My Favorite Verses - Vol V (Feb 17 to Jun 17)

Indeed, Jesus was all about refocusing his listeners not on the Hereafter, but
rather on this lifetime (see Matthew 10:7 & Luke 17:20-21) – not on their liberation
from the Romans in the near future (He avidly proclaimed that he was not the
Davidian Messiah; see Matthew 22:43-45 et al) – not on the days to come but rather
solely on today (Matthew 6:34) – not on personal fears of anxieties, but rather on
serving others (see Matthew 16:24 & Matthew 25:35-40).
Indeed, his heavenly Father is a “God of the living, not of the dead” (Luke
20:38), and his Way was a Way of the living as well, not of the dead. And this is
why Jesus kept telling folks over & over & over again not to worship him but to
“follow” him instead (see Matthew 4:19, Matthew 9:9, Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:3,
Luke 5:27-28 et al) – and not to wait to do so at some point in the future, but rather
to do so immediately, lest death catch them unawares (see Matthew 24:42 &
Matthew 25:1-13) and they suffer the raw deathbed consequences of a life unlived
(see John 3:36 et al).
So let us all therefore cease seeking “the living among the dead” – let us all
choose to live our lives to the fullest, by ceasing to chase after Life among
activities fully deadened.
Amen … Let it be so.
41