the kingdom of heaven (4)
July 28This is the formal conclusion to a four-part series; I may or may not extend it.
Read parts one, two, and three.
I concluded the previous installment by highlighting a portion of Jesus’ statement which I believe has profound implications for us today. Now, we’ll explore what he meant by this.
Jesus tells us that “the Kingdom of God is at hand.”
Other translations of this text include “is/draws near and draws nigh.” The Greek word used here is “eggizo“. It means to join one thing to another or to approach. There are two implications for this interpretation. First, we see that the Kingdom of Heaven is immediately available to us — we need only respond to this call to repentance (that is, allow our minds to be completely transformed — from which action will flow).
Second, we see that the Kingdom of Heaven is approaching the kingdoms of the world. As God has no intention of retreating, his Kingdom will crash into earth as he reclaims, restores, and renews what is His.
When a king comes to visit — or better yet, take up residence, it’s a pretty good idea to put things in order. We see this in the Parable of the Ten Minas in Luke 19 (a mina was about three month’s wages for a laborer). In this parable, a king entrusts three servants with a significant amount of resources in order that they might invest and grow them. But we’re told that “his citizens hated him…saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’” In this story, those who submit themselves to the authority of the king are trusted and loved. Conversely, those who refuse the king’s authority and failed to obey him were put to death.
As such, we’ve good reason to submit ourselves to the Kingdom of God. We’re called to trust in Him, to freely give as we have received, to minister to widows and orphans, to feed the hungry and clothe the naked — in other words, to be Just. The King calls us to push against the pain and brokenness of sin. Though we’ve long participated in its destruction, we must do what we can to make good on it. Not for salvation’s sake (at least as we tend to think of it). But because we know that the will of the King is obedience, justice, restoration, and renewal. Waiting around for him to simply return would be much like the third servant in the story of the minas. He was viciously scolded and had what was entrusted to him taken away.
Today, Christ calls us to enter into the Kingdom, much like he called his first-century disciples. What might living life in the Kingdom of Heaven look like today?
Greek references from Blue Letter Bible.
July 28th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
I think you know what words I’d use for “the Kingdom today”:
community involvement
sustainability
local affection
chalk
creativity
peace
gardening
simplicity
reconiciliation
hope
July 31st, 2006 at 11:26 am
Come, let us reason together. I really liked your articles, Scott, but I’m afraid a lot of our generation is getting the wrong idea about what the advance of the Kingdom engenders in the larger world; in other words, what kind of reaction does the Kingdom bring about in a sinful world of darkness ruled by Satan?
“34“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39)
Our Lord is clear on this — if we follow Him (and as a precursor we must be members of the Kingdom–the Church–in order to follow him), we will die. As a reader of Bonhoeffer, I’m sure you’ve run into this — if it’s not in his “Ethik”, I’m sure a quick read of the Cost of Discipleship will stir you up a bit (it did for me!). The direction we have seems to be clear, and it seems to be dangerous, but it’s because we’re living not for the Kingdom realized here in this present world where darkness reigns but for the Kingdom of Heaven that will be firmly established upon a new and revitalized earth with eternal ground, righteousness, peace, and community centered around the throne of Christ our King.
July 31st, 2006 at 1:46 pm
Paul,
Thanks for reading. It’s a pleasure to be able to share and discuss these ideas with others. Thank you for writing as well!
As you know, I’ve been quite excited about the urban renewal project I’m helping to organize and promote. It’s a lot of fun to get people excited about serving Christ. Unfortunately, this excitement isn’t universal.
About a month ago, we received a piece of hate mail from someone in a neighboring community. The writer was quite upset about our vision for urban restoration and renewal, calling us (among other things) “self-aggrandizing Christians trying to take over the world.”
At first, that really hurt. I wondered how someone could oppose what we’re doing here and why they might do so. Then, I remembered the words of Jesus which you’ve spoken to me.
There are certainly spiritual forces at work among us — on both sides. But I thank God that “if Christ is for us, who can be against us?”
The Kingdom is breaking in in tiny places all around the world. And as it draws near, we can expect greater and greater opposition to arise. But something more holy and beautiful that is beyond our imaginations will follow the birth pains.
May His good and perfect will be done. On Earth as it is in Heaven.
-Scott
August 1st, 2006 at 11:24 am
Scott: “The Kingdom is breaking in in tiny places all around the world. And as it draws near, we can expect greater and greater opposition to arise. But something more holy and beautiful that is beyond our imaginations will follow the birth pains.”
Earl: Sometimes it takes more faith than I have to believe that anything holy and beautiful will come out of the mess we’re in. Sometimes the best I can do is try to see something holy and beautiful (without regard to visible results) now present in the futility and absurdity of small acts of love, justice, obedience, i.e., repentance (and I try to remember that the mustard seed really can become a tree).