Recently, I’ve been thinking about discipleship and what it means. What kind of people are we trying to raise? When Jesus raised his disciples, what kind of people was he trying to raise?
The best words I could put to it was: kingdom people.
What are kingdom people?
They are people who see life through a whole new perspective, and as a result, have totally different priorities as well.
When you look at the Sermon on the Mount in particular, but also all the other things Jesus taught, you see that he was trying to completely change the way his disciples thought.
He taught them that the Kingdom of God was not for those the world considers spiritual supermen and superwomen.
It’s for those who lack any “qualifications” for being loved and accepted by God (Matthew 5:3).
It’s for those who struggle with pain in their life (Matthew 5:4).
It’s for people who struggle with sin and yet hunger for thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6).
It is those people that Jesus says are blessed.
And as we see God’s grace and mercy in their lives, we go out and show mercy to others (Matthew 5:7).
Jesus opens our eyes and says, “Look at the fields ripe for harvest! Look at all the broken people out there! Ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into the harvest field.” (Matthew 9:36-38; John 4:35-38)
But as we pray that, he desires that we ourselves would say, “Here am I. Send me.”
And so Paul says, 2 Corinthians 5:14-16,
For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If one died for all, then all died.
And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.
From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way.
That’s the perspective of a kingdom person. They view Christ differently now. Because Jesus died for them, it sparks love in their hearts and a desire to live for him.
And with that love and desire, comes a new perspective on the people around them. They start seeing people as Jesus did.
That’s why Paul could say in this passage,
For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)
His desire was to please Jesus. And as long as Paul was on this earth, he wanted to touch others for Jesus, bringing them into his kingdom and seeing them grow as kingdom people. (Philippians 1:22-25).
And so Paul challenges us,
As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. (1:27)
In short, “Live as kingdom people.”
Take on Jesus’ perspective.
Take on his priorities.
I don’t know about you, but that’s what I pray for myself.
Because that’s the kind of person I want to be.
And that’s the kind of disciples I want to raise.
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 