Inclusion in the Kingdom of God

By Thomas Morehead

There was no greater bond in Old Testament times than that of family. The tie to one’s family was the paramount relationship in one’s life. A person was literally defined by his or her family. At that time family was much more extended than today and generally closer in proximity and interaction. One’s extended family could number into the hundreds all of whom would likely live and work in a close and relatively closed environment.

The parable of the prodigal son is much more powerful when viewed in this light. The sin the younger son committed began with his turning his back on his family. To request his inheritance and deny his obligations to his family would have been viewed by the Hebrews as hideous. One of the most terrible sins a son could commit. The balance of what he did, squandering his wealth and crawling back in shame, were not nearly as bad as the initial rejection of his family. Those who listened to Jesus tell this parable must have been dumbfounded when the father accepts the son back into the family with all of his original rights and privileges. This action on the part of the father was totally contrary to the norm. No father of that time would have allowed a family member to return once they had so rejected their obligations. In this light the reaction of the elder son is much more understandable as well.

At another point in the gospels Jesus was told that His mother and brothers wanted to speak with Him. He responded by asking “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And then referring to His disciples He makes an awesome and powerful comment, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Take a moment and read Mt 25, 31-46)

With these few words Jesus tells us who the members of the Kingdom of God are and what it is that we must do to be in God’s Kingdom!

Jesus believed there to be two Kingdoms; one of the world - ruled by Satan, and one of heaven - ruled by God. In His mind there were no neutral parties. You were either a member of one or the other. In Jesus’ time the kingdom of the Satan set boundaries, it divided people. Family against family, tribe against tribe, sect against sect, nation against nation, all of these divided and excluded. Associations were setup to exclude, to keep apart those not considered worthy of inclusion.

Jesus was criticized for associating with the poor and sinners. However it is important to point out that He also associated with the scribes and Pharisees. He ate with them, entered their homes, and engaged them in debate. He excluded no one from God’s Kingdom. He did identify behavior that was contrary to the Kingdom of God and was stern in His rebuke. He did not condemn or exclude anyone. Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God was open to all. Any who chose to do the will of His heavenly Father.

This then is the first aspect of the Kingdom of God – It is non-exclusionary. God opens His Kingdom to all of His creation. We must do the same. Love all, accept all, even our enemies!

The Kingdom of God

By Thomas Morehead

Before you read what I have to say here today I’d like you to try something. Get out of your chair and try standing on your head. Go ahead I’ll wait.

Waiting…

Waiting…

Waiting…

OK. At this point one of three things has most likely occurred; you dismissed what I said and didn’t try (that's OK), you tried and found it too difficult, you were able to do it.

In any of these cases you now have some perspective on how the Jews that heard Jesus’ message first hand must have felt. When He proclaimed that the Kingdom of God was at hand, Jesus stood the first century Jewish society on its head. The things they believed to be important He said weren’t and those things they dismissed or shunned as insignificant He said were paramount.

At the beginning of His public ministry the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke record that Jesus announced that God’s Kingdom was at hand. Repent and Believe! This initial supplication should have given his followers a clue. When Jesus enjoined the people to repent He was telling them (and us) to turn away from their present life and lead one that is entirely different - a complete restructuring of priorities. The Greek word that the Evangelists use is Metanoia. It connotes a complete transformation. One in which the loyalties of the person are totally realigned. Jesus beseeched those to join the Kingdom of God. What importance did Jesus subscribe to this plea? Read Mt 6, 25-34. The key verse in the cite is 33a, “But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness.” Matthew portrays Jesus placing the pursuit of God’s kingdom as the highest priority. That being the case I’d like to take a detailed look at what it is that Jesus teaches the Kingdom of God to be.

The first wonderful aspect to realize is that Jesus teaches that God’s Kingdom is now present on earth, albeit imperfectly. Membership in the Kingdom requires that the participants believe that Jesus is their King and adhere to God’s law. Laws revealed in the Hebrew Scripture, beginning with the 10 Commandments, and brought to fulfillment by Jesus. The following topics attempt to summarize the areas of life to focus on when we consider God’s Kingdom:

Community/Family
Authority/Service
Status/Prestige
Possessions/Money
Love of Neighbor/Stewardship
Conversion/Holiness
People of God/Church

This list is not all-inclusive but I do believe it addresses the major areas of consideration. I hope as you read what will follow in the days ahead you will consider what is written and how it applies to your life. I welcome your comments.

What I have and will write here comes from a number of sources. Two are of primary importance: The Catechism of the Catholic Church being the first and most significant and Jesus before Christianity by Albert Nolan, O.P. the second.
When we pray for the coming of God’s Kingdom do we truly understand the impact of that plea? Be ready to stand on your head!

Abba, Father

By Thomas Morehead

Consider if you will Jesus’ message regarding our relationship with God. Jesus told us to call God “Our Father.” More specifically He used the word Abba, which is better translated daddy or papa. A term of familiarity and endearment that connotes a closeness that we may not experience in our daily lives, but one that clearly Jesus tells us we should.

By the time of Jesus’ ministry much of the Old Testament view of God had been replaced. The notion of a warm and caring God was supplanted with that of an all-powerful Lord who required strict adherence to His laws and harshly punished the unrighteous. The loving God of creation had been forgotten. There are many references to God as a loving and caring parent in the Hebrew Scriptures, Dt 1,31: Is 49,15: and Ho 11,1, just to mention a few. The Hebrews abandoned this, or at least ignored it. They no longer looked upon God as the loving protector that held them safe in the desert for forty years. Rather they focused on the God of righteousness that sent them into captivity because of their sinfulness. Jesus aspired to change this, and not change really as much as remind the chosen people.

If we focus on God in the way Jesus instructed, then our entire approach to Him changes. Who cannot imagine as a child running to their father and literally leaping into his arms? Wanting to share good news or in need of comfort or protection; whatever the reason, the desire and need to be close to our dad is powerful. This is exactly the way Jesus told us to relate to God, Our Father. Leap into His arms with the unbridled love of a child. Don’t fear God; for why would one fear the love of a caring and protective Father? Don’t walk on egg shells afraid to make a mistake. We cannot earn God’s love nor can we do anything to cause God to stop loving us. We can reject His love that is our free will, but our refusal to accept His love does not change the fact that He loves us.

At Baptism we are born of the spirit, and it is the Holy Spirit that leads us to call God Abba - Father. We are God’s children, born of the Spirit into the family that we call the Body of Christ. We are brothers and sisters. We are one in the Lord. Jesus is our brother; His Father is our Father! Let us embrace God our Father, leap into his loving arms by doing what is pleasing to Him as Jesus always did.

The "Tangible Emmanuel"

As many have noted, Christianity is the only religion where God becomes man and unites His divinity to our humanity. But in doing this, He also invites us to realize a truth about His creation, a truth that some might find difficult to swallow. His created world is good. For Genesis 1:31 tells us that “God saw everything that he had made and found it to be very good.” True, original sin has wounded the creation, but it still retains the inherent goodness that it was created with. If not, then Christ could not become man, for God cannot become something that is not good, for he is all good. The fact that Jesus uses what is created to show His glory is further proof that the created world is still good. In His ministry, Jesus used water (John 2:7), mud and spit (John 9:6), bread and fish (Mark 6:41, Matthew 15:36), clothes (Mark 5:27), to name a few. Christ constantly used the ordinay to show the extraordinary. By realizing that God uses the created world, which is still good, to show forth His power, we are reminded that we are still inherently good, and that God can use us to show His glory here on earth. Of course, because of the gift of free will, we must choose to cooperate with the grace He gives us to do His will, for we can also choose to become instruments of evil and live our lives contrary to God’s glory. This is all evidence of what I call the “tangible Emmanuel” the God who is with us, working through His creation to draw us to Himself. Our God is a God that uses His creation to show us His glory, our God is not opposed to His creation. In saying that the created world is completely depraved and evil would be to make sin more powerful than the God who created the world and conquered sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Sin wounds, but it cannot take away the inherent goodness of the world. It cannot take away our inherent goodness, and the ability for God to use us, and for us to cooperate, in order to show the Glory of the Almighty.

*text above is an adaptation and a reworking from a chapter in a book that I wrote for a friend that is self-published called "Resurrection Documented".

In the Presence of God

By Thomas Morehead

I went to a Christian Brothers high school, (more years ago than I care to remember). There are many things for which I am grateful for having had the opportunity to attend such an institution. One in particular is the tradition of the ‘Ringing of the Bell’. A small bell sat on the desk of a number of the teachers and they would, periodically, pick it up and lightly ring it. Following the ring they would simply state “Let us all remember that we are in the presence of God.” Then they would continue with class making no other reference to the interruption. It is something I have carried with me my entire life. An awesome consideration; I am in the presence of God!

I think we could all agree that most of us act differently when we know we are being watched. The test of true character comes when we act and no one is watching. How do we respond when we are unobserved? I’m not suggesting that we would something illegal or immoral just because no one is around; but I am saying that most of us clean up our act when other people are around. We care what others think of us, and how we are judged by them.
Some of the most personally rewarding times of my life have come in service to others. I taught GED classes to underprivileged prisoners for a time. Working with them was difficult at times however when an individual would pass I received a great deal of satisfaction. Their happiness and gratitude was overwhelming, so much so that it caused me to question my motivation. Was I teaching to help the students or to gain fame for myself? I discussed this with my spiritual advisor (a Benedictine nun) and she indicated that as long as my was primary motivation is to help those I was teaching, then I should accept the positive feelings as I gift; a reinforcement from God that I was doing His will. She asked me to consider the possibility the there are no truly pure motivations. Since we are imperfect beings we cannot be expected to have perfect motivations. Jesus, our best example, always did what His Father willed, and He did so because it was His Father’s will. Jesus was able to completely suppress His human wants and desires in deference to His Father’s. While we try to act as selflessly as He did, we must admit that we are unable to do so. Our acts of love and Christian charity are in part motivated by personal wants and desires. I constantly strive to minimize my personal wants and maximize the Glory of God in all my actions. God knows what is in my heart. I must keep in mind that I am always in the presence of God.

The Peace of Christ

by Thomas Morehead

There is no greater feeling than the blessing of the peace of Christ. All things of this world are transient. They come and they go. Some things make us happy for a time others prove to be frustrating or even painful, but nothing that comes into our lives provides the lasting feeling of joy as does the peace of Christ. So how do we receive this wonderful gift? The good news is all we have to do is accept it. We don’t have to jump any hurtles or qualify in any way. We cannot earn it nor do we deserve it. It is a gift, freely given to those who live in Christ Jesus. All we must do is come to the realization that true happiness, ultimate peace comes from a life lived in Jesus. Once we understand how powerless we are to effect our own well being and turn our life over to Him, the peace that is Jesus Christ will envelop us like an all-protective shield. This He has promised and this He will do.

Throughout the Gospels Jesus refers to children and the poor. He does so in ways that cause us reflect on their situation. What is it about them that He finds so special? The innocence of the child and the total reliance of the poor. Whether they realize it or not they are reliant on others for their survival. Jesus does not condemn money or wealth, but rather the attitude that stems from those who have attained them. Whether we wish to admit it or not, we are not self-reliant. Any measure of ‘success’ that we reach is done so, not through our own doing, but rather by the utilization of the gifts God has given us. How we use those gifts determine our eternal fate. The attitude we have towards those gifts and the result they produce in out lives likewise will determine our fate. We come to Jesus as innocent children, ready to accept His teaching and ready to deny our ‘self-reliance’. We are not a society that easily gives up control. We like to think of ourselves as individuals capable of accomplishing whatever we put our minds to. The truth is that we accomplish nothing, but rather God working through us accomplishes all. The first step to becoming His vessel is acceptance of His Peace.

Have you ever observed that the more of something an individual has the more they want? It is because the things of this world do not satisfy the yearning in our souls for true and lasting happiness. St. Paul said it so beautifully: “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus,” (Ph 4, 6-7).

Pressure, stress… anxiety come into our lives many times because of our unsatisfied desires. When that happens we should stop and realize that maybe we are pursuing fleeting goals that do not result in true happiness. What is our aim, what is our life’s mission? Acceptance of the peace of Christ should be it. There is no better goal. Jesus time and again told us to not be afraid. Stop fearing!

May the Peace of Christ be with you!

A Call to Holiness

by Thomas Morehead

We have all been in a restaurant or store and observed a small child misbehaving. And while we may become annoyed at the young one’s conduct, we are usually more critical of his or her parents. Now it is true that every one has a bad day now and then and that may be the case in the situation we are observing; the child could be hungry or ill. It is entirely possible however that he or she is just in need of parenting. Whatever the case may be, it doesn’t prevent us from judging the parents based on the conduct of the child. Which leads me to the Question;

“What do people think about Jesus or Catholicism for that matter, when they observe my behavior?”

In the 6th century BC the Jews living in Judah were taken captive and exiled to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel admonished the people of God by telling them that their captivity was imposed upon them because of their sinful behavior, they had “profaned the name of God” by not keeping His commandments. While in Babylon other nations ridiculed not only the Jewish people but God Himself: “These are the people of the Lord, yet they had to leave their land,” (Ez 36, 20b) implying that the God of Israel must not be very powerful if He was unable to protect His people. For this reason, Ezekiel goes on to say, God relented and allowed His people to return to Judah. “Not for your sakes do I act, house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name,” (Ez 36, 22b). The remaining verses in this chapter of Ezekiel are beautiful and powerful, please take a moment and reflect on them.

God acted to protect His name. The chosen people had sinned and he punished them; however when that punishment resulted in others defaming Him, He relented. This episode in the in the history of Israel is insightful. God revels to us that He expects His people to act in a way that brings honor to Him. At one point in the Old Testament God says, “you shall make and keep yourselves holy, because I am holy… Since I, the Lord, brought you up from the land of Egypt that I might be your God, you shall be holy, because I am holy,” (Lv 11, 44b-45).

When God created us He did so in His image. Clearly, He expects us to maintain that image for His glory. In His beautiful sermon on the mount Jesus tells us, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect,” (Mt 5, 48).

We are called to holiness because that is our nature. We are created in God’s image, a holy and perfect God who beckons us to a life that brings honor and glory to Him.

I ask myself, “does my conduct bring glory to God?”

I have much more to say on what a life of holiness entails. I will over the next few days post my thoughts. I welcome yours as well.

May God bless us all on our struggle to bring honor and glory to His holy name!