Challenging human systems

Scripture: Matthew 22:15-33 Click here for the reading

Observation: Jesus has never wavered in his commitment to the Kingdom over and against the human earthly structures and institutions of this world.  The Kingdom of God is bigger than these things.


Application: Jesus insistence that participating in the kingdom will challenge our allegiance everywhere else, at home and within country.  Jesus demands full allegiance to God and the Kingdom while participating in human structures (for now).  But we should never confuse the two.  Yes, when we are married we have a commitment to our spouses.  But Jesus challenges the assumption that this relationship carries over to the afterlife.  "At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage  In other words, marriage much like taxes have no place in the resurrection life.  'For we will be like angels."  Our sole attention in the resurrection will not be on those relationships we once had but on the 'up' relationship we have with the loving parent.


How does this Scripture challenge the things you hear at funerals (i.e. you will see your loved one again = being married to them in heaven)?
When has our allegiance to our country or patriotism been challenged by Jesus' words here?

The thing that grabs me when Jesus speaks about the kingdom is that kingdom feels far off from our own experience and so we (like the pharisees and sadducees) attempt to understand the kingdom within the human constructs of this world.


Prayer: Lord, inspire us to see the kingdom bigger than the things of this world, and strengthen us to commit ourselves to you above all other systems or people.