City Life Starter

Written by Paul Lane

The Word

²² “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 

Luke 6:22 ESV

²³ Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. ²⁵ Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, ²⁶ for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷ And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, ²⁸ so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Hebrews 9:23-27

Reflection

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.” – William Shakespeare

“Totus mundus agit histrionem” (All the world plays the actor) – Moto of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

This theme of the world being a stage is one often used by Shakespeare, usually to point to the phases of life man [people] go through.  But I want to focus on the comparison of the world to the stage and the notion that we are actors on that stage.  I think that Shakespeare hits on something very important.  The Bible says that it is appointed man to live once and then the judgement, and it is my contention that the living we are to do is intended to be before God and in accordance to God’s will. 

Often, we get busy with our lives and forget that God is watching.  But it is not only that he is watching, but that He has the script.  He has a way for us to live life.  We are to live it identifying as someone belonging to His kingdom.  But we live in a fallen world, which means that life will not be easy for us.  There will be those who push back against our life choices, not because our choices are bad.  But rather that our good choices bring to light their rebellion toward God.  So, they will hate us.

In this we are told to rejoice.  Not that we are to be glad that people treat us badly, but that because of our participation in God’s kingdom we were found to be worthy representatives of it.  And in so doing, we bring hope of repentance to our fellow man.  This is what it means to be worthy of the work of the kingdom, and it only comes through obedience to God’s word.

Application

So many Christians have charged into situations where they rebuke sinners and then tell themselves that they have done good.  But we must always ask ourselves, is this the will of God for me.  I am not sure that I have ever seen people converted from such an encounter.  But I have seen and heard of many who have come to Christ through friendships and through loving and timely words spoken with God’s grace.

Seek to minister to people always; sometimes use words.

Prayer

Lord, I plead ignorance in my relationships, and confess that I have, at times, tried to bring about Your kingdom in my own strength.  I pray for Your wisdom in relationships, and I pray for Your grace in my efforts to follow Your will.  Restore me to the joy of Your kingdom.  Give me grace and favor when reaching people for Your kingdom.  In Jesus’ name, amen.