Thursday, August 17, 2006

daily life in the kingdom

An interpretation of--what good thing must I do...

In the kingdom of God—we are to preparing rooms for guests and when they arrive we are to be demonstrating the best kind of hospitality to them, for the guests are those who are being wooed into the kingdom. Our spiritual progeny (the son) are the keepers of God’s household. Yet, our spiritual sons and daughters’ provision is somewhat lacking. In this parable the son stewards his household, providing well for the pastor, bringing in his aging mother (those who are parents in the faith). Yet the spaces that have been assigned to the mother are unsuitable for her wellbeing and she is given other provisional space. The son’s office, which he is to share with his mother, is too cold. She is not given space suitable to work alongside him in the kingdom of God. Thus, she avoids working at all. Her bed is old and in a guest’s room. The elderly in the faith are not given suitable space to rest. They begin to long for the luxuries that will give them provisional, material comfort for their aches and pains. They take up the spaces the guests are to be occupying. They, the pastor and the rest of us in God’s household continuously run into the dead-end hallway, in our futile efforts to pursue wealth and material well-being. The household of God is being managed poorly with respect to the elderly and those who are to be guests in the kingdom.

On the other hand there is anticipation of these guests, which have not yet arrived. The pastor has been given a good, pleasant and modest space to work. The geraniums are a sign of life, vitality and cheer but also the abundant hope for unexpected wealth as well as the hope for unexpected recognition. The pastor and our spiritual parents in God’s household recognize the futility of pursuing wealth and prosperity in the household of God. The elderly hear the voice of God which offers them healing for crippled legs and a path to walk upon instead of silver and gold.

Now here is a question for my readers...

Who is the steward, managing God's house?

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