Building up the Kingdom of God: The Kingdom of God is the result of both God's power and action as well as our co-operation with the Will of God. Just like in all our relationships with God, here too the action on both sides is hundred per cent. It is not that God will do half and we will complete the remaining half. In different respects both God's and human's activities are total but inclusive. One does not exclude the other and space is reserved for both God and the humans to act together. God always gives us space to act, whereas the humans sometimes forget or ignore God's part. Thus there is a sense in which we can say that the Kingdom of God depends totally on God as well as it depends totally on the humans. It is God who empowers us and taking the cue from God's activity, when we empower each other, the Kingdom of God is being built up.
Surprises in the Kingdom: Jesus gives us a very clear indication of what is required of us to go to heaven. "Not everyone who calls me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do the will of my heavenly Father" (Matthew, 7: 21). All kinds of our activities involving even miracles are unimportant for entering the Kingdom of God. The only essential ingredient for the same is to be known by the judge at the last judgment (See Matthew, 7: 22-23). There will be many surprises in the Kingdom of God. No one can lay a claim on the Kingdom of God and sit back saying we have our fathers and fore-fathers already there. Similarly, no one is excluded from the Kingdom of God and therefore some of the most unexpected guests in the Kingdom, unexpected according to our criteria, will be there. Another surprise would be that of some of the first becoming last and the last becoming first (See Luke, 13: 28-30).
The Sermon on the Mount: We can see the blueprint for building up the Kingdom of God in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5. More practical tips for the same are seen in chapters 6 and 7. These 3 chapters comprise what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. Chapter 5: 1-2 gives us the setting as a mountain where Jesus went up when he saw the crowds. He sat and as the disciples gathered around him, Jesus taught them specifically while his teaching was open to the crowds as well. At the end of the session in 7: 28-29 we see that the people were astounded at his teaching because he taught with authority unlike their own teachers. In 8: 1 we read that he was followed by a great crowd when he came down from the hill. Thus we know that the teachings were addressed to all the people although the disciples were to be the standard-bearers due to their proximity to Jesus.
The Beatitudes: The title-theme of the Sermon on the Mount may be seen in the beatitudes pronounced by Jesus in Matthew 5: 3-10. All other instructions in chapters 5, 6, and 7 are, so to say, compressed into the 8 beatitudes starting and ending with the blessedness in the Kingdom of Heaven. All the other 6 beatitudes between these two are but further specifications of the blessedness in the Kingdom of Heaven as a result of our willingness to conform ourselves to the Will of God. The first beatitude is about the poor in spirit according to Matthew and the poor according to Luke (See Luke, 6: 20). Poverty in itself is no virtue just as riches by themselves are not evil. Our attitude and spirit regarding the things in this world are the determining factors that keep us in or away from the blessedness of heaven. Thus what Matthew tells us is already an interpretation of the correct meaning of poverty. Luke restricts the beatitudes to 4 and contrasts them with 4 misfortunes that await the rich, the well-fed, the merry-makers and those who seek popularity from others (See Luke, 6: 20-26). This being the scheme Luke adopted, he could not go for explanation of poverty as poverty in spirit that was possible in Matthew's format of the beatitudes.
The Poor in Spirit: What exactly is the meaning of being poor in spirit? It is to have an attitude or mentality that is in conformity with the condition of those who are dispossessed in this world. For, such people are powerless and therefore incapable of engaging in many kinds of evil associated with having riches. A rich person tends to be puffed-up, thinks himself or herself to be better than others, worthy of honor and praise, looks down upon others demanding their submission to one's vanities and is prone to use the power and influence to end up being unjust in one's dealings with others. A poor person cannot even imagine in his or her wildest dreams all those kinds of attitudes or mentality. Can a rich person be like a poor person in adopting the latter's mentality? If it is possible, such a person is poor in spirit in spite of having a lot of riches and possessions. It is so difficult and even impossible for a rich person to adopt such a mentality that Jesus had to warn his disciples about how easier it was for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God (See Matthew, 19: 24). In this context let us keep in mind that God sent Jesus to announce the good news to the poor, which he actually did in his ministry (See Like, 4: 18; 7: 22).
Justice: Justice is so important in building up the Kingdom of God that two beatitudes specifically speak about it (See Matthew, 5: 6 and 10). However, our nature is so self-centered that even when claiming to act justly we are able to cleverly seek our own self-interest by discreetly taking advantage of others. Jesus has a word or two for such hypocrites even if they have an eye on the argument of acting in good faith as an ultimate refuge. "I tell you, unless you show yourselves far better persons than the Pharisees and the doctors of the law, you can never enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew, 5: 20). Justice of God is far ahead of what is required by the Law of Moses or even the ten commandments of God so much so that it is this spirit of justice that permeates and gives life to them. Jesus has promised all things to us if only we would seek after the Kingdom of God and His justice before everything else. "Set your mind on God's Kingdom and his justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well" (Matthew, 6: 33).
What does the justice of God consist in? It consists in God's unrestricted love for the good and the bad, for the just and the unjust without making any discrimination between them. That is why we should not expect that God's loved ones are flooded with goods the evil doers are deprived of. Till the day of judgment, God gives a chance to every one to convert to His ways and this is reason enough for us always to proclaim the Gospel to everyone. We cannot, therefore, build up the Kingdom of God, according to the injunction of Jesus, and seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice without loving even our enemies. Only then shall we become the children of our Father in heaven. Loving the enemies is the distinguishing mark of a disciple of Jesus with the target in mind to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect (See Matthew, 5: 43-48).
Injustice: In contrast to building up the Kingdom of God, Paul tells us who all will not possess the Kingdom of God. "Surely you know that the unjust will never come into possession of the Kingdom of God. Make no mistake: no fornicator or idolater, no one who are guilty either of adultery or of homosexual perversion, no thieves or grabber or drunkards or slanderers or swindlers, will possess the Kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians, 6: 9-10). Those who indulge in this kind of behavior that belongs to our lower nature cannot inherit the kingdom (See Galatians, 5: 19-21). "But the harvest of the Spirit is love, joy,peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians, 5: 22-23) Letting the Holy Spirit work in us is the sure way to build up the Kingdom of God (See Romans, 14: 17). (To be Contd).
Surprises in the Kingdom: Jesus gives us a very clear indication of what is required of us to go to heaven. "Not everyone who calls me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do the will of my heavenly Father" (Matthew, 7: 21). All kinds of our activities involving even miracles are unimportant for entering the Kingdom of God. The only essential ingredient for the same is to be known by the judge at the last judgment (See Matthew, 7: 22-23). There will be many surprises in the Kingdom of God. No one can lay a claim on the Kingdom of God and sit back saying we have our fathers and fore-fathers already there. Similarly, no one is excluded from the Kingdom of God and therefore some of the most unexpected guests in the Kingdom, unexpected according to our criteria, will be there. Another surprise would be that of some of the first becoming last and the last becoming first (See Luke, 13: 28-30).
The Sermon on the Mount: We can see the blueprint for building up the Kingdom of God in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5. More practical tips for the same are seen in chapters 6 and 7. These 3 chapters comprise what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. Chapter 5: 1-2 gives us the setting as a mountain where Jesus went up when he saw the crowds. He sat and as the disciples gathered around him, Jesus taught them specifically while his teaching was open to the crowds as well. At the end of the session in 7: 28-29 we see that the people were astounded at his teaching because he taught with authority unlike their own teachers. In 8: 1 we read that he was followed by a great crowd when he came down from the hill. Thus we know that the teachings were addressed to all the people although the disciples were to be the standard-bearers due to their proximity to Jesus.
The Beatitudes: The title-theme of the Sermon on the Mount may be seen in the beatitudes pronounced by Jesus in Matthew 5: 3-10. All other instructions in chapters 5, 6, and 7 are, so to say, compressed into the 8 beatitudes starting and ending with the blessedness in the Kingdom of Heaven. All the other 6 beatitudes between these two are but further specifications of the blessedness in the Kingdom of Heaven as a result of our willingness to conform ourselves to the Will of God. The first beatitude is about the poor in spirit according to Matthew and the poor according to Luke (See Luke, 6: 20). Poverty in itself is no virtue just as riches by themselves are not evil. Our attitude and spirit regarding the things in this world are the determining factors that keep us in or away from the blessedness of heaven. Thus what Matthew tells us is already an interpretation of the correct meaning of poverty. Luke restricts the beatitudes to 4 and contrasts them with 4 misfortunes that await the rich, the well-fed, the merry-makers and those who seek popularity from others (See Luke, 6: 20-26). This being the scheme Luke adopted, he could not go for explanation of poverty as poverty in spirit that was possible in Matthew's format of the beatitudes.
The Poor in Spirit: What exactly is the meaning of being poor in spirit? It is to have an attitude or mentality that is in conformity with the condition of those who are dispossessed in this world. For, such people are powerless and therefore incapable of engaging in many kinds of evil associated with having riches. A rich person tends to be puffed-up, thinks himself or herself to be better than others, worthy of honor and praise, looks down upon others demanding their submission to one's vanities and is prone to use the power and influence to end up being unjust in one's dealings with others. A poor person cannot even imagine in his or her wildest dreams all those kinds of attitudes or mentality. Can a rich person be like a poor person in adopting the latter's mentality? If it is possible, such a person is poor in spirit in spite of having a lot of riches and possessions. It is so difficult and even impossible for a rich person to adopt such a mentality that Jesus had to warn his disciples about how easier it was for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God (See Matthew, 19: 24). In this context let us keep in mind that God sent Jesus to announce the good news to the poor, which he actually did in his ministry (See Like, 4: 18; 7: 22).
Justice: Justice is so important in building up the Kingdom of God that two beatitudes specifically speak about it (See Matthew, 5: 6 and 10). However, our nature is so self-centered that even when claiming to act justly we are able to cleverly seek our own self-interest by discreetly taking advantage of others. Jesus has a word or two for such hypocrites even if they have an eye on the argument of acting in good faith as an ultimate refuge. "I tell you, unless you show yourselves far better persons than the Pharisees and the doctors of the law, you can never enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew, 5: 20). Justice of God is far ahead of what is required by the Law of Moses or even the ten commandments of God so much so that it is this spirit of justice that permeates and gives life to them. Jesus has promised all things to us if only we would seek after the Kingdom of God and His justice before everything else. "Set your mind on God's Kingdom and his justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well" (Matthew, 6: 33).
What does the justice of God consist in? It consists in God's unrestricted love for the good and the bad, for the just and the unjust without making any discrimination between them. That is why we should not expect that God's loved ones are flooded with goods the evil doers are deprived of. Till the day of judgment, God gives a chance to every one to convert to His ways and this is reason enough for us always to proclaim the Gospel to everyone. We cannot, therefore, build up the Kingdom of God, according to the injunction of Jesus, and seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice without loving even our enemies. Only then shall we become the children of our Father in heaven. Loving the enemies is the distinguishing mark of a disciple of Jesus with the target in mind to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect (See Matthew, 5: 43-48).
Injustice: In contrast to building up the Kingdom of God, Paul tells us who all will not possess the Kingdom of God. "Surely you know that the unjust will never come into possession of the Kingdom of God. Make no mistake: no fornicator or idolater, no one who are guilty either of adultery or of homosexual perversion, no thieves or grabber or drunkards or slanderers or swindlers, will possess the Kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians, 6: 9-10). Those who indulge in this kind of behavior that belongs to our lower nature cannot inherit the kingdom (See Galatians, 5: 19-21). "But the harvest of the Spirit is love, joy,peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians, 5: 22-23) Letting the Holy Spirit work in us is the sure way to build up the Kingdom of God (See Romans, 14: 17). (To be Contd).
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