Random Thoughts

So this week is like a tornado on speed. Hopefully we will get some actual posting happening soon though.

Just a thought: In Mark where the teacher of the law asks Jesus about the greatest commandment, it says that after Jesus told the guy that he was standing on the verge of hte kingdom of God, the crowd all stops asking him questions. I mean, really? Is that the point to stop asking questions? I mean, I would like to think that if I had been in the crowd, that this would be the moment at which I would step forward adn say to Jesus, "Hey, what do you mean that this is the beginning point of the kingdom of God?" I mean if we are coming this close, where's the self respecting, inquisitive seeker who's willing to take that plunge.

I know that in reality I'd probably be just as dumbfounded as everyone there. I mean, when you think about it, this is pretty freaky. Jesus says that the last step before plunging headlong into the kingdom of God is loving God with all passions, intellect, will, and being, and loving others to the extent that we love ourselves. That's drastic. That means loving the guy who comes into my home to rob me, as much as I love me. So, to the extent that I want to hang onto my stuff, at the same time I should be wanting to help him out so that he doesn't have to do this to get a leg up in life. Intense.

So that begs the question that I mentioned before. If this is the step before life in the kingdom, what does life in the kingdom look like?

Maybe it has something to do with Jesus' answer a few pages back about the rich young man. All these commandments we may keep, but to live in the eternal kingdom of God, we have ot abandon the self love that drives us to hoard up for ourselves. Jesus tells him to sell all he has give it to the poor and then he will have eternal life. Then he should follow Jesus.

I think that maybe it has something to do with abandoning the self preservation thing that we are all so into. As far as a command goes, loving others as much as we love ourselves is a tall order. Where the command to love God is explicit, there is really no greater love for God that we can have, the command to love others is like a highway overlook that gives us a glimpse into the kingdom beyond.

Perhaps there is a principle behind the second command that is greater--something that merits true kingdom living more than just loving others as much as we love ourselves.
I think about a few lines that I have been singing the past two weeks:

"It's as crazy as it seems,
love till you bleed, love in reality.
It's as crazy as it seems,
giving you all comes at a cost for me."

No, I don't think I would have been brave enough to look Jesus in the eye and ask what it takes to live in the kingdom among us. This terrible already but not yet paradox grabs hold of me and scares me deeply. Jesus isn't really asking me to live beyond loving others as much as I love myself, is he?