"This is and has been the Father's work from the beginning--to bring us into the home of His heart." -- George MacDonald.

It is sometimes difficult to know how to live in the practical reality of Jesus' admonition in the latter half of Matthew 6: Consider the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. They neither sow nor reap, yet your heavenly father cares for them. So don't worry about what you shall eat or drink. We are all familiar with his words. But do they not often sound just a little too idealistic?

"This is and has been the Father's work from the beginning--to bring us into the home of His heart." -- George MacDonald.

Jesus does not stop with commanding belief in general, not even belief in God. He zeroes in with yet more precision and specificity by also commanding belief in him. This further dismisses the notion that Christianity may be equated with being a kind person and trying to do good in the world. Those are good things. But they are not Christianity.

"This is and has been the Father's work from the beginning--to bring us into the home of His heart." -- George MacDonald.

We find ourselves looking at a series of Commands subject to widely varied interpretation as we attempt to navigate the conundrum between the temporal and spiritual components of the Christian life - Love God, Love man... Give to the poor, Believe.

"This is and has been the Father's work from the beginning--to bring us into the home of His heart." -- George MacDonald.

From probably the most down-to-earth, if we may even phrase it thus, a most unspiritual among Jesus' Commands, we turn to one of the most spiritual: Believe.

"This is and has been the Father's work from the beginning--to bring us into the home of His heart." -- George MacDonald.

Observe how much of Jesus' time was spent among the infirm, sick, destitute, crippled, blind, and demon-possessed.