Posted on 08/25/2011 8:34:38 AM PDT by count-your-change
Knowing that the government or kingdom of God that Jesus taught us to pray for (Matt. 6:10) is a very real and actual rule by Christ as its King we can examine the Scriptures to see what conditions will be under that rule.
While preaching about the coming of this kingdom Jesus showed, albeit in a limited way, that no one would want for food. The Good News of the Kingdom would not include stories of hungry orphans and families begging for enough food to ease the pangs of starvation.
When some 5000 men plus families were gathered to hear him Jesus was able to feed them all. Says Matt. 14:19, 20,
'Jesus commanded the crowds to recline on the grass and taking the five loaves and two fishes, and looking up to heaven he said a blessing and after breaking the loaves he gave them to his disciples and the disciples to the crowd. So all ate and were satisfied and they took up the surplus of fragments, twelve bucketfuls.'
Not starvation rations but food to satisfaction and even a surplus of both spiritual and physical food.
Today no one can run for office without facing the issue of how medical treatment and health care is to be provided for the citizenry. But even being wealthy and able to afford the best available care doesn't guarantee good health or even relief from some illness.
Jesus as a ruler will have no such limitation on his ability to heal all. Matthew 4:23 says,
"He went throughout the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news of the kingdom and curing every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity among the people.'
The most grievous and intractable of afflictions were lifted and this without subjecting the sufferer to further pain or crushing monetary costs.
In a country in which over eating is causing health problems it may be difficult to grasp how chronic malnutrition and the ill health it produces saps the strength of a population but no more under Christ as Provider and Healer of mankind.
But what good is having good health today and the necessities of life if some disaster comes along and destroys a farmers crop or perhaps takes a person's life. In many parts of the world starvation is just one drought or flood away.
Mark 4:37-41 relates that when a boat Jesus was in was beset by a storm Jesus 'roused himself and said to the sea, "Hush! Be Quiet!" and the wind abated and a great calm set in'
Thus Jesus demonstrated that he would even have control of the weather so that no one need feel dread of drought or tornado or fear all they've worked for might be swept away in a day by hurricanes.
Of course good health and security of one's living mean little to those who have already died. Are they not going to be able to enjoy these things too?
Jesus said he would perform an unimaginable act of love toward mankind. Wars and "natural" disasters produce crowds of grieving parents every day so Jesus gave hope to all of these parents by raising from death the young daughter of one such grieving father and mother.
Luke 8:54-56 says Jesus ordered the dead girl to "Get up!" and she returned to life. No great ceremony, no cryogenics or secret chemical concoctions but as Luke 9:43 says it was by "the majestic power of God".
We are assured that these are not isolated cases when at John 5:28,29 Jesus as a resurrecting King will raise "all those in the memorial tombs....".
This is the briefest of a brief treatment of the subject but even so these few verses should make clear some of the joys to be under Christ's Kingdom.
Precisely why humans will not establish the Kingdom by their efforts.
Thanks for the link!
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