02-20-24-ENG.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

Matthew 28:18

Living according to kingdom values leads to a life filled with kingdom blessings. It’s as simple, and as difficult, as that. I say that it is simple because it is pretty straightforward. There aren’t any hoops to jump through. But it is also difficult because we make it difficult through our rebellion, stubbornness, and desire to “find our own way.” Jesus is the way to living a blessed life. He knows the way we should go in order to experience the blessings of His kingdom. Just as He spoke to His disciples on the mountainside overlooking the expansive Sea of Galilee, He speaks to us today through His message. Not too long ago I was able to visit Israel with my family and ministry partners of The Urban Alternative.

One of the highlights of the trip was going up on the mountain where Jesus sat down to teach His disciples and the mass of people gathered to hear. As I stood on the mountainside alongside the film crew and my family, I took a moment to look out over the terrain and imagine what it might have looked like with everyone gathered together. I could picture Jesus sitting down on a large stone in order to teach, and the crowd growing quiet. In Matthew 5:1, we read that Jesus sat down to teach. He sat down when He taught on the hillside. It could have been that Jesus sat down because He was tired. Or it might have been because He knew He was about to speak for a relatively long time. Or it could also have been symbolic. To sit and teach in those days, as it is in our day to a large extent, was to do so from a seat of authority.

Like a king sitting on his throne to rule over his kingdom, or the pope speaking ex cathedra—meaning “from the chair”—or a judge sitting over a case, it means to speak from authority. So, when Jesus spoke of kingdom values, know that He did so from a position of authority. No one has more authority than He does to deliver the kingdom principles by which we are to live. He is the King of kings. He owns and rules the world we call our home. And since He does, He knows how we are to live in it as kingdom disciples. It’s important to rest in the knowledge of His authority because that awareness can give you confidence. It can strengthen your resolve to fully follow Jesus Christ. When you know that someone is in authority, you typically take them more seriously. 

The reason is because authority comes with the ability to hand out blessings or consequences. Thus, when we recognize that Jesus sits in authority over all created beings, it gives us greater motivation to obey Him. Spending time in Israel in the proximity of where Jesus walked made a huge impact on my life. It helped me recognize the closeness Jesus must have had with His disciples as He walked the roads with them. Sitting down to teach them wasn’t so much a prepared and staged event as it was Jesus sharing from His heart in such a way so as to improve the lives of His listeners. He wanted to improve their lives because He loved them. Similarly, Jesus wants to improve our lives today because He loves us. It is only when we begin to understand Jesus’ heart of love for us that we find His commandments and guidance freeing in our lives rather than constricting. Living with kingdom values is the surest way to living a life of joy, peace, and abundance—which is exactly what Jesus longs for you to experience (John 10:10). 

Reaction:
How does Jesus’ love for you show up in your life? Do you find you respond more favorably and intentionally or less favorably when interfacing with someone in authority unbacked by love? Explain why you answered the way you did. How can you shift from robotic obedience, such as checking off a list, to obeying Jesus out of love in your heart for Him? 

Prayer:
Jesus, I want to know and experience Your love for me like You shared with Your disciples. I want to know what it is like to walk intimately with You as a friend. As I get to know You more, my heart will respond to You and Your authority because I will also feel Your love. I can trust Your authority when I know You truly love me. Help me come to know Your love on a deeper level than ever before. In Your name I pray, amen.