Perhaps there is something intrinsically evil about gaining the whole world. Jesus was offered it by the devil in the wilderness temptations (Matthew 4:1-11), yet he refused it. The old saying certainly seems to ring true that, “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Humanity is not short of examples of how power has corrupted and ruined lives.
It’s a worry now, as we watch the American Empire stretching itself and trying to promote a persona of benevolence, with a man who calls himself a Christian at its head. But many suspect that there are those who are far more shrewd and clever behind the scenes who are actually pulling the strings.
Jesus’ back-to-front logic then has a new dimension thrown in. He starts talking about a heavenly dimension that seems far-removed from the daily workings of normal life. He is talking about a heavenly glory and an ultimate power. How humanity responds to Jesus will have consequences for eternity. “If you are ashamed of me, I in turn will be ashamed of you” (see Mark 8:38). Is that the point at which grace and mercy terminate?
But heaven and earth are not disconnected. How we live now affects how we will experience eternity; and likewise, knowing something of eternity through Jesus’ life and teaching needs to affect how we live today. Eternity is not disconnected from daily existence, and vice-versa.
Tags:
No comments:
Post a Comment