Fully Devoted: JesusSample

The Code of the Kingdom

The Kingdom of God has been announced, the invitation has been given, but what does it actually look like to live in it? What Jesus shows us is that life in the Kingdom isn’t about following a bunch of rules, it’s about becoming more like Jesus. It isn’t about getting ourselves ahead, it’s about getting it right with others. The problem we discovered with the Pharisees was that they were really good at following the rules, but really bad at caring for people. That’s why, In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says:

 “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20 NIV

Again, what were they missing? It’s the reality that we cannot be right with God and wrong with others. If we want to have a strong relationship with God, we’ve got to heal our relationships with His kids. This is why the ethic Jesus introduced was so others-focused. It’s about how we choose to treat people, even our enemies. 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” Matthew 5:43-47 NIV

This is the biggest difference between the ethics of God’s Kingdom and the ways of the world. We live in a world that tells us to get revenge, retaliate, look out for number one … and maybe be nice to people when there’s some personal benefit. The Golden Rule is good, but it only extends so far. The world doesn’t expect us to pursue reconciliation, offer forgiveness, or love the seemingly unlovable. But this is exactly what distinguishes us as belonging to God. The Pharisees presumed to be children of God because they were children of Abraham. But the true indicator that we belong to God is how we care for others, even when it’s really hard. It’s not a show we put on so people will see—it’s a way of life we adopt so that God gets the glory. Because when people see us not pretending to love people, but really loving them, even when that kindness is undeserved, we’ll stand out. So, what does this look like practically?

1. We reject the temptations of self-protection and self-promotion.

Really loving people is a risk. Jesus shows us that we can’t be consumed with protecting our own image and think we’re reflecting His image at the same time. It doesn’t work that way. Really loving people like Jesus means opening yourself up to the potential of betrayal. Think about the intentional way Jesus served and loved Judas over the course of three years. He walked with him, empowered him as a leader, was incredibly vulnerable with him, and served him. Jesus got down on His knees and washed the feet of the same man who was about to stab Him in the back and send Him to the grave. Clearly, Jesus wasn’t about protecting His image—He was showing us the perfect image of God. A God who, from the very beginning, in the greatest act of vulnerability, gave us the ability to choose. Which means we could choose to betray Him. And we’re called to love others with this same level of vulnerability and selflessness. 

2. We embrace those we may be tempted to dismiss.

Again, Jesus modeled this so well. He spent the most time with a bunch of fishermen. He announced His identity to a Samaritan woman. He habitually shared meals with tax collectors. He healed the servant of a Roman soldier. The list goes on. Paul sums up Jesus’ crew saying:

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 NIV

Who is it easy for you to dismiss? Is it your little brother who drives you nuts? Maybe a group of kids at school you’ve alway thought were kind of odd? That one girl you’ve always judged because of what she posts on TikTok? It may be someone who believes something different than you or leans a different way politically. We embrace them. Yes, them. 

3. We forgive those who have it out for us.

This is another example of Jesus’ radical way of loving people. Hanging on a Roman cross between two criminals, beaten and abandoned, a crown of thorns on His head, the words that come out of Jesus’ mouth are “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.” This is the Word, the Logos of God, by which the universe came to be. Jesus could have opened His mouth, said anything, and it would have happened! And when He looked down from the cross, He didn’t see a group of people that the world would deem worthy of what He was doing. He saw people who had denied Him, abandoned Him, and betrayed Him. Everything in our culture would say, dude, bounce! These people aren’t worth it! They don’t deserve it. They’ve betrayed you and you have every right to turn your back on them. But in the greatest act of love in history, He stayed on the cross. He forgave the people who had it out for Him. He willingly laid down His life for us when we were His enemies. 

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Romans 5:10 NIV

The code of the Kingdom is radical love. A love that pursues reconciliation, rejects self-centeredness, embraces the unlovable, and forgives the unforgivable. It’s not easy. This love moves toward our enemies. It stays when everyone else leaves. It’s a love that looks like Jesus.         

Journaling Questions

• What part of today’s reading stands out to you the most? Write it in your journal.
• Which of these three ways to love like Jesus do you struggle with the most?
• Who is God calling you to serve? Who is God calling you to embrace? Who is God calling you to forgive? Write their names in your journal.