Christ’s Rule
Isaiah 11-14; Hebrews 9
“The spirit of the Lord will rest on him…He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth…The wolf will live with the lamb…”
Isaiah 11:2-4, 6
The kingdom of God is not meat or drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Jesus said his kingdom was not of this earth, but Christians have been trying to prove him wrong ever since. So much of what we value comes from what we see and hear and can physically experience. Jesus calls us to fix our eyes, not on what is seen, but on what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
What would change in our priorities if our standards of value were faith, hope, and love?
How would our decisions change if they were motivated by righteousness and justice?
The fullness of Christ’s kingdom will be expressed in peaceful relationships under his kingdom rule; not a forced peace through threats of violence in the aftermath of jihad, but the voluntary peace of Christ ruling in our lives and in which even the lion and the lamb can lie together.
“Lord Jesus, may your kingdom come and your will be done in my life; may your kingdom peace rule in our world.”