Citizen

Jesus’ first words in the Gospel according to Mark are: ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel’. , The word ‘Kingdom’ is very important in our Christian tradition. It occurs more than 122 times in the NT. Among the many different misunderstanding of the term ‘Kingdom of God’, the Church teaching is based mainly on the three dimensions of the Early Fathers of the Church.

1. Origen developed a theology of the Kingdom of God as Jesus being the Kingdom in person. Jesus himself is the kingdom. Kingdom of God is a person: the person of Jesus. Jesus leads us to realize the overwhelming fact that in him God himself is present among them, that he is God’s presence.

2. Origen further developed the theology of the Kingdom of God by saying that the Kingdom is located in man’s inner being for in every holy man it is God who reigns or exercises dominion, is the Kingdom of God.

3. The third dimension developed by the church fathers is that the Kingdom is simply the name for a world governed by peace, justice and the conservation of world.

Kingdom of God is simply put is to understood a state where we accept God’s leading role in our lives. It is the public proclamation of the heart that God is the center of our lives. Many of you would have played Chess. If the king dies, the game is over. Our Christian living is the same: if God is no more at the center of our lives, our life has no meaning.

Many say that they can be excellent people without believing in God. In my opinion it is not possible since every good thing comes from God. The whole preaching ministry of Jesus is centered on the Kingdom of God. Sermon on the Mount is the essence of all the preaching of Jesus. Thus, we include ourselves as citizens in God’s household by practicing all the virtues of the Sermon on the Mount. All the good we do on earth is the result of the promptings of God’s Holy Spirit. Do I accept and appreciate God’s Kingship and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in my day-to-day life? Amen.