Tuesday, May 17, 2011

looking for the kingdom

Mark 15:43
Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

What would it mean for me to be "looking for the kingdom of God?"
For Joseph it meant bold courage to act against his association with the Jewish Council and in cooperation with Pilate to preserve the body of Jesus. For Joseph, it meant divorcing himself from what he thought he knew and even who he thought he was for the possibility of understanding just a little more about Jesus. For Joseph, it meant the costly purchase of a linen shroud and the costly sacrifice of his own garden tomb.
What would it mean for me to look for the kingdom of God as Joseph did?
What bold courageous act might I be called to?
What association or identity do I need to divorce myself from?
What sacrifice do I need to make in order to discover a little more about Jesus and His kingdom?

Father, teach me to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Help me to trust You to strengthen me, guide me, guard me and reveal Yourself to me. Amen.

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