When Christ came to this world as a baby the Jewish leadership knew where He was to be born. When the magi came from the east looking for Jesus they first went to Herod in Jerusalem and asked him where the baby king had been born. He sent them to the religious leaders who quickly pointed them to Bethlehem. If they knew where the messiah was to be born, why did they miss Him? Despite all of their study of the prophecies of a coming messiah they were looking for a conquering king NOT a suffering servant, born in a stable. The kingdom Jesus came to establish didn't fit with their expectations. 2,000 plus years later are our expectations any more in line with God's reality than the Jewish leaderships were? How are we in danger of missing out on the kingdom of God because we too are looking for the wrong thing?
In Matthew 6:33 Jesus tells us to "Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." The context of this verse is one of worry over having our basic needs supplied, yet Jesus says seek first God's kingdom and He will give you all the things you are worried about! Earlier, in Matthew 5:19 Jesus let us know that there is a hierarchy in the kingdom - and those who break God's commandments and teach others to do so are at the bottom of the list. He also indicated that the greatest in the kingdom were those who served best (see Matthew 22:11 and Luke 22:26.)
Jesus makes numerous references to the "kingdom of God" or the "kingdom of heaven." In Matthew 24 Jesus tells us that the good news (gospel) of the kingdom being presented to the whole world is the ONLY sign that the end has come (all the other signs in Matthew 24 indicate that the end is beginning.) So what does the kingdom of God entail?
During the time of the prophet Micah the Jewish leaders had lost sight of what God was asking of them. They were asking "what does it take to get God's attention?" "How do we placate God so He will hear us?" Micah's response, from God, was, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8 NIV)
What does it mean to walk humbly with our God? James 4:10 tells us to "humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord." Paul tells us in Romans 12:3 to "not think more highly of ourselves than we should." Jesus told the disciples when James and John asked for the two highest positions in His kingdom that to be first you must become a slave of all, and to be greatest you must be the least (Mark 10:35-45.) Jesus also told a parable about going to a feast and seeking the places of honor, making it clear that it is better to allow the host to elevate you than to be humiliated when you are told you have placed too much importance on yourself (Luke 14:7-11)
We see the disparity between the kingdoms of this world and God's kingdom exemplified in the actions of Lucifer and Jesus. In Isaiah 14 (verses that are generally applied to Lucifer) we find the desire to "ascend to the heavens; raise my throne above the stars of God; sit enthroned on the mount of assembly; ... make myself like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:12-14 paraphrased.) In contrast to this we see Jesus who "existed in the form of God did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:6-8)
How do we facilitate the establishment of God's kingdom here on earth right now (this is NOT to imply that God can't do it on His own and NEEDS my help, but He has chosen to work through humanity to accomplish His plans.) How do our expectations for God's kingdom, and therefore our actions, interfere with the establishment of His kingdom on earth? Why do we often give lip service to wanting God's kingdom to come but resist Him when it requires the disruption of the way things are?
