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John 18:36 – My Kingdom is Different
What did Jesus mean when saying “My kingdom is not of this world.” Did He simply mean otherworldly as in spiritual and not physical? World or kosmos often means “the systems of the world,” and “social constructs of society.” Then Jesus shows how: “or else My servants would be fighting.” I then wondered how many different horozontal applications we could make to this beyond Jesus’ immediate example: morally, socially, economically, racially, and more. I also wondered how it would apply in our vertical relationship of worship: is one constant danger we face the same as old Israel in that we want to be like the nation’s churches? Is denominationalizing the church in work, worship, structure, and worship a constant battle, one lost many times? Just think how different old Israel’s kingdom was in the beginning: no king, no capital, no standing army. Their kingdom was not according to social constructs either. It is hard not to be of this world.
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