Devotional Guide, Today’s Reading – Monday, July 26, 2021

Theme: THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM

Christians are a people “called out” of this evil world into the way of God to learn His righteousness and be the inheritors of the world to come – God’s Kingdom fully established. By virtue of the spirit of God they have and the knowledge of God they practicalise, people of God are peculiar in character and world view from those who blindly follow the devil’s deceit that it is vain to serve God. The children of the kingdom love God with all their heart and their might and love their neighbours as themselves. (Mark 12:28-34) They strive by the grace of God to give the lie to the devil’s boast that no one will remain in the service of God when faced with adversity. (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6) Are we truly the children of the Kingdom? The following texts and comments will seek to clarify the issues further by the grace of God.

Text: “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.” – John 6:15

Comment:  By reason of the wonderful works he did, including that of feeding 5000 people with five loaves and two fishes, a number of the Jews thought his role as Messiah was to establish an earthly kingdom over which he would be king. When the people looked for him the following day and did not see him they entered boats and came to the other side of the sea where they found him.  Being an inspired man, he knew they wanted to make him king by force.  He did not mince words in telling them, “…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” (John 6:26, 27) The disciples of Christ who are children of the kingdom have their hope in the world to come, God’s Kingdom fully established. To them St. John gave this admonition, “…For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” – 1 John 2:15-17