Andrew Springer
1 min readNov 18, 2024

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You raise important points about Jesus's teachings, but I believe we're missing crucial historical context. When Jesus spoke of his kingdom "not being of this world," he was rejecting the violent revolutionary movements of his time - not calling for passive acceptance of injustice.

The historical Jesus was deeply concerned with earthly conditions. His teachings about the Kingdom of God were about transforming THIS world. That's why he taught us to pray "thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

When Jesus spoke about wealth, he was unequivocally clear: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." He drove the money changers from the temple. He told the rich young ruler to sell everything he had and give to the poor.

You're absolutely right that we must love everyone - including the wealthy and powerful. But love sometimes means challenging harmful behaviors and systems. Jesus showed this kind of love when he confronted religious authorities who burdened the poor while enriching themselves.

The earliest Christian communities shared everything in common (Acts 2:44-45). This wasn't forced by law - it flowed naturally from following Jesus's teachings about love and justice.

The question isn't whether we should create God's kingdom on earth - Jesus already told us to do that. The question is how we participate in that work today.

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Andrew Springer
Andrew Springer

Written by Andrew Springer

Emmy winning journalist, producer and entrepreneur. Co-founder of NOTICE News, follower of Jesus. 🏳️‍🌈🌹 Weekly newsletter: https://bit.ly/jesusmovementemail

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