Not Of This World

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”  John 18:36 (NIV)

The common man looks up into the heavens at night and gives the stars little thought.  The modern-day man hardly looks up at all.  His is a tiny world of commerce, tasks and ambitions.  Today´s Christians are also in danger of losing their sense of wonder.  The astronomers gaze into the heavens.  They are bombarded with millions of mind-blowing facts.  They contemplate sizes, forces and space that are unfathomable.  Our tiny planet is nowhere near the largest in our solar system.  Our solar system is one of the hundreds of thousands in our galaxy.  Our galaxy is only one of countless others in the unimaginable reaches of space.  Yet we have a stubborn tendency to look at our tiny environments and think that this is all there is.  We hardly consider what things are like in some distant part of our globe let alone contemplate the unending possibilities of the Kingdom of God.

A small ruler in Palestine many years ago finds himself in just such a situation.  Pilate sits down to interrogate the Son of the Almighty.  He is aware of the commotion Jesus is having within the community that he governs.  His world is slightly bigger than his reign in the Jewish territory.  He gets his orders from the larger kingdom of Rome.  But how on earth can he guess at the significance that this humble Man Jesus means to the entire human race?  The trumped-up charge before him is that Jesus is a threat to his system of order.  Those who want to get rid of Jesus can only think of their own way of doing things.  Christ exposes their low vision.  Everyone is caught up in their narrow view.  Nobody even stops to ponder the Wonder that Is our God!  Nobody seems to care that the One Who holds our existence, all life, and the inconceivably great universe in clockwork order is carefully carrying out His greatest gesture of love towards mankind!  Who is there left who is filled with awe?  Who is actually living the reality that there are things which we have yet to learn?  Who is truly aware of the One Who is not of this world?

We read the story.  It is difficult not to blame those who lived in Jesus´ day for their lack of sight.  But who are we to judge?  Have we made an improvement?  Who expects to see a miracle today?  Who is really aware of God´s movement right now?  Who is actually ready to be blown away by a Greater Reality?  Should the heavens suddenly part and all the glory of another place pierce our bubble, how could we take it all in?  Are we really keeping present the fact that Jesus does not only speak of the reigns and territories we are familiar with?  Are we truly capable of comprehending the limitless reaches of His Kingdom?  Or could we be guilty too of not suspecting the size or importance of the Kingdoms He refers to?  Who still holds a sense of wonder?  Who is there that finds themselves breathless in His Presence?  Who of us now are experiencing the awe and overwhelming thrill of being near to the One Whose Kingdom is not of this world?

Dear Jesus,

Forgive our short-sightedness and lack of trust.  You have tried to expand our imaginations.  You have held out to us a hope in things larger than we know.  Your Kingdom is grander than anything our universe contains!  Please lift our attention higher than our immediate surroundings!  Please lift our hearts up into the limitless wonder that is our God!  Please set our hope on One Whose love is like nothing we can imagine.  Help us to learn.  Help us to start listening.  Help us embrace a healthy sense of wonder!  Let us fall to our knees when we ponder in awe the size and power of God!  Lift us to belief in a God Who is not of this World!

Amen