Our Sights Are Set on Heaven
by Roger D. Campbell
On a recent trip to Malaysia, I saw a familiar sight that once again reminded me of one particular practice of the Muslims. In a hotel room where Donna and I spent a couple of nights, there was an arrow on the ceiling pointing toward Mecca. Why is there such an arrow on the ceiling in every hotel room? To show any followers of Islam the direction in which they are to pray five times each day. Mecca "is the holiest city of Islam . . . It lies in western Saudi Arabia . . . The city is the birthplace of Muhammad, the founder of Islam. It is also the site of the Kaaba, the shrine all Muslims face when they pray" [The World Book Encyclopedia (International) Vol. 13, (Chicago, IL: World Book, Inc., 1993), p. 302].
Shift gears with me to another religious scenario. Much of the world news in the early part of last month was about the death of "Pope" John Paul II. The followers of Catholicism turned their attention to the Vatican, the "pope’s" body, and his subsequent funeral service. Some commented that after Mr. John Paul’s death, and before a new "pope" was selected, the Catholic religion was without a head. Others stated that the Catholics had lost their shepherd.
Also fresh on my mind is another matter involving a religious devotee’s sights being in the direction of a special earthly place. Not long ago I taught a lesson on the Book of Daniel, including a reference to Daniel opening his windows and praying "toward Jerusalem" (Daniel 6:10). Before the children of Israel entered the Land of Canaan, God told them that He would choose a place and "put his name there" (Deuteronomy 12:5). Later God revealed what that special place was: He said, "... in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there" (I Kings 11:36). So the Jews counted Jerusalem as God’s "holy city" (Daniel 9:24; Matthew. 4:5). The Muslims focus on Mecca. The Catholics focus on the Vatican, taking their orders from earthly headquarters, and the followers of Judaism focus, and still focus, on Jerusalem.
What about Christians? Do we have a special earthly place to which we give our devotion? Is there one or more earthly locations that we count as holier than others? The answer to both questions is "no." Actually, what we should say is that our Lord’s New Testament nowhere teaches that we are to pray in the direction of any earthly place, nor does it teach that any plot of ground is more holy than any other location.
While we recognize the significance of many historical events that took place in what we now know as Palestine, the gospel of Christ does not indicate that we should think of Palestine as "the Holy Land." Again, biblically speaking, we could name several important events that occurred in Jerusalem, but today, there is nothing about Jerusalem’s soil, water, or air that makes it a "holy place" to members of the Lord’s church.
Christians are a "holy nation" (I Peter 2:9). This is not an earthly nation, but rather a spiritual one. As the children of God, we are one family in His Son (Galatians 3:26-29). Our allegiance is not to Mecca, the Vatican, or Jerusalem. We do not point to any such geographical place as our headquarters or the subject of our heart’s devotion. We belong to Christ, as we were bought with His blood (I Corinthians 6:20). For Him and Him alone, we are committed to forsake all (Luke 14:33).
The Bible tells Christians to look unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). And, where is He now? "We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens" (Hebrews 8:1). I am so thankful that I am a member of the church of Christ. I know that members of the Lord’s church will never have to be subjected to the suspense of humans voting to appoint a new head over us. God has already taken care of that matter, as He made Jesus to be the head of His church (Ephesians 1:22). I know that the church will never be without its head, because Jesus is "alive for evermore" (Revelation 1:18). And, it is comforting to know that the body of the Christ will never be without its true Shepherd. Jesus is "the good shepherd" (John 10:14). Our Lord plainly declared that He is the "one shepherd" of His one flock (John 10:16).
For Christians, our allegiance is to Jesus. Our sights are set on heaven. That is where our citizenship is (Philippians 3:20). That is where our Head resides. Let us ever remember: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:1-2).
