The City Of The Future

For the past week plus I've been on the road and unable to find the time to post another blog. I face yet another week of traveling before settling back in my familiar haunts. All this reminds me that life itself is a journey. That is exactly what the Bible says as well.

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. —Hebrews 13:12-15

The sacred writer reminds us that Jesus was rejected by the religious and political establishment of His day. He was murdered through the manipulation of power and greed. And all this was so that He might make us holy in the sight of God. Therefore, we are motivated to follow Him. Step away from the pettiness and emptiness of this world and focus on that to come. "We have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come."

This is not to say that we are to reject this wondrous creation. What the writer speaks about is a city. Wikipedia defines a city in this fashion:

A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law. 

Most of us live or are directly linked to the cities of this world. We travel between them, do our business in them and often find our recreation there. The temptation we face is to assume that this is where we live. But the writer reminds us that we have and can have no permanent cities. They and the humans who inhabit them are under the judgment of a righteous God. The Apostle Paul puts it this way,

. . . we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.      —2 Corinthians 4:18

I live in the suburbs of one of the world's great cities, Houston, Texas. I've lived here for over four decades. Many things have changed during that time. Many things are transient. We've suffered through three hurricanes, numerous floods and tornadoes. We've seen many accidents, much crime and suffering. The economics have changed. Whatever Houston stands for around the world—NASA, big Oil, transportation, etc. —is also changing. It's all transient.

What's permanent? The city to come. And so I'll pack up my belongings, bundle us into our car and move on. Lots of travel ahead of us in the next week. And then one day, I'll simply leave it all behind, even this old body and move ahead to the city to come. Hope to see you there.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." Rev. 21:1-5