The Kingdom of God, Part 3

The Kingdom of God, Part 3

…strive first for the kingdom of God and (its) righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.[1]

The kingdom of heaven is a confusing concept because it sounds like a place a whole lot different than where we are now, yet Jesus says it is very near. I was taught that it was paradise and there would be no sickness, sorrow, or tears there. We would be reunited with dead loved ones, and our earthly cares and concerns would be gone forever. And while that may or may not be true, I doubt it is true in the way we imagine from this side of the grave. When we look carefully at what Jesus said about God’s kingdom, it doesn’t appear to remove us from earthly realities like suffering, separation, and temptation, but it does transform our experience of them. What is different in this kingdom is not what we experience as our external reality in this life. What changes is our internal awareness of and perspective about those experiences. We are granted a greater understanding of why some of what happens here happens, and we are better able to perceive how much we are loved, cared for, and included. In order to better grasp what Jesus is talking about when he refers to the kingdom, it is helpful to let go of our notions of it as a physical location in space and time, at least as we understand and experience physical locations now.

We receive strong hints that the kingdom of God is unlike any earthly kingdom by the many seemingly obscure references Jesus makes to it. For example, he says that the kingdom does not come in things that can be observed.[2] Entering the kingdom requires being born anew, but not in the way we were birthed by our mothers.[3] He claimed there were people alive in his day, and presumably ours too, that would not taste death before seeing the kingdom.[4] He accused the religious leaders of his day of locking people out of the kingdom because of their misleading and misguided teachings.[5]

An early reference by Jesus to the kingdom is this: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”[6] A similar teaching from Luke is, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”[7] One way to understand poor in this context is unencumbered by or free from earth-bound attachments and worries that make us slaves to that which has no permanence, like material possessions, social status, and youthful appearance. What typically enslaves and encumbers us on earth are not usually physical chains or prison cells but are things like debt, regrets, worries, broken relationships, emotional scars, and loneliness. Being poor of such unnecessary baggageis freeing and necessary for entering more deeply into our moments where the kingdom may be experienced. The weight of that sort of encumbering wealth is always self-inflicted, meaning that while the types of events that can lead to those reactions happen to all of us, it is our choice whether we allow them to enslave us.

In contrast to the necessity of being poor to enter the kingdom of heaven, Jesus also comments on how difficult it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom. He calls out those whose earthly encumbrances dominate their conscious attention to such an extent that they cannot attend to eternal, spiritual matters. He illustrates this difficulty by saying it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, a small opening in a city wall for sheep to enter and exit, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom.[8] In different gospel accounts he tells stories of a certain ruler[9] and a rich young man[10] who claimed to follow the commandments and the law to the letter as they ask what else must be done to enter the kingdom. Jesus told them to sell all their possessions (riches) and give the money to the poor, seemingly a bridge too far for both. Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of heaven.”[11]

Although wealth itself is not necessarily condemned, allowing our conscious attention to be consumed by accumulating, maintaining, and over-valuing material wealth is clearly a practice that blocks our experience of Jesus’ kingdom. In truth, our wealth does not belong to us anyway. It belongs to God, and we, as its stewards, are responsible for its wise use in service to others and not in service to additional wealth or for our own comfort or security. Wealth shared with those in need is a great asset to the kingdom. Wealth hoarded is an impediment.

This is the 28^th in a series titled Crucifying Christianity, Resurrecting the Way.Life Notes are my explorations into mysteries that interest me. They are invitations for readers to explore more deeply into life’s mysteries. Engage with me or explore contemplative spiritual direction at ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] Matthew 6:33

[2] Luke 17:20

[3] John 3:3

[4] Luke 9:27

[5] Matthew 23:13

[6] Matthew 5:3

[7] Luke 6:20

[8] Matthew 19:23; Luke 18:25

[9] Luke 18:18-25

[10] Matthew 19:16-22

[11] Luke 18:24