Not of this World
“Then he said,
‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’
He replied to him,
‘Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.’”Luke 23:42-43
As we quickly approach the end of our liturgical year, we are reminded that Our Lord, Jesus Christ is the King of the Universe. His Kingdom, as He told Pilate, is not of this world, but where do we stand? Have we preferred the fleeting pleasures and temporary joys of this earthly “kingdom” over the Kingdom of God?
We must constantly remind ourselves that although we may be in this world, we are not of this world. We are pilgrims making our way to a destination that is not of this world. Since we are not of this world, our hearts should not rest on the things of this world. God has given this world to us and all that it contains, but we must use them for the purpose for which they were created. All of God’s creation should point us to Him. If it does not then we are not using it properly. We must learn and retrain our hearts to see with the eyes of God. All creatures ought to reflect its creator. Do we reflect our Creator? Do our actions reflect the actions of Our Creator? Do we love? Do we forgive? Do we seek what is above?
Our society has forsaken their eternal identity and taken up permanent residence on a land that will pass away. We must resist the temptation to do this, brothers and sisters. If we choose to make this earth our residence we will pass away with it. We were created for an eternal destiny; let’s not so quickly throw it away. Let’s not settle for this world, because who we are, our truest identity, and our final destination is not of this world. We belong to God. The Lord says to us, “You will be with me in Paradise,” but the question is will we draw near to the One who promises us His Kingdom?
