Welcoming God’s Kingdom

1. Welcoming God’s Kingdom

2. Kingdom of God • Old Testament • (Jews) understood as a political state or a specific geographical territory where God is King. • Yahweh is the creator of all things (Psalm 24:1) • Yahweh’s covenant is presented in the Law (the Torah) – Israel

3. Jesus’ Vision of the Kingdom of God • Preached about the Kingdom as a spiritual one through parables and beatitudes. • His miracles revealed what the Kingdom is – a condition in which God is Lord of all. • He announced the Kingdom (after fasting and temptation in the desert). • Zaccheaus; woman caught in adultery; gave sight to the blind like Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46-52) and of Bethsaida (Mk 8:22-26); the man born blind (Jn 9:1-41) • Manifests God’s will that all people be cared for, especially those that society has abandoned • Salvation – the act of freeing people and even whole societies from suffering and oppression, physical or otherwise

4. Jesus teaches us with his Kingdom parables • Parables – short simple stories that illustrate a moral truth or religious teaching • Came from the Old French word parabole, which means “to put beside” or “to compare”

5. Parable of the Mustard Seed • “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.” (Mt. 13:31-32) • Kingdom of God starts from the smallest beginnings, but grows into much bigger proportions. • The parable affirms that every good that we do now, no matter how small it may seem to us, contributes to building God’s Kingdom of love, peace and justice.

6. Parable of the Yeast • “The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.” – Mt. 13:33 • Yeast or leaven is used by bakers as an essential ingredient in making bread and various baked products. This causes a chemical change called fermentation to take place when it is mixed with other ingredients. • Jesus encourages us to see beneath what is visible and to trust that God is at work.

7. Parable of the Treasure • “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buries in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells that he has and buys that field” (Mt 13:44)” • The treasure symbolizes God’s blessings that manifest the Kingdom, especially those that matter most in our lives – our faith, our loved ones, our true friendship. • The kingdom of God can come to us in the most ordinary ways and times and through unexpected persons and events.

8. Parable of the Pearl of Great Price • “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” (Mt. 13:45-46) • When we find the Kingdom of God in our lives, all our other possessions become secondary and of less worth.

9. Parable of the Net • “The kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” (Mt. 13:47-50) • Tells us what will happen at the end of time • Describes the judgment day

10. Church’s Teaching on the Kingdom of God (PCP II) • A gift as well as a task • It is freely given to us at the same time a task. • Our role is to acknowledge and respond to it actively. • Is already here but not yet fully.

11. Confirmation: A Sacrament • By baptism, we share in the mission of Jesus through the Church. • In the sacrament of confirmation, we receive anew the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with grace. • The gesture, bishop’s laying on of hands, signifies the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the confirmands empowering them to be public witnesses to the Good News of the Kingdom. • We need the Holy Spirit to enable us to accomplish the Christian task of witnessing to God’s kingdom.

12. Believing the Good News of the Kingdom

13. Parables • It is a comparison drawn from nature (like the mustard seed) or from human life (marriage feast) and told as a story to embody or evoke some moral religious insight. • Jesus was able to use everyday characters, objects, and situations to convey his teachings clearly to the people. • Jesus parables offers a “twist” that brings out counter cultural values. (materialism – Gospel value of detachment)

14. Types of Parables • Parables that describe the King, God-his nature, qualities and attitudes in dealing with people • The Lost Sheep (Lk 15:4-7), Lost Coin (Lk 15:8-10), Lost Son (15:11-32), and Workers in the Vineyard (Mt 20:1-16) • Parables that emphasize the kind of response needed to enter the Kingdom • The Pharisee & the Tax Collector (Lk 18:9-14), The Rich Fool (Lk 12:16-21), Talents (Mt 18:23-25)

15. Parables that deal with our relationship with other people • Unforgiving Servant (Mt 18:23-25), and The Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37) • Parables that refer to the future coming of the Kingdom • The Wedding Feast (Mt 22:1-14), The Ten Virgins (Mt 25:1-13), and the Weeds among the Wheat (Mt 13:24-30)

16. The Good News Themes in the Parable • God’s loving mercy is at the heart of the Good News • Jesus reveals that God is Abba, an Aramaic word and term of endearment for “father”. • Everyone is called to enter the Kingdom • Prefigured in Yahweh’s covenant with the children of Israel • The Kingdom is free for the people of all nations, however, the Kingdom requires a free response from each of us.

17. The Kingdom demands repentance from us • When Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God, he challenged the people to “repent and believe in the gospel” • Challenges us to change our old ways and to stop living selfishly and reacting bitterly toward others. • The Good News demands persevering response • We will be judged by our free response. • Rejoice and be hopeful • Jesus reveals to us God’s goodness, generosity, forgiveness, love, and offer of salvation

18. Seeing the Power and Goodness of Jesus in his Miracles • Miracle is simply a manifestation of God’s presence and power. • Teras, dynamis, and semeion (Gk words) • Teras means “marvel” – Jesus’ miracles were acts that made people marvel. • Dynamis means “power” – refers to an act that manifests extraordinary power. • Semeion means “sign” – tells us that a marvelous act of power as “a sign pointing to something” • The term is used for Jesus’ marvelous acts of power, as pointing to the identity of Jesus.

19. The Different Miracles of Jesus • Jesus performs healing miracles • Jesus relieved the physical sufferings and illnesses of people • We see how faith is usually a requirement before healing can take place • Jesus performs nature miracles • Calming of the storm at sea, feeding of the five thousand, wedding at Cana, Jesus walked on water • Jesus performs exorcisms • Jesus drove out evil spirits from possessed persons such as the boy possessed by a demon ; the healing of the Garaden demoniacs • Jesus restores life • Jesus brought back to life those who had already died.