Awaken Our Senses
"Awaken our senses to the realities of Your kingdom breaking into our world."
Matthew 4:17 (ESV)
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Amid our familiar world – a world often marked by conflict, injustice, and pain – there's another reality unfolding. It's the reality of God's kingdom, quietly but persistently breaking into our everyday existence. This Advent season calls us to remember a past event and awaken to a present reality: the kingdom of God is here, now, in our midst. When Jesus began His earthly ministry, His core message was simple yet revolutionary: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."
This wasn't a far-off promise but an immediate reality. The long-awaited rule of God was breaking into the world in the person of Jesus Christ. But what does this kingdom look like? Geographical boundaries or political structures do not mark it. Instead, it's characterized by the very nature of God Himself – love, justice, peace, and joy. It's a reality where the last become first, the poor in spirit receive the riches of heaven, and mercy triumphs over judgment.
This kingdom reality breaks into our world in both subtle and dramatic ways. We see it in the forgiveness offered to an enemy, a radical act that reflects God's forgiveness towards us. It's present in the comfort provided to the grieving, where God's compassion becomes tangible through human hands and hearts. The kingdom breaks through when dignity is affirmed in those society often overlooks, echoing God's value for every individual. We glimpse it in the hope that persists in the face of despair, a testament to the unshakeable faith that anchors believers. And we experience it in the joy that bubbles up unexpectedly under challenging circumstances, a reminder of the deep-seated peace that comes from knowing the King of kings.
To awaken our senses to this kingdom requires a shift in perception. It's like adjusting our eyes to see in a dimly lit room. At first, everything seems dark and indistinct. But as our eyes adjust, we begin to make out shapes, then details, and then a whole new world of perception opens up to us. In the same way, awakening to God's kingdom means training our spiritual senses to perceive what's always been there.
Advent reminds us that just as God's kingdom broke into the world most unexpectedly – through a baby in a manger – it continues to break in through unexpected moments and unlikely people today. As we journey through this season, let's pray for awakened senses. Let's ask God to tune our ears to the frequencies of His kingdom, to sharpen our eyes to see His work in the world around us. Let's cultivate a holy expectancy, anticipating encounters with this divine reality daily.
Remember, we're not just passive observers of this kingdom. As followers of Christ, we're called to be active participants, agents of this breaking-in reality. Every act of love, every pursuit of justice, every word of truth and grace we speak becomes a way of making the invisible kingdom visible. This Advent, may we be fully awake and alert to the realities of God's kingdom. May we not only perceive it but participate in it, allowing our lives to become signposts pointing to the greater reality of God's reign on earth as it is in heaven.
Take a moment to reread today’s Scripture passage and then spend some time reflecting on the following questions:
Matthew 4:17 (ESV)
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Where have you seen glimpses of God's kingdom breaking into the world recently? What feelings did these glimpses illicit?