The Kingdom of God

Proclaiming the Dream of Jesus

Human Need to Hope

• It is a common element among all religions to reflect a human need that the future will be better than the present—a Dream

• Jesus had a Dream of an ideal future, and dedicated his life to making it a reality.

• Jesus’ Dream is the KINGDOM OF GOD

The Kingdom of God Proclaimed

• The wording of this proclamation can cause misunderstanding

• It does not imply a “kingdom” as in a geographical place

• It may be easier to think of it as the “Reign of God” or the “Rule of God”

NOTE: We will be looking at the Synoptic gospels as we further explore the Kingdom of God. John does not directly focus on the Kingdom of God, he believes Jesus has already embodied the Dream.

What Jesus Did Not See as the Kingdom

The Jewish Notion of the Kingdom of God

• Jesus accepted the common Jewish worldview that God was the king over all creation. Hebrew religious hymns celebrate his kingship:

“The Lord is king, his is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, he is [encircled] with strength. He has established the world; it shall

never be moved; your throne is established from of old; you are everlasting.” (Psalm 93:1-2)

• It was clear to the Jews that the Kingdom of God had not yet been fully established because evil continued to exist in the world. They recognized this as their own failure to cooperate with God, to follow God’s will completely.

Jesus Gives New Insights to Old Ideas

• Jesus expanded on the Jewish ideas of the Kingdom of God, but he also went beyond it and added to it

• In some cases he contradicted some of the Jewish beliefs: Jews believed the Kingdom of God would be established through a

saviour. After all of King David’s military conquests, the Jews expected a saviour bound up with the notion of a new, national, political kingship

Many expected a military takeover and the expulsion of the Romans led by the Messiah who would a great military leader, a great warrior.

Ideas That Jesus Rejected

• Jesus was not trying to begin a new political reign over his people. In the gospels people try to make him a political leader, and he rejects it

• Jesus’ opposition to violence eliminated the possibility of a military takeover

• It is also clear in the gospels that he did not a geographical state or nation in mind when he spoke of the Kingdom. His Kingdom would nave no national boundaries

• His concept of the Kingdom of God was not a new philosophy or a new plan for social reform

Jesus’ Understanding of God

God as Father

• As we know, Jesus was Jewish, but through his own personal reflection and prayer he began to recognize Jesus as “Father”

• In Mark 14:36, Jesus refers to God as “Abba, Father”. Abba, is the Aramaic equivalent of daddy. His use of this word for God shattered Jewish practice and belief (think of our previous studies: Jews won’t even utter the name of God)

A God Who Loves Unconditionally

Traditional Jewish understanding of God:

• I had made the point previously that the God of the Hebrew Bible comes off as a very different God than the New Testament. This stems from the deep reverence Jews had for God, but they did in fact see God as a loving God (remember he continually saves his people)

• Jews expressed this revered distance from God by referring to God as the heavens. This is why Matthew uses the term “the kingdom of heaven” for his Jewish audience, opposed to “the kingdom of God”

A God Who Loves Unconditionally

• Jesus had a very different vision of a relationship with God

• Jesus emphasized a nurturing, personal relationship between God and the people

• He teaches people to pray to “our Father”

• God loves all people

• This is a new, radical vision of God, one whom people can trust and confide in

The Command to Love

• Jesus understood the Kingdom of God to be communal in nature, implying a new relationship not only between God and individuals but among individuals

• The command to love is deeply rooted in Jewish history and Law (the Ten Commandments for example)

• Jesus goes beyond this and commands people not to only love their neighbour as well as their enemy:

The Command to Love

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:44-48)

The Command to Love

• Jesus doesn’t actually use the word “love” that often

• He teaches that love is the result of compassion, service to others, forgiveness and reconciliation. Love of God is lived out through service to others

• To love is also to forgive: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

• To understand Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God, we have to understand unconditional love of God, and conform to God’s will. Doing so will bring peace, joy and love for all, and realizing the Kingdom of God

Original Sin

• In the story of Adam and Eve, Eve is tempted by the devil and sins. In early church history this was considered the “original sin” that caused the first chasm between God and his people.

• Catholics generally think of sin as a personal, freely chosen action that has negative effects on the sinners as individuals and on their relationships with others

• Sin can also be communal sin, where the effects of individual sin can accumulate to affect all people

• Not all evil is sin, for example tragedies, natural disasters

Who Decides What is Good or Evil?

• Our church works hard to provide guidelines on living a good, moral life style

• There are two types of laws that govern our church:

1) Functional Laws: These laws serve to help the everyday functioning of the church body. For example, sacraments, attending mass, etc. These laws can be changed and adapted as deemed necessary

2) Moral Laws: These are direct interpretations and applications of the law Jesus taught. For example, moral laws governing abortion, euthanasia, etc. These are guidelines for behaviour, but remember, we have been given free will, and the choice will always be ours to make. The church hopes we use the teachings of Jesus to make the right choices.

When in Doubt?

• When an individual has doubts about whether they are making the right choice, it is ideal to examine the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus to come up with the best solution according to their faith and beliefs

The Kingdom Fulfilled Through Jesus

• Jesus made a claim to divine authority to help save humanity from sin

• This divine authority allowed him to proclaim the Kingdom of God in ways no prophet before him could:

He could call God “father”, and refer to himself as God’s son was unique. It made it possible to proclaim intimacy between God and all people

Jesus claimed authority greater than the Law, and challenged it. Luke 6:6-11 Jesus performs miracles on the Sabbath for example.

He had the authority to forgive sins on behalf of God

He could rid the Temple of injustice

• The Kingdom is ultimately about God being victorious; love is stronger than hate; good always wins over evil; and life, not death, has the last say.

The Kingdom of GodRight Now, but Not Yet

Contradictions

• In the gospels there are many contradictions about when the Kingdom of God will come:

• It is imminent: Mark 1:14-15: Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near, repent, and believe in the good news’.

• It will come at the end time: Matthew 25:31-46: Jesus talks of a judgement of all nations at the end time

• “For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.” (Luke 17: 21), but he also tells people to pray for it to come (Matthew 6:10)

Realizations Gained by Contradictions

1. Jesus embodied the Kingdom of God

Jesus believed that the Kingdom was being revealed in his words, deeds, actions and death

2. Jesus’ followers fully recognized the Kingdom only after Jesus’ Resurrection

3. We must respond to Jesus’ invitation to enter the Kingdom

When we love as Jesus did, we will present in the Kingdom of God