The kingdom of God is here, but it’s not what you think.
I think that most people think the kingdom of God is filled with good people. The kingdom of God is good people who go to church, read their Bibles, pray, and constantly try to better themselves. Most of us would think the kingdom of God on earth would be full of the best people around. When we go to church, that’s, of course, who we expect to find there – the best people on earth. And if they’re not, they’re certainly trying to be.
Jesus said something radically different. It’s among the first things recorded as being taught by Jesus in the New Testament, yet we have been denying it and dancing around it ever since. We dance around it because our idea of what good Christian people are is threatened by it, as well as our idea of the people we want to be around – the group we want to be in. What Jesus taught about the kingdom of God is an affront to our best sensibilities. It violates any and every idea we have about religion and people who “get religion.” Our churches are full of people straightened up and flying right.
But what does Jesus say? “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:3-6).
Who are these people who are among the most blessed on earth? They are spiritually impoverished. They cry a lot (things are obviously not going well for them). They have been beaten down by life, and they hunger and thirst for righteousness because they are so aware of their unrighteousness. I’m sorry folks: there is just no way to dress this up in Sunday best. These are hurting, needy people, and these are the people Jesus calls the best people on earth. The kingdom of God is being taken over by a bunch of vagabond, homeless losers.
I’ve always wondered about Matthew 11:2 when Jesus said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.” He was speaking to the Pharisees when he said this – the good people – and according to them, their whole world was being turned upside down. Their idea of the kingdom of God was being overthrown. Their sense of sensibility was being violated. Look who’s taking over the kingdom of God? Not these people! No wonder they wanted to kill Jesus.
I know that some of you are getting a little tired of hearing about the Isaiah House. You think we have been spending too much time on this, but that’s just because we have found the best people on earth. These people are blowing us away. We are having our idea of the kingdom of God overthrown. Let me tell you, the kingdom of God is much more prevalent at the Isaiah House than it is, or ever will be, at the First Christian Church of Good People.
John Fischer The Catch 
I loved this devotion. Thank you! I agree.
The Best People on Earth hits the nail on the head. It is so true & I don’t tire of hearing about Isaiah House . My church, Hebron Baptist in Dacula, GA, says we are a ‘hospital’ for broken people! Jesus came to seek and to save us all and we all have been broken sinners saved by grace.
Amen. I don’t see that the two have to be so sharply divided. I attended a women’s Bible study last night on more or less this theme. Yes, there are people in our churches who hide their woundedness, who are afraid to be real, to confess their mistakes and hurts, but there are also flawed people, aware of their humanness who are trying to change by the grace of God. Surely that isn’t so wrong if we can refrain from judging others in the process. We are all God’s children and should love each other as such.
I don’t tire of hearing of Isaiah House either, it really is a case of there by the grace of God, it could be any one of us, as you have correctly pointed out.
You’re not overdoing Isaiah House. It is the Word in you fleshed out in the world. The walk of your talk, and the doing of your hearing (and teaching). You are showing us kingdom ministry.
I hope you won’t mind a slightly different perspective on Matthew 11:12. In the NIV, Jesus says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” I think Jesus could be speaking to the people (7, 16), not to the Pharisees. He is explaining that John’s ministry marks a break with the old traditions of prophets and priests, and the beginning of something new, the kingdom of heaven. That kingdom is “forcefully advancing” in the world but “forceful men” (Pharisees, false teachers, etc.) are attempting to lay claim to its power. Jesus compares “this generation” to “children” because they childishly criticize John for his keeping the Law on the one hand, and Jesus for not keeping it on the other, all the while ignoring the mighty kingdom of heaven that is breaking in all around them.
I agree with you that we evangelicals have bought into a “good people” kind of enclave mentality. Like Linda, I don’t think that is necessarily exclusive of caring for the poor and hurting, and I find most Christians have good hearts. However, I wonder if God sees us in the church today “like children sitting in the marketplace” of postmodern ideas, “calling out to others” in the church to be like us, or not to be like them, or whatever. We focus on what is near to us in our enclaves of Christian experience and tradition, but in our spiritual myopia we miss the bigger picture of the kingdom of God breaking in all around us. Blessed are the lowest and least around us because they will see the kingdom first. Woe to us if we fail to correct our nearsightedness and become like them as we “seek first his kingdom”.
I wrote the entire post earlier and accidentally deleted it intending to be saving it (senior moment). Don’t know if I was as clear second time around. As always with matters of exegesis, I reserve the right to be wrong. I just thought another perspective on these words of Jesus might be helpful.
Very helpful. Thanks indeed!
I agree with Linda; it is by the grace of God that we are reading about these women and not living at Isaiah House. There is absolutely nothing tiring about anything you write on the lives of the resident at Isaiah House. You and Marti have shown many of us that “living” as Christ wants us to is so totally different from “talking” the way we think Christ wants us to. Clay states it the best saying it is the Word in you fleshed out in the world. Please continue to keep us posted on all the positive things you are both doing with the help of your volunteers to brighten the lives and spirits of the women we have all come to love and care for. Thank you both for being there for them when we cannot and for opening our eyes and hearts to those less fortunate. You are both great examples of the love of the Holy Spirit.
I love hearing about the Isaiah House. I think I am beginning to look forward to the monthly dinners as much as the ladies of Isaiah. I am always wondering what the next theme will be and I hope to do more to support your ministry there. Keep giving us as much notice as possible as to what items we can send to help.
Clay – I like what you had to say. It does seem like many of todays church congregations have become like the Pharisees of Christ’s time. We need to break these “traditions” and find the kingdom Christ was teaching. It’s not in the pretty, clean, comfortable church – it’s out amoung the poor and hurting who desperately need to be shown the same love, respect, grace, and mercy that we have been given from the Father.
I was an active member in a church for about 18 years. I served/volunteered in a variety of positions from sunday school teacher, to teen small group ministry leader, to youth board member, and comptroller of the chuch. Then over a 2 to 3 year period it seems the church started falling apart. Leaders of the church, including the sr pastor, starting doing some of the most unchristian things I have ever seen. I tried for a long time to struggle through and try to be a part of a solution, but things only got worse. I have not been back for 19 months now. Luckily I have found a small Bible study group that meets weekly. One member has been fighting cancer for over a year. When she was going through a bad spell we spent one Bible study cleaning her house. Everyone took a room and just did what needed to be done. When we were finished, we gathered around her to pray and ask God to bless her. It was one of the best experiences. I am thankful for the Catch too. It is helping me redefine what I need to be doing to worship God and thank Him for forgiving me.
God’s Blessings to you and your family.
I’ll go you one more Therese… it’s not OUT “among the poor and hurting who desperately need to be shown the same love, respect, grace, and mercy that we have been given from the Father.” It’s IN “among the poor and hurting who desperately need to be shown the same love, respect, grace, and mercy that we have been given from the Father.”
You are absolutely right! I (We) need Him every moment of every day!
I, too never tire of hearing about the women of Isaiah House. I believe we all feel a connection to them in our own way. Is this a nation wide organization? If not, it should be. We have thousands of people homeless and hurting. In our state alone, since january over 360,000 have lost their jobs. We need to focus on these people, our elderly, and our military families, and not greed, power, and self.
This is so true. Thanks for the reminder.
I LOVE hearing about the Isaiah House & the Women of Vision (such a terrific name!) monthly events! Please don’t withhold from us the joy of sharing with you & Marti your Kingdom Work in CA!!
Hi John — I have a question about Isaiah House – is the Gospel of Salvation shared with the women there? It’s very clear that the love of Christ is displayed in the kindness and respect demonstrated, but what I’m not clear on is if the message of salvation is shared…that the guests to Isaiah House know about the cleansing blood of Jesus being the way to eternity with God…of course, caring for earthly needs is important, but I have a concern that as the church grows more and more involved in social justice, that the message of the saving grace of Jesus, the availability of this grace to all, and the need to actually acknowledge and accept the free gift of salvation gets lost in the process…do they know that no one comes to the Father but through Jesus, and that this time on earth is but a blink in the eye of eternity…eternal security in Heaven is just a “yes, Lord” away? And that the hope of Heaven and eternity with our amazing God is what carries us through the bleakest of times? This has been heavy on my heart as I’ve read about the love being shared with these gals…my hope is that Jesus’s attorning sacrifice on the cross and what that means for us sinners is being clearly spelled out and made available to them as well…thank you for all you do!
They may not know everything you’ve put down here, but they have heard how the Lord Jesus Christ loves them and is their means to hope and healing, and from the vociferous agreement whenever we say anything about the Lord (and we join hands and pray for them every time), it is clear that most of them are believers already.
Awesome! Thank you for the clarification 🙂
Hi John! I have enjoyed reading your posts and shared many because of the content of the messages of grace. I read a story (and I can not locate now for the life of me, sighs heavily … senior moment for sure) about a man that accepted Christ and took the message of sharing the love of Christ literally. He purchased a low rent motel that was known for prostitution and hired a Christian staff and instructed them not to speak a word of Christ but to befriend everyone they could and demonstrate the love of Christ. These folks loved these people into the kingdom of God as a result of their actions. The people seen something different and began to ask questions. Many people seen Christ in action and the people sought them out asking why they were different.
Being in America we have many challenges to share Christ. Many have been injured with the good intentions of religious people who have good intentions but do more damage than good. I challenge any one that reads this post to respond only to the promptings of the Holy Spirit that knows all hearts and will tell us when to speak and when we just need to be quiet and show our love by our actions. 🙂
So true – we behave in loving ways, and the Holy Spirit draws people in…like the song says:
LIFT HIM UP, LIFT HIM UP
LIFT THE NAME OF JESUS HIGHER
LIFT HIM UP, RAISE HIS BANNER TO THE SKY
HE SAID, IF I BE LIFTED UP I WILL DRAW ALL MEN UNTO ME
LIFT HIM UP ALL YE PEOPLE LIFT HIM UP
PRAISE HIS NAME, PRAISE HIS NAME
PRAISE HIS RIGHTEOUS NAME FOREVER
PRAISE HIS NAME LIFT YOUR VOICES TO THE SKY
HE SAID, IF WE WON’T PRAISE HIS NAME
THEN THE ROCKS AND STONES WILL CRY OUT
PRAISE HIS NAME ALL YE PEOPLE
PRAISE HIS NAME
Thank you, John and Marti, for setting an awesome example of loving people where they are and letting the sweet scent of the Holy Spirit draw all men (and women) to Jesus!!