This saying, and the behaviors that accompany it, prevents us from participating in the ushering in of God’s kingdom here on earth…because God’s kingdom is a place where family is so much BIGGER than biology. I hope you will seek and find some ways to redefine “family” in your own life, so that you may live into your amazing purpose as a follower of Jesus.
Take your feelings of being done to God, and – just like God gave Moses some help to lighten his load – God will give you EXACTLY what you need to lighten your load, to feel done no more.
I began the sermon by asking you to recall a time in your life when you literally or metaphorically ran to and knelt before Jesus. I hope you can recall such a time. I imagine you desire to feel like that again. And the amazing message of today’s scripture passage is that you CAN. All it takes is removing your expectations of God, of Jesus, and replacing them with an acceptance and praise of WHATEVER God offers.
Jesus told us exactly what these studies about people regretting things at the end of life have revealed: being busy with things of the world is hardly justifiable; it is NOT the better part.
I want to leave you this morning with Jesus’ words that concluded our second reading for this morning. Jesus gave the reason for losing self-focus, for seeing past this tree: “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Would you rather lose life or find life?
It seems to me like a good way to do what Paul suggested: intentionally keep our minds on the forest, intentionally set – or maybe re-set – our minds on things of the Spirit…every time we get together.
If Jesus was right, we’ve got to do a better job of honing in with the whole of our lives on our primary purpose – spending most of our time working on ushering in God’s kingdom here on earth like Jesus did.