 Corinthians 7:29–31 Mirror Bible
“Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’ He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.” Mark 1:14–20 NASB
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Saying Goodbye
by Linda Rex
There are two final goodbyes that are on my mind this morning. They are completely different one from one another, and yet they are in many ways one and the same. Saying goodbye for the last time to two people who played such an integral part in forming me as a person has truly stretched me and forced me to rethink many things about what really matters in life.
Etched in my mind is the day when I received a frantic phone call at work from my mom that my dad had collapsed outside at home while trying to meet the UPS delivery man to receive a package. An ordinary snowy day turned into a crisis at the hospital with Mom and I watching as the emergency room personnel frantically tried to shock my dad’s heart back to life. When it became obvious that their efforts were fruitless, we saw the life ebb from his body as Dad passed from this life to the next.
Night before last as I sat with my Mom, holding her hand and watching her taking her last breaths, I thought about how different these scenarios were. Dad had passed so quickly, not making any effort to hang on to life but rather having life pass from him so rapidly that it could not be clung to. But here Mom was sucking in each breath as though it was an elixir. Her life did not pass away without a difficult struggle.
But in each case there came a time when there was just no life left in the human body. My parents exited this life and went on into the next. What their life looks like now, I’m not totally sure. I just know that the life they have now is much better than what they had here on earth.
A little while ago I wandered into the room where Mom spent her last moments. In my mind’s eye, I could still see her lying in the hospital bed and I felt again the hush that came with trying to keep the house quiet so she could rest in peace. Even though she is gone, I still feel her presence here with me.
Is it mystical to believe that somehow she and I are still connected? That Dad is somehow still a part of my life today?
I cannot grieve with deep, wrenching sorrow because I have such a comfort in knowing they aren’t gone forever but are still living, each held in Christ’s love for all eternity. Jesus, in taking on our humanity, has connected us all in himself, holding fast to each of us in himself in such a way that we do not fade back into nothingness when we die, but rather transition into a new life he created for us when he rose from the dead so many millenia ago.
So even though I feel the separation and miss the daily conversations, I have such peace in knowing they are so much better off now without the restraints of this temporary existence. There was so much about this life and this culture that grieved them—they longed for the day when Christ would come and deliver them from this evil world. And now they are free from it all. How can I wish they were back here with me?
Even though in those last moments it seemed as though all of heaven and earth paused and held its breath, time moved on and my parents are no longer with me. The sun still came up in the morning and went down at night as the earth rotated on its axis. The universe doesn’t cease to continue on its path when someone passes on.
I’d like to hold on to my loved ones, but I can’t stay here in this place forever. Now decisions need to be made—where do we go on from here? How do we move on? I know that my parents would not want us to stay stuck here in our grief, but to take instead the next meaningful steps in our lives. What’s that going to look like? I don’t know. But I face the future with some anticipation and with a hint of sorrow on the side.
I just know that after all we’ve been through in caring for Mom in her last days and in saying goodbye to her and Dad, I will never be the same again. Everything they ever said and did is somehow a part of who I am today. And as I go through life, it will continue to influence my choices and decisions as I participate in their humanity through my memories of them, and the genetics and personality that we have in common.
The apostle Paul wrote that we do not grieve as those who have no hope because we know that death is not the end. We will see our loved ones again.
And it is also true that we share in a real way through Christ in their life even now. We have been bound together with them in so many ways. Death cannot and does not separate us from one another.
For me, saying goodbye in this transition from life into death is more like saying, “I’ll see you in the morning.” There is a new morning where we will see each other again. So rather than there being an end to our relationship, there is an anticipation and expectancy of seeing each other and sharing life in a new way in a new place. And that is something to look forward to rather than looking backward with regret.
So in saying goodbye to my parents, I am sad, yes. I miss them both terribly. But I want to focus on the time when I will see them again. And I want to experience the comfort and real presence of having them with me now through Jesus and our connection in the Spirit. In this way by God’s grace I can find peace in the midst of great loss. And I thank God for making this possible in Jesus and by his Spirit.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, that in the midst of loss and grief we still have hope. Thank you for connecting us to one another and with you through your Son Jesus Christ and in the Spirit so that when we experience death we can know that there is still a day ahead of us when we can be with our loved ones again. You are so compassionate and understanding! We praise and thank you in Jesus. Amen.
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 NA
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