The Meeting

There was a widow in a small village called Nain, in the time of Jesus.  This woman was in the midst of a very dark time in her life having just lost her son to death.  She and a large procession of mourners were carrying out her only son to the place of burial.  Since she no longer had him for her support, she would be almost totally dependent on charity from others, or whatever acts of compassion would be available to her. This economic reality, added to the grief she felt for her son who she loved, no doubt brought her heart to the deepest despair.

As the crowd made their way out of the village, they met another crowd coming into the city at the front of which was Jesus Christ.  What a sight and commotion that must have been as the two crowds converged. Sorrow, grief, lamenting and despair, met head on with excitement, wonder, awe, and expectation.  Death and all that accompanies it was stopped short and faced the Lord of life and power in Christ Jesus.

The Gospel of Luke records what happened next. " When the  Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, do not weep. And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt.  And He said, young man, I say to you arise!  The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother."  We can imagine the stir that must have caused, as soon the entire area heard of what Jesus had done. 

The loss of a loved one is certainly cause for sorrow, but there are many other things that we face that may bring us deep into despair and grief.  Is that what you're facing today?  Well, Jesus is at the front of a long procession of people who have experienced His mercy and ability to do for us what we can never do for ourselves. They bear witness, that wherever discouragement or despair is present, He can come in and transform any situation into an occasion for wonder, praise and answered prayer.

The key is getting Jesus into the situation and the only way to do that is to get Him into our hearts, by prayer, faith and repentance.  We must trust His finished work on the cross to be sufficient payment for our sins. Then He enters into our hearts and begins to comfort and guide us.   No need to walk in the procession of mourners, who grieve unnecessarily. Rather, get in step with the multitude who walk with Jesus.  Turn around and go in the direction He is going where there is cause for wonder, glory, and a true worship and reverence for God. 

Joy Now And Then

Often times when we think of the Kingdom of God we think in terms of heaven or that realm where all things are made right and good. Christ is there as Lord and all sin is done away with and there is nothing but holiness, righteousness and fellowship with God for all eternity. To think in this way is totally correct for that will be the atmosphere or the environment of Gods righteous kingdom when it is finally ushered in complete and in it's fullness.

There is a side to this kingdom that we can enjoy today and that is the liberty we have because of Jesus Christ.  Because of His life and death and resurrection we have a freedom from trying to earn our way into this kingdom. We don't have to be good enough, or to try harder to be found acceptable for entrance to this new reality. Jesus has accomplished all that was required for you and me to partake of salvation and His kingdom. When we realize this, and we get a grasp of what that means for us in the present,  the result is freedom, rest, peace and a sense of joy that everything is right between ourselves and the Lord. Yes, we entertain a great and deep hope and look forward to eternity in God's presence. But we also have a sense of joy today because the issue of our salvation and eternal destiny is settled. We are free to worship God, but we are also free to just be ourselves. God is the one who is working within us to mature us, and grow us into conformity to His image. He accepts us as we are, but works to mold us into who He sees we can be. 

This is a cause for great joy, and a sense of confidence as we live today. No wonder the Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman church these words,"...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."  {Rom.14:17} He was helping the Roman believers to be careful in what they were eating and drinking so as not to cause another believer to stumble or to fall into a condemning attitude. He emphasized freedom to eat and drink what we felt was alright, as long as it doesn't cause a brother or sister to stumble in their peace or walk with Christ. If you are OK  with something, great, but be OK with it for yourself and be mindful of those around us, just in case they may  not be.

He says that because in due time the Kingdom of God will do away with all the things in this world, food, drink, practices, traditions, good or bad, all things will become new. But in the mean time we can exercise freedom, discretion and have joy in our walk with Jesus Christ, because the Kingdom of God is a kingdom of peace, rightness, and true Spirit created joy.  

There is no need to live under a self imposed religious burden like so many do. We can enjoy liberty and peace as we serve or Lord Jesus. In fact, when we live in this way we actually are living declarations that the kingdom of God has indeed come. That is part of our witness to Jesus and salvation by faith in Him. A burdened down, droopy Christian is not going to entice very many to consider Jesus. But one who lives in the joy of the Lord, no matter the circumstances and tough times life brings, that person is one who the Holy Spirit uses to touch a soul burdened with a sinful load. Freedom is what they need, and freedom is what we have, because of the kingdom of God. 

The Kingdom of God will one day be here in it's fullness. But don't forget to avail ourselves of the joy of our hope for that day-- today!