October 23, 2009
According to the Gospel of Mark, the very first message of Jesus was "The time has come. The
Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the Good News!"
For over a hundred years now biblical scholars have agreed that the Kingdom of God was the
core of Jesus' ministry. As my seminary professor, Beasley-Murray wrote in his 400+ page
book on Jesus and the Kingdom of God: "According to Jesus, the coming of the Kingdom of
God is the determinative factor in his ministry of word and deed."
Unfortunately, that is where the agreement ends! Just what is the Kingdom of God? And when
is the Kingdom of God? Even more, is the Kingdom something we strive for, usher in, submit
to, or dream about?
The Kingdom of God has been used as the lens though which to read and understand both
Jesus and the Gospel. It has been employed as the organizing principle for theology. Some,
while agreeing that it is central to Jesus' teaching, insist that it is a discredited un-reality that
should be ignored. At the other extreme are those who find a radical political agenda for
revolution.
The GRR annual meeting is organized around the theme "Thy Kingdom Come." It will be our
focus for 2009. Our premise is: If the Kingdom was the core of Jesus' own message and
ministry, then it follows that to properly focus our own ministries as disciples of Jesus Christ we
must, likewise, be informed and motivated by the Kingdom of God. We have invited teachers,
preachers and practitioners to "show and tell" about the
Kingdom of God. I won't steal any of their thunder, but will
make a few modest observations as an appetizer.
Jesus did not create the idea of the "Kingdom of God," but
elaborated and expanded an idea already present in the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish thought.
The ancient language presents its own challenge for us. The very idea of "kingdom" is
problematic in a world saturated with democracy, classless socialism and an ear tuned for
gender-bias language.
Some have suggested the use of "realm, rule, reign, or dominion." While using one of these
alternative translations may appropriately get around the speed bump of gender-biased
language, all of these words still scream "hierarchy" and "totalitarianism." There is no greater
offense in our equality-sensitive age.
And maybe that is the point!
As James Luther Mays said: The dissonance of this language with the one taught by our
culture, its incongruity with the sensibilities of modernity, is apparent. It is traditional, not
contemporary. It works with poetry and metaphor instead of science and technique. It unites
rather than compartmentalizes. It sees the world as a project in creation rather than a problem
in physics. It centers on a sovereign God instead of a sovereign self.
In this time and place, the displacement of the human self from the throne may be our greatest need.
That, indeed, is the prayer. Thy kingdom come, not my kingdom come! Our theme immediately
calls to mind the phrase in the Lord's Prayer. That is why were intentional about staying with
the traditional translation. We are not implying that God is male.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, it is abundantly clear that things are not as Jesus taught us they
should be. So we pray that God's Reign will be fully realized. It is inescapable that if the Reign
of God is to be fully realized, then God must also assume the throne of my own life. In other
words, the prayer "Thy kingdom come" is not only a longing for "out there" but also a surrender
"in here."
Not only does the "Reign of God" declare that someone (not me) is in charge, it also implies a
purpose.
And God made known to us the mystery of God's will according to God's good pleasure, which
God purposed in Christ, to be put into effect within the times have reached their fulfillment--to
bring all things in heaven and earth together under one head, even Christ. Ephesians 1:9-10.
I believe when Paul wrote "all things" that he meant "all things." There are no boundaries, no
limits, no exemptions to the Kingdom of God. Maybe that is one of the reason it is so hard to
define the Reign of God. It cannot be reduced to anything else. The Reign of God is the
reduction!
God's purposeful reign is our purpose as well. Hence the command of Jesus: "Seek first the
Kingdom of God...." Because the Reign of God includes all things, then our purpose is to
seek for the realization of God's Reign in all things.
Finally, God's Reign is our passion. This is illustrated by the short parable found in Matthew
13:45-46. "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he
found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." He sold
everything.
Wow! That takes my breath away. The Reign of God calls for the total commitment of each
and every disciple and each and every church. I am captured by wonder when I consider just
what might happen if that were the case. And then I falter: Is that really possible???? I am
certain it doesn't happen overnight. And I am even more certain that it does not happen without
the superabundant grace of God. But still .... Is it possible that the realization of the Reign of
God is waiting for just one disciple, just one church to commit every resource it has, every fiber
of its being, without reservation?
We invite each and every disciple, each and every minister, each and every church to make the
Reign of God their prayer, their purpose, and their passion in 2010.
© American Baptist Churches
of the Great Rivers Region
Permission to copy for noncommercial use is granted
