What did Jesus mean?
Where would the Kingdom be?
As stated earlier, the kingdom Jesus referred to was more of a way of life- a time when people would act with love and compassion in God’s name. When Jesus says [John 18:36] ‘my kingdom is not of this world’ this was not to say that it was a heavenly kingdom, away from our present lives but that it isn’t bound by our earthly concepts of kingdom or territory. It is not that the kingdom has not got a place in this world, just that our understanding and presumptions of the kingdom do not apply- as the verse shows in its ending ‘My Kingdom is from another place.’
Within the Gospels, Jesus’ discourses upon the kingdom of God are very frequent, in Matthew alone the ‘Kingdom of God’ is referred to 50 times, in Luke over 30 times. These references take many forms but parables are used repeatedly. The nature of the parables Jesus told are very important if we are to understand that the kingdom is relevant in our lives. They are rooted in worldly experiences, everyday events and based upon recognisable characters. They show that God’s love and compassion can be active in our daily lives- not in some yet unknown place. They show that God’s kingdom is for this earth even if it is not of this earth.
This insistence that the kingdom was the experience of God’s love together with showing and feeling God’s compassion and care was a very difficult thing for the established within Jewish society to take. It was a direct challenge to the Pharisees notion of closeness to God through rituals such as cleansing, a dismissal of the Essenes belief that they should opt out of society to wait and directly contrary to the concept of a need for violent revolution.
What did Jesus mean?
When would the Kingdom be?
In Luke 17:21 Jesus answers this very question when it is posed by the Pharisees by saying, ‘The Kingdom of God does not come from your careful observance……because the Kingdom of God is within you.’ Jesus was telling them that they could be a part of this Kingdom through their love and compassion- it was within them, available then and in the future. They were not to wait but to change and hear the good news. Mark 1:15 shows both the present and future nature of the Kingdom, ‘The time has come…The Kingdom is near. Repent and believe the good news.’
Whilst maintaining that the Kingdom is at hand and within us, Jesus also alludes to greater experience of God’s love to come- a future element above and beyond that which could be experienced there and then. Luke 14:15-24 ‘The Parable of the Great Banquet’ shows that the Kingdom has this future aspect very clearly.
What did Jesus mean?
What would the Kingdom be like?
Through the parables, Jesus challenged the listener to understand what the Kingdom would be like. In the parables, everyday situations and people were used so that the listeners could draw comparisons with themselves and their lives or actions. They were prompted to ask questions and elicit a real understanding of how the Kingdom of God was present in their daily lives and experiences.
One of the most important messages about God’s Kingdom that Jesus repeated many times was that of its inclusive nature. Whereas those such as the Pharisees sought to ensure they were part of the chosen few and distanced themselves from the rest of society, Jesus regularly showed that all were welcome in God’s Kingdom if they believed the ‘Good News.’ In response to the discontented mutterings of the Pharisees, Jesus told the Parable of the Lost Sheep [ Luke 15:1-7], contrasting the inclusive love of God with the exclusiveness of the Pharisees. Luke 13:29 talks of people from the east and west, north and south taking their places at the feast of the kingdom. This was an attack upon those that considered themselves to be the established elite, and was followed up by a criticism which was much more direct in verse 30, ‘Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first will be last.’ Time and time again Jesus sought to include those cast aside by the society- prostitutes, tax collectors and ‘sinners.’
Jesus talked of the loving nature of God’s kingdom with an emphasis on God’s forgiveness. The Parable of the Lost (prodigal) Son [ Luke 15:11-32] showed the astounding love of God for his children. This generous fatherly love, forgiving past misdemeanours and celebrating his son’s return shows a merciful and giving Kingdom ( and therefore God). The Parable of the Good Samaritan combines both concepts of the antiestablishment inclusive nature of the Kingdom and the great kindness and mercy.
Finally Jesus taught how that the Kingdom of God must involve a closeness with God, a personal relationship and experience of God. He taught by his example, encouraging others to partake in this relationship with the one he referred to as ‘Abba.’
Conclusion
The image of God’s Kingdom and therefore God given to us by Jesus was very different from the accepted beliefs of his day. Jesus stressed the fact that God’s love had a place in our world in the present- yet also that we could look forward to even better times. He showed that human actions could display God’s love, forgiveness and compassion. God’s love was within everyone if they accepted the Good News. Beyond this, he changed the very nature of our understanding of God. The picture of a vengeful and angry God was challenged in favour of a loving, forgiving and inclusive God.
Bibliography
Loewe, W.P. (1996) The College Student’s Introduction To Christology, Collegeville, The Liturgical Press
Hill, B (1991) Jesus The Christ, Connecticut, 23rd Publications
The NIV Study Bible (1973): Hodder and Stoughton
Sanders E.P. (1993) The Historical Figure Of Jesus, Penguin Books
