Manoa Valley Church
June 10, 2007
Reign of God,
titled The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the
Truth that Could Change
Everything. There was a passage in the book that
surprised me. This is what
McLaren wrote:
the message of
the Christian church became a different message entirely
from the message of
Jesus.
contrast hit me in the face. We were eating in a Chinese restaurant in
Tyson’s
Corner,
‘You know, most evangelicals haven’t the foggiest notion of what the gospel
really is.” I considered myself an evangelical, so I felt a bit challenged by
his
statement. In response, I stared at my soup, hoping he’d resolve the issue
without asking my opinion, but he was too good an educator for that.
“What
would you say the gospel is, Brian?
I
answered by quoting the apostle Paul in the New Testament—statements
about
justification by grace through faith, the free gift of salvation, Christ
being
a substitutionary sacrifice for my sin. “That’s exactly what most
evangelicals
say,” he replied, letting the notion hang for what seemed to me
like a long,
long time. I looked up from my soup and asked, a little
defensively, “Well,
then, what would you say the gospel is, if it’s not that?”
I was preparing
myself for heresy, not for enlightenment, since I was quite
confident in my
quotations from Paul.
“The
we should let Jesus tell
us what the gospel is?” (pp. 90-91)
Brian McLaren accepted this
view that the gospel is really about Jesus’s message
that the
so often misunderstood
or overlooked that McLaren referred to it as “the secret
message of Jesus.” Of
course, we know it is not a secret.
University
program, and there was no rule against a former president
returning to the
university as a student. There probably will be now, but there wasn’t when I took
the
courses! I am grateful to have
had the opportunity—it was an exciting
experience, a time of religious
reflection and spiritual growth for me.
Gospels—Mathew, Mark, and Luke. What really struck me during that
course was
the agreement among scholars about the most important message of
Jesus. They
agree with the scholar who talked to McLaren at lunch, that Jesus
came to preach
the
teaching. What we might call mainstream scholars—Protestant, Catholic, or
non-
Christian—seem to agree on this.
written, summarizes that message with Jesus’s words at Mark 1:15: ‘The time is
fulfilled and the
hand.” There are two passages in Matthew that
describe the ministry of Jesus as
‘proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and
curing every disease and every
sickness among the people’ (
Luke that emphasize that the
(
references to the “Kingdom of God;” the Gospel of
Matthew has 38 references to
the “Kingdom of Heaven/God” or its equivalents;
and the term “kingdom” occurs
46 times in the Gospel of Luke. That totals 98
references in the three Synoptic Gospels.
A kingdom or a reign?
kingdom
geographical
location or a political organization, while the word “reign” seems to
relate to
a presence, a relationship, or an activity.
Albert
Nolan, in his book Jesus Before
Christianity, said:
The
‘kingdom’ of God, like any other kingdom, cannot be within a person;
it is
something within which a person can live. Somewhere in the background
behind
Jesus’ use of the term ‘
The pictorial image…is obviously that of a house
or a walled city…. The
fact that his way of speaking about the ‘kingdom’ is
based upon a pictorial
image of a house, a city or a community leaves no doubt
about what he had
in mind: a politically structured society of people here on
earth. A ‘kingdom’
is a thoroughly political notion.
However,
Mark Allan Powell, in The Fortess
Introduction to the Gospels,
argued that using the phrase “the
Bibles, can be misleading. He prefers the phrase
“the reign of God.” One reason is
that the phrase is based on a Greek word that
can be used as either a noun or a
verb. For example, we can refer to God’s
reign—a noun—and also say that God
reigns—a verb. While we can say God’s
kingdom—a noun—we don’t say God
kingdoms—we don’t use “kingdom” as a verb.
Powell said:
People
who rely on English Bibles may get the impression that the ‘
of
God lives and,
possibly, a place where people may hope to live with God
after they die.
Actually, the phrase ‘reign of God’ refers to the phenomenon
of God reigning or
ruling, and Mark presents this phenomenon as an active
reality that cannot be
circumscribed by space or time.
Garry
Wills, in his book What Jesus Meant,
prefers the word “reign”
because it refers to the personal presence of
Jesus. Using the word “reign”
suggests a
spiritual relationship made possible by the arrival of Jesus, who invites
his
followers to enter the reign of God by entering into a relationship with him.
What is the kingdom about?
For
now, let’s use the phrase “
kingdom
is not
possible to discuss everything the Gospels say about the
a single sermon, we can highlight a few themes or characteristics.
The
For example, it is very hard for the rich to enter
the kingdom (Lk
Jesus
said “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
6:20
if they do, tax collectors and prostitutes may enter the
kingdom of God ahead of
them (Mt 21:31). An adult filled with false pride may
not enter the kingdom. Jesus
said: “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not
receive the
little child will never enter it” (Lk
a child “is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:4).
Seeking
the kingdom comes first. Jesus said that we should not worry about
what we eat
or drink or wear. We should “seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and
all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt.
Many
of Jesus’s parables are about the
about growth, like the seed that lands on fertile soil (Mt
grows by itself (Mk
large bush (Mk
13:33, Lk 13:20-21). The kingdom is also very valuable, like a treasure that
has
been buried in a field (Mat
kingdom is generous, like a king who forgives debts (Mt 18:23-35); a
landholder
who pays all laborers the same even if they started late in the day
(Mt 20:1-16);
and a man who invites strangers to his son’s wedding when those
initially invited
do not come (Mt 22:1-14).
In the
course that he taught on the Synoptic Gospels, Chaminade University
Professor David
Anderson gave us five characteristics of the
First, the kingdom is for a worldwide community of caring and sharing. It is
against the love of money or wealth for its own sake. Second, the kingdom is
for
recognizing the Godly value of people as people, and against false values
such as
prestige and status. Third, the kingdom is for universal, inclusive
solidarity, and
against selfish solidarity (like “us versus them”). Fourth, the
kingdom is for servant
power, the power of love, not the abusive power that
oppresses or enslaves. This is
where servant leadership comes in. Fifth, the
kingdom is for subversive wisdom or
alternative wisdom, not the conventional
wisdom of our secular, commercial
culture. Kingdom people don’t fit into the
world’s mold.
put it differently, the
upside down. And since our sinful,
secular, commercial world doesn’t make much
sense to me, I think “upside down” would
be a good thing.
Beyond
that, each of us may have his or her own image or dream about what
the
everyone agreeing or everyone being the same. We each have different
backgrounds and experiences, so it is to be expected that we will have
different
views. Each of us has been given different gifts. I think diverse
views and abilities
are part of the richness and depth of the
enough to respect our diverse views and welcome our different
abilities.
problems. I think it is about
having faith, and joining together, and growing toward
God as we address our
problems. There would still be things to do. But once the
kingdom is fully
established, there would be no war, no starvation, no social
injustice, far
less disease, and very little cruelty, violence, or greed. We would be
busy
loving and helping each other, solving problems, and honoring God and
God’s
creation.
When will the kingdom come?
the kingdom
come? There is a major division among scholars on this question.
Some scholars
believe that Jesus was convinced that the kingdom would come in
the near future
through a dramatic intervention by God. Other scholars believe that
the kingdom
will come through human collaboration with God. According to the
Westminster
aspects of
the kingdom has been reflected in almost every period of
Christian history…The
point at issue is whether individual Christians might
work toward the coming of
the kingdom, or whether it remains wholly in
God’s hands as a gift of grace.
The
difference in these views, of course, has a practical impact on the lives
of
Christians. If the kingdom is coming soon by God’s intervention, Christians
need to get ready. If the kingdom
will come only through human participation,
Christians need to get busy.
Randall Balmer, in his book Thy Kingdom Come: An Evangelical’s Lament,
explained the impact of
a “now/imminent” view versus a “not yet/participatory”
view of the coming of
the kingdom. He described how evangelicals in the
antebellum period believed
that the thousand years of righteousness mentioned in
Revelation 20 would occur
before the Second Coming of Jesus. This “not yet”
belief gave evangelicals the
motivation to improve society. Balmer said: “[They]
believed that they, as the
followers of Jesus, could bring on the millennium now—
right here on earth and,
more specifically, right here in
own efforts.” This stimulated the
social reform movement in the nineteenth century
that supported abolitionism,
temperance, prison reform, and women’s rights.
out of
this social reform movement. By the end of the nineteenth century, a new
biblical interpretation became popular, a “now” belief. The new interpretation
was
that Jesus could return at any time before
the millennium. Balmer said:
campaigns of social
reform, for example, in order to devote their full
attention to preparations
for the Second Coming of Jesus, which entailed
cultivating inner piety and
trying to convert others to the faith. In the face of
mounting social ills,
evangelicals shifted their attentions from the long term
to the short
term—because the time was so brief, they believed, until the
return of Jesus.
focus on saving
themselves and their families and friends now.
There isn’t time to
improve society, there is only time to convert souls. Christians
who think the end is
not so near, and may in fact be far into the future, tend
to focus on improving
society and seeking justice and peace. There is time to
make the world a better
place for everyone. I subscribe to a third view: Even
if the end is near, we should
continue to improve society, because people are
suffering. They need our help now
and every day until the kingdom is
established.
it: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth
as it is in heaven.” It is the
kingdom we were meant to live in. I believe that
we are designed to love each
other, and help each other, and respect each
other, and grow toward God together,
in peace.
way
Jesus taught us to live. But the world is not what it is supposed to be. God
gave us free will, and many people have used their free will to hurt others. There
is
far too much greed, and cruelty, and war and violence, and starvation, and
disease,
and injustice. We know that this isn’t what God intended the world to
be like.
for us? Each
of us will probably have his or her own answer. My answer is simple.
I
understand that “the reign of God” and “the
translations of the same Greek word, but I like to use both
phrases in sequence. I
believe that the reign
of God must come first, before we can establish the
of
structure—whatever
kingdom—we create and maintain here on earth. To put it
another way, if God
reigns in us, we will be transformed. When we are
transformed, the world will
be transformed, and the
reality here on earth.
worldwide community of caring and
sharing; that recognizes the Godly value of
people as people; that makes universal,
inclusive solidarity a reality; that exercises
servant leadership; and that
lives by subversive wisdom or alternative wisdom, not
the conventional wisdom
of our secular, commercial culture. I think that is the way
God wants us to
live, and until we live that way, we are not who we were created
to be.
I do
not believe that the reign of God is either “now” or “not yet.” I believe
that
the reign of God is both now and later. It has begun, but it is not
finished.
Jesus came and brought the reign of God to us in person, and since
then, it has
been growing like the mustard seed or the leaven in the dough.
and the
reign of God has come near (Mk
finally come for God’s will to be accomplished.
What God wants to happen is
about to take place; indeed, it is already
beginning to happen.” Because the reign
of God has drawn near, people can
“enter it” by believing the good news
proclaimed by Jesus, and by living in
ways consistent with that Good News. That
will lead in turn to the
establishment of the
translation is that “the
it is within us or among us, the important
point is that we can begin living in the
reign of God now. And when we live in the reign,
we can build the kingdom.
A Vision of a Conversation with God
of Habakkuk. Habakkuk had a vision of a conversation
with God sometime in the
early 7th century B.C.—about 2,600 years
ago. In that vision, he cried out against
violence and injustice, and asked the
Lord what he was going to do. The Lord
replied that he was going to punish the
wrongdoers by raising the Babylonians to
destroy
Habakkuk, but he had faith anyway. That is
the title of my book: Have Faith
Anyway.
Habakkuk were alive today, what kind
of vision would he have? What kind of
conversation with God would it be?
fitness center, words began coming to me. As I exercised, the words kept
coming,
rhythmically, rapidly, big blocks of words in the form of a dialogue. I
hurried back
to my office, sat down in front of my computer, and began typing
furiously.
Fortunately, the words were still there. Over the next few days,
more words came,
mostly in short phrases, which I wrote down on any piece of
paper that was
handy—a sales receipt, paper towel, or a piece of notebook
paper.
conversation with
God. Receiving and writing that vision was one of the most
exciting religious
experiences I have ever had. I want to share it with you this
morning because I
realize now that it is mostly about the reign and
God
I
really like Mark’s voice. You know those Christmas plays in which you need
somebody to be the voice of God? That’s Mark. His voice is perfect for that. So
in
this conversation, I asked Mark to be the voice of God, and I will be me.
Here we go.
thirst.
People are dying of diseases. The atmosphere is warming, and we are
headed for
an environmental disaster. And there are more than enough nuclear
warheads to
kill us all, many times over.
Yes, you have made
quite a mess of the world I created for you.
And it is getting worse.
in government, in business,
in social institutions.
your help. We need you to step in. What are you doing to make
things better?
you need to learn.
together.
ethnic group, or economy. You must come together. All of
you.
But
we have different cultures and languages.
others, so people starve.
You have discovered cures for diseases, but you do not
share those cures with
others, so people die from those diseases. You have
developed technology that
makes it easier to communicate than ever before, but
you do not try to
understand each other. You have knowledge. You do not have
love.
strangers, clothe the naked,
look after the sick, and visit those in prison.
enough people who follow
Jesus.
Christians?
come together.
than agreement or approval.
vision of Habakkuk?
the
Babylonian captivity.
each other. You can only survive by reaching out to
others, beyond yourselves.
of the Lord. All nations
will stream to it. I will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat
their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will
not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
the wars and diseases and poverty that we see today part of
the End Times?
waters cover the
sea.
Christ.
The New Jerusalem is
for all my children.
he is, and they will
believe.
everybody.
and be led forth in peace;
The mountains and hills
will burst
into song before you,
and all the
trees of the field
will clap
their hands.
Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
and instead
of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
for an
everlasting sign,
which will
not be destroyed.
+++
their example, and for their love and support for each other
as the body of Christ. I
ask that you bless each of us, and help each of us to
live in your reign, so that we
may build your kingdom. In Jesus name, Amen.