The "Kingdom"...

One of the driving metaphors for my life in past few years has been what Jesus called the "Kingdom of God". It has captivated my imagination for several reasons. First, Jesus spent an incredible amount of time talking about it. In fact, when he talks about the "gospel" or the "good news" it's almost always tied to this idea of the Kingdom. Second, it gives me a picture of what it means to be a believer. When you enter into a new kingdom you usually get there by surrender. And your presence implies that you have adopted the authority of this new kingdom as your authority. Finally, it helps me understand what the church is here for. The Kingdom takes root in my own heart and as it begins to shape my life then it begins to spread to others. Tim Challies recently interviewed Derek Webb and they talked a bit about these ideas. Webb says,

"That's really what Jesus' kingdom coming means: 'the being made right of all things.' The way we proclaim that kingdom is by putting our hands to that. So you see someone who is hungry and you proclaim to them a kingdom where there will be no hunger by putting food in their mouth. If someone is ill or sick you proclaim to them the kingdom where there will be no sickness by caring for them or giving them lifesaving drugs. I think that is probably what St. Francis might have meant when he said to 'proclaim the gospel at all times and if necessary use words.' That is his famous quote. I really think that is exactly what he could have meant. We go into culture and proclaim the coming of Jesus' kingdom where all things will be made right by putting our hands to 'the being made right of all things' and of course there is the literal proclamation of his showing up on the scene that we also need to tell people." (Read the whole interview here.)

That's profound. It adds a depth to the meaning of Jesus' command of "Go and make disciples." We proclaim the "kingdom" through what we say - "Jesus died to offer you forgiveness and a way to a relationship with God." We also proclaim it thorough how we live - "This is what it looks like when you surrender to the leadership of Jesus..." This gives fresh meaning to some of the things that Jesus said...

"The time has come, the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15)
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." (Lk. 6:20)
"Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.'" (Lk. 10:9)
Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (Lk. 17:20-21)

Paul points us that way as well...

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." (I Cor. 4:20)

I hope the idea of the Kingdom captivates you. It's God at work...and who wouldn't want to be a part of that?