Kingdom Realities

By Tyrone Garrat

Matt 11:16-19

“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn’
For John came neither eating nor drinking and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and ‘sinners’’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions” NIV

Are we as Christians like this? Do we act as if we’re at a funeral, sad with long faces or do we act with joy even playing the flute? We have a lot to celebrate!.We are invaders from another world.We are no longer constrained by the world of what we see hear touch etc,but we are living out of an invisible,unseen world.This new world is not governed by the laws and rules of the old world,but has superseded them.It is a far greater and superior world dimension realm.The old world must submit to a new and far greater kingdom reality or realities.The kingdom of God has come amongst us and its power is in us and is working through us.Do we focus on the cross or on the resurrection of our Lord? If we focused more on the resurrection we would be joyful. People loved to be around Jesus, prostitutes, tax collectors, undesirables. People invited Jesus to their parties!

Sometimes we can be fearful of the ‘world’ and be afraid of being ‘polluted’ by its ways. But Jesus was not in the least fearful of being polluted. No, He actually sought out those in the world and went to where they were. We may be worried about our reputation and think that people will judge us wrongly because of whom we associate with. But Jesus wasn’t concerned at all, and that is because He was full of light and the Light is far greater than the darkness! Amen

The Bible also says we must be ‘as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves’ (Matt 10:16). Think about the TV programmes at the moment. For example, the DIY programmes that feature gay couples. These programmes are not about renovations but are about a lifestyle and the subtle ‘normalizing’ of that lifestyle in our culture, so that what was once unacceptable becomes acceptable. We act as innocent as doves but perhaps we should also consider the ‘other side of the coin’ and act more shrewdly in getting the message of the gospel out there.