Whose kingdom?

by Neil Bergmann

Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.

Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible for mortals is possible with God’ (Luke 18:27).

Read Luke 18:15–30

Jesus welcomes the unwelcome children, and a rich man is not prepared to pay the price to enter the kingdom of God. Again, we see the upside-down, topsy-turvy, last-will-be-first kingdom of God in action.

Of course, there is no cost we need to pay for salvation and no minimum level of faith required for forgiveness of sins. Jesus has done everything required, and we can add nothing to that.

But Jesus wants more for us. He wants us to choose to live in the kingdom of God here and now. He wants us to follow him as disciples in our earthly life. That does come with some effort and some cost. We need to leave space for God in our lives, preferably a lot of space. In this story of the rich man, Jesus reminds us that the world is filled with temptations and distractions.

Jesus doesn’t just usher in the kingdom of God, but he also offers us advice about how to be part of that kingdom and how to follow him day by day. Then, he reminds us that we probably think it is impossible to turn away from the world and turn towards God. By our own strength, it probably is, but with God’s help, everything is possible. That is why we pray, worship and reflect on Scripture – to allow the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to live as disciples.

God of the impossible, send your Holy Spirit to me day after day so that I can live as a disciple of the risen Christ. Amen.

Neil Bergmann worships at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Rochedale, Queensland. He is currently a member of the Synod Agenda and Outcomes Working Group for the Ordination Way Forward project of the LCANZ.

• Click here to read previous devotions.
• We are also posting them on LCA Facebook, making it easy for you to share them with family and friends.
• Sign up to receive Daily Devotion in your inbox every morning. If you’re already doing that, please encourage others to sign up. Click here for the link.