John 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
Jesus didn’t concern himself with politics and worldly things. He knew where He came from and He knew where He was going. He knew why He was here and what His purpose was. He left us all with a purpose known as The Great Commission. He has gone ahead and, even now, is preparing a place for His followers.
Lest we think that Jesus was sealed in a bubble and never really faced the negativity that we face today, remember that the Romans were cruelly dominating the area, religious leaders were completely corrupt, women were property, children could be sold, taxes were high and the tax collectors dishonest, poverty as rampant, disease was common, slavery was legal, and the list goes on. Jesus was not part of the popular groups: Pharisees, Sadducees, or the Essenes. He could have gotten caught up in the negativity of His world. He could have railed against everything happening in that moment. His energy could have been wasted on what really didn’t matter.
Instead, Jesus chose to stay focused on the Kingdom and the Kingdom cause. He chose to remain focused on compassion, love, forgiveness, humility, and salvation. He chose to walk in poverty and live a very spartan life. He chose to speak truth. Make no mistake that He chose. He lived in no bubble. The pressure to conform to society was on Him just as it is on us.
We too must make a choice to focus on the Kingdom. Once saved, we are no longer of this world, but we are still in the world. We choose where to focus our energy. We must choose to love those we disagree with and pray for those who hate us. We must stop trying to save the world because we know the world will not be saved. We are not Republicans or Democrats, conservative or liberal, rich or poor… we are Christians – Christ’s followers. When tempted to feel anger or hatred toward another, remember how Christ responded to the nails being pounded into His flesh. Mimic His words and love the one trying to pierce your peace.
Instead, let us choose to live life positively. Let’s show people the love of Jesus and the promise of the Kingdom. Judgement is reserved for God. We are a witness that Jesus overcame the world and we’ll someday be with Him. Our goal, our mission, is to provide as many as will hear with detailed directions on how to arrive in Christ’s Kingdom at the end. No more drinking from the poison pitcher of this world… let’s choose instead to share the Living Water provided by Jesus Christ.