We Are Strangers

Some years ago, Petra did a song with lyrics that said, “We are aliens.” My son was kind of young at the time and he objected strenuously to the lyrics; he thought they meant that we were little green men from some other solar system. Of course, that isn’t what they were saying, they were simply pointing out that biblically, this world is not our home. We are strangers in a strange land. Jesus said that if we were of this world, then the world would love us, but, because we have our minds set on a better home, the world will not accept us, and we cannot be of the world.

The irony of it is that our Father created this world, and yet, we are the ones who don’t belong here. Of course, if we weren’t here, then we wouldn’t be able to help along those who have not come to know the saving power of Christ.

Those who don’t know Christ look at life just a little bit differently than those of us that do. They generally consider their physical wants and needs first. In the book of Luke, Jesus talked about a man who had such a large farm, that he ran out of places to store grain. He decided to tear down his barns and build greater barns, and then just take it easy. He was ready to coast through the rest of his life. That night, though, his life came to an end, and he had to face the fact that all of his labors no longer counted for anything; everything he had worked for was left behind as he passed on to the next life. In the same passage, Jesus goes on to talk about the lilies of the field, how they toil not, neither do they spin, and yet, Solomon himself, in all his glory was not arrayed as one of them.

Jesus asked the question, “What profit is it, if a man gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” In the parable of the sower, (Matthew 13:22 and Mark 4:19) Jesus taught that the seed that fell on thorny ground represented people who receive the Word, but then get caught up in the cares of this life. Even for those of us who have a hope of a life beyond this one, it’s easy to get caught up in those types of worries. In this economic climate, it’s hard not to worry about whether one will still have a job next week, or whether the current job will still be paying well enough to pay the mortgage (or the rent)—and will there be room at the homeless shelter if it comes to that. These things are all temporary, though; rough patches happen in this life. Keep in mind, though, that this is the short life. Apostle Paul once wrote that if he had hope in this life only, he would be, of all men, most miserable. Jesus said that if you love your life, you’ll lose it. I think most of us have heard the expression, “It doesn’t matter in the long run.” Sometimes there is more truth to that than most of us would like to admit; but it is particularly true regarding this life compared to eternity. Except for the things that we do, or don’t do, that determine where we spend eternity, most of the things of this life just don’t matter in the long run (and eternity is a very long run).