[Pearls Ep 155: Preparing for Sunday.]
Yesterday we looked at the reality that we bring our kingdom with us.
In antiquity the kingdom was where you lived, and life in that kingdom had a tremendous impact on how you conducted your own life. In our current time and place in history, though it may not seem like it, we enjoy much more freedom.
As we saw yesterday, we still live in a kingdom, but we have to choose whether it is a kingdom fashioned by the world and our ego, or the Kingdom of God.
Let’s compare the two:
- A kingdom is “secure.”
This can be good or bad. We all know people who live in a kingdom of worldliness, or sadness, or resentment, or addiction that seems impenetrable.
Better is to choose the security of the Kingdom of God. In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul teaches that when we give our cares and concerns to God, “the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:7) In his notes on this, and based on additional scripture, Scott Hahn goes so far as to interpret this as saying “God will post a guard around our minds to protect us from the doubts and disturbances that weaken our confidence in His fatherly care.”
- A kingdom has rules.
You’ve probably been around people living in a kingdom burdened by addiction or ????. You sense they have a whole world of rules and rituals. Perhaps you’ve encountered true narcissists with their abusive passive aggressive behavior? Steve grew up in a home that bordered on germophobia, with all manner of rules and restrictions to combat invisible pathogens – he is still scarred by it – a prized Christmas gift was a UV light to sterilize things!
The Kingdom of God has its rules. They’re very simple. What we shouldn’t do is outlined in the 10 Commandments, and what we should do is given in the 2 Great Commandments (love God and neighbor) and the Sermon on the Mount (particularly, the beatitudes).
- The kingdom defines your state in life.
Kingdoms of old were divided into aristocracy and serfs/slaves. There was the rare occurrence of a King Louis (St. Louis) who recognized the dignity of all of his subjects, but even then there was a caste system – there just wasn’t enough to go around.
The modern world isn’t so different. Just look at the rise of the global elites – meeting in Davos right now to figure out what other liberties we serfs need to be relieved of.
The Kingdom of God exists in the order of grace – which is superabundant and the only truly renewable resource – there is always more to be had. So, on the one hand we are slaves- that’s what St. Paul calls himself, a slave of Christ. But why wouldn’t he choose to be a slave to the person who gave His life for us. t. Paul continues that we are also adopted sons and daughters of God. So we are also co-heirs. God will not withhold anything that is for our good.
Again, wherever we go, we bring a kingdom with us. Christ invites us to choose His.
Blessings on your journey with Christ –
Steve and Karen Smith
Interior Life
Postscript: Matthew 4:12-17
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”