(photo by Sara Holben – Scotland, June 2009)
The heart of Jesus’ teaching centers around the theme
of the “kingdom of God.” Or to be more
explicit: Jesus came to preach the good news of the kingdom of God. As scholars point out, the phrase “the
kingdom of God” appears 53 times in the Gospels … and Matthew uses the phrase
“kingdom of heaven” (which means the same thing) another 32 times.
When Jesus was talking about a kingdom he wasn’t speaking
about a political realm within geographical boundaries, but instead was
speaking about God’s “rule” or “authority” or “sovereignty” or “power” over all
of life. The kingdom of God is not something we create for ourselves, but it is
something we receive and it changes how we are to live our lives under God’s
reign.
Jesus speaks about what life is like under God’s
rule – where the last are first, where
children are welcomed and where the lost sheep is found. People are healed and “demons” are cast out,
the captives are freed, and the oppressed are set free. Jesus teaches through his dialogues with
Pharisees, his questions and answers with his disciples, his “sermons” (such as the Sermon on the Mount), and very
often through parables which often hide as much as they reveal – a lot like
God’s rule itself. One scholar wrote:
“At its simplest, the parable is a metaphor or simile
drawn from nature or common life, arresting the hearer by its vividness or
strangeness, and leaving the mind in sufficient doubt about its precise
application to tease it into active thought.”
C.H. Dodd, Parables of the Kingdom (1961)
In the end, the kingdom of
God is not simply located in heaven
nor is it purely an interior experience. Jesus speaks about the kingdom being
both present and future. In the end, as one pastor writes:
The kingdom of God impacts actions, thoughts,
relationships, families, institutions, and governments. In the end, it will
touch everything on earth, when God’s will is fully done on earth “as it is in
heaven.” Yet this expansive kingdom has begun on earth in a most unexpected and
unnoticed way – rather like a mustard seed – in the ministry of Jesus.
Mark
D. Roberts, “What was the message of Jesus?”
Enjoy exploring the kingdom
of God this week!
Readings for Week #10:
· Matthew 13 – parables about the “kingdom of heaven”
· Matthew 18:1-4 – greatest in the kingdom of heaven
· Matthew 20:20-27 – those who would be great in the
kingdom
· Mark 2:1-12 – Jesus heals
· Luke 13-15 – Jesus heals and teaches in parables
· Luke 18:18-29 – the rich young ruler learns about the
kingdom of God
Additional Resources:
- Read the entire article by Mark Roberts on "What was the message of Jesus?" - http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/series/what-was-the-message-of-jesus/
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