Day 4
Jesus’
Mission: the kingdom
Read: Luke 4:38-43
When people in this part of the Galilean region sought to restrict and retain Jesus, he said he could not stay. He was sent to preach the Good News of the Kingdom; many locations were yet to be reached. A key component of Jesus’ mission was telling people about the Kingdom of God. Matthew’s account in particular uses this phrase repeatedly (some 52 times), applying many parables to illustrate the different aspects and motivations of this coming Kingdom.
The “Kingdom of God”
is an expression that refers to God’s rule.
It is not a place but a dynamic activity. While Jesus said that God’s final triumph was
yet to come, he also said that God was even now at work in human affairs (Luke
17:20-21).
Jesus’ declaration
of God’s Kingdom is one that brings us great hope. While God is at work bringing restoration to
this planet, yet this declaration is also our great challenge. God’s rule is in sharp contrast to our own
desire to be in charge, and use power and wealth to gain control.
Strangely, today we
hear much about the church and too often much less concerning the growth
and rule God’s Kingdom. We must correct
this “imbalance.” Our mission is not to be
contained within the walls of a building but demonstrated in every place, activity and structure on this planet. It is a holistic, all embracing mission, given to us by God.
Ponder
Point (reflect)
- God’s
Kingdom is both here-now and yet-to-come
Consider
(respond)
- How is my current involvement in mission?
12/9
ReplyDeleteThinking, how I connect with and respond to the kingdom’s-here-and-now actually affects my “faith” in the-yet-to-come stuff; I’m asking myself, “how do my prayers of ‘thy kingdom come' actually resonate in my here-and-now behaviours?” . . . Still thinking!!!