THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

 

First Church was stately. It had served its neighborhood for decades, but now the neighbor-hood was “in transition.” Most of the old guard had either passed away or moved on, but the church sign still read, “Everyone Welcome.” So a casually dressed, long-haired young man, with tattoos and earrings, entered the church one Sunday morning. When the saints in the pews saw him, they were caught off guard, and they were even more upset… when the young man sauntered down the main aisle, and sit within 20 feet of the chancel. There he was- sitting cross-legged in the middle of the aisle- and everyone wondered what would happen next. But just then, deacon Wilson got up and made his move. The congregation was sure that this stern old church patriarch would set the intruder straight… but instead, he laid his cane down and sat down next to the visitor… in the middle of the aisle. Christ came to First Church that day as an old man who hungered and thirsted for righteousness

 

After he had been baptized by John and tempted by the Devil, Jesus called his disciples aside and talked to them about “life in the kingdom of heaven.” He knew that they would be tempted to seek power and status, and he knew that they would be tempted to make their Christian journey all about themselves. He knew that, in this world, winning is everything and that status, wealth, and titles… set us apart from others. But he wanted them to know that life in the kingdom is based on an abiding love of God and one another. None of us will be at the center of life in the kingdom. We will be loved, of course, but it will not be all about us.

 

We are tempted to think that we will be best served by making sure that we are “uno numero” in our own lives and that we are somehow in competition with others. We are tempted to think of God as our servant and we are often drunk on our own wine! We’re told that we live in a tough and unforgiving world and that we should be careful about getting too close to others. But Jesus said that the kingdom doesn’t work this way, and that we should live as if we belong to the “kingdom of heaven” here on earth.  

 

The kingdom of heaven is centered on God and its citizens praise God as if they are one people. Heaven will be a place of blessings and Jesus told his disciples that we will be blessed if we…

 

1) are the poor in spirit. We will be blessed if we love God and our neighbors. We will be blessed if we rid ourselves of the idea that we are more deserving that others and come to see that love doesn’t keep score and doesn’t understand winners and losers

2) mourn for people who suffer loss, and  3) hunger and thirst after righteousness, Jesus did many things out of compassion, and compassion should define us as well. The presence of God’s kingdom here on earth is filled with compassion, not pride! Seeing others and responding to their pain. Caring about lepers and others who live in the darkness of our alleys, empathizing with the disabled and others who long for a fuller life, responding to widows, orphans, and others who long for acceptance, crying with the men and women- rich and poor, old and young, and of any color- who have buried loved ones, and and all of those who just can’t get free from people and forces that hold them down. Darkness and pain are all around us and if we “hunger” for righteousness, we will get involved. We will run to help them, speak out in their behalf, cross the road to pick them up, hold someone’s hand and listen to them… plus tears that flow from your own heart. All of these (and more) are signs someone is  thirsting and hungering for righteousness! And these people will be blessed because they are serving God and loving others as they love themselves.

4) are meek and 5) merciful, and 6) pure in heart,

7) make peace whenever possible and if it is up to us.

7) keep on serving others and praising God, even if we are scorned and persecuted for it.

The kingdom of heaven marches to a different drummer than we do on earth. It is not about gaining, but giving. It is not about getting love, but giving love. It is not about winning or losing, but about serving and sacrificing. It is not about getting our own way, but about peace. It’s not about “deserving” this, or that, or anything, but rather, grace and forgiving. It is a kingdom where love will have its way with us and where we will finally be free.