The World.

God's values are not the values of the world.

The world values:
victory, fame, money, status, material possessions, physical beauty, beautiful things, pleasure, intoxication, sex.....

We are fed these values constantly by the media.

Even our education reflects these values - they are the things we are taught to aspire to.

The world loves success and power and uses violence and fear to achieve them.

But God says that what we do to the least matters.

The world cheers winners and ridicules losers.

At first we expect God to be like the world:
i.e. to win, to use violence and force, to reward and punish - these are worldly values.

Jesus' disciples constantly misunderstand him.

The Book of Revelation in which the God of power and might conquers evil reflects the worldly values of victory and glory.

But the Father judges no one.

We should help the powerless, the losers, the nobodies, the sick, the disabled, the poor.

Celebrity culture in which our attention is monopolized by the rich and famous is a thing of the world.

Idealism, charity, unselfishness, mercy, compassion, welfare, socialism, weakness, truthfulness, humility.....all these things are despised by the world.

God comes last.  He doesn't win.  And there are no sides.

It is the world that killed Jesus:
the powers and authorities of the world.

When he was captured he said nothing.  He allowed them to bruise and kill him.  And he forgave them.

God did not stop them because they would not listen to His prophet and God  does not use force.

We live in darkness in the world.

Through Jesus we begin to see.

Through prayer we come to know God.


Photo Credit: *Raúl* Flickr via Compfight cc