“Draw Closer To The Kingdom Through Care And Concern For Others!”

“Draw Closer To The kingdom Through Care And Concern For Others!”
Knowing what the law is, is one thing, putting it into practice is something else. A scribe listens to Jesus as he gave some intelligent answers concerning the words of scriptures, so he asks Jesus to know which is the greatest commandments of all.
Jesus responded with what it was. Love for God with the totality of one’s being(Deut. 6:4-5) and the love for one’s neighbour as self(Lev.19:18).
The scribe confirms this and adds interestingly that love for neighbour as oneself “is more than whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When Jesus heard how wisely he answered, Jesus commended him for such wisdom and told him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God”(Mk.12:28-34).
It is pointless to offer whole burnt offerings and sacrifices to God if you do not show love to your neighbour to the degree to which you love yourself.
It is not your regularity in church attendance, the payment of your tithes and thanksgivings that makes you one who is close to the kingdom. What brings you closer to the kingdom of God is the love you show to others through care and concern.
Service to God is only through fellow humans who like yourself are created in God’s image! To love God with the totality of your being is to do to others what you would expect them do to you. Live by the golden rule.
Unfortunately some of us now consider the church as a circular institution and many have wandered away from the fellowship because when they looked for love in the church we gave them hate and hurt.
This is one of the gaps we have been discussing in Nairobi these few days. Such missing gaps have caused many to go where they were shown care and concern. But such places have turned out to propagate falses theologies which take advantage of their helplessness!
What is needed is for us to go back to the old time prescriptions of love through care and concern and not to make the church a tribunal for threats, intimidations, manipulations and majesterial decisions as if we have become larger than God himself!
My friend, that lowly person there just need some little more love from you. If you offer it to her or him, then you are not far from the kingdom of God. God is love and you cannot claim to know him if the love you give to others is mere lip service! Do some love to your neighbour to the degree you do to yourself!
Weekend Prayer: Holy Spirit bring me closer to the kingdom of God, not through burnt offerings and sacrifices, but through show of care and concern to others. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!