The Kingdom of Heaven


The Gospel of the Kingdom

It’s no secret that this world and its systems leave us dissatisfied, stressed, worried, depressed, hurt and bitter. In fact there are a lot more negative adjectives that could be added on to this list if I took the time. The kingdom of this world runs much like how scientists espouse evolution ran – the survival of the fittest. In previous times fittest was defined by physical stature. In our times however the rules have changed and the fittest are now defined by intellectual and financial power. But the truth that streets of the kingdom of this world are strewn with people wallowing in poverty still remains. They are poor financially, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. They are seeking another kingdom, a different kind of kingdom.

We know that the kingdom of heaven – the kingdom of God is vastly different from this kingdom of the world. We know that the rules of worth and survival and importance in that kingdom are not in any way similar to ours. We know that the ruler of that kingdom (God Himself) is a non-corrupt, unbiased, loving, caring and just ruler and that He far outruns the best of our rulers that are or ever were. Jesus knew this truth when He walked the dusty streets of the ball we call home.

But is it really good news to lift up the bitter, hurt and stressed head of a person in this kingdom and let them know that if they hang on long enough another kingdom would soon be there? Or to let them know that when they’ve finished their toils and trials in this kingdom and finally shut their eyes that they would enter another kingdom, a more perfect one? To the person struggling in sin and guilt and stress and depression this is no good news. It only makes him hate this kingdom more and makes his life even more pitiful for the moment.

Somehow we Christians have misinterpreted the gospel of Christ and the cross of Christ into an escape route from this kingdom to the next. The things that we know of heaven, it’s glory and worship and wonder and eternal nature are things that are meant to be enjoyed beyond the boundaries of this temporary life – or so we’ve come to believe.

But that’s not the gospel of Jesus. Jesus preached the good news that the kingdom of God was now here. The kingdom of God, that perfect kingdom was now infiltrating this earth and its systems. The kingdom of God was now growing and uprooting the kingdom of this world. The kingdom of God was not some far off city set on a cloud where we would float to one day and resign to a life of wings and harps. That’s not the gospel of Jesus. Jesus lifted our heavy heads; heads made heavy by the weight of guilt and disappointment and He spoke good news – the kingdom of God is now here. The kingdom of God is now accessible to us through the incredible work of the cross for The King Himself is now Emmanuel – God with us. Now that’s good news and that’s a gospel worth sharing.

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