The “Kingdom of God”
In today’s lengthy Gospel passage, St Matthew, through various parables, tries to explain the meaning and the essence of the “Kingdom of God”.
In a simple analogy, the phrase “Kingdom of God” means the place where God’s supreme and absolute authority over every subject is recognized and accepted. The primary purpose of Jesus’ mission on earth was to establish such a kingdom belonging to God. He even asked that when we pray, we pray for the establishment of God’s Kingdom.
The New Testament, through the person of John the Baptist, gave a clarion call to everybody: “Do Penance, for the kingdom of Heaven (God) is at hand”. Then, where do we find this kingdom established? The “Kingdom of God” is not so much a place, but more of a state of mind. It is that which permeates human minds to live the life God wants them to live – the life lived by Jesus; the life of truth, love, peace and justice.
The “Kingdom of God” means the ruling of God in our hearts and minds, which is then reflected in our life and in the lives of our family.
Today’s Gospel also cautions us about the opposing kingdoms. This means resisting all that keeps us away from God’s Ruling – the kingdom of the world and kingdom of evil. We cannot and should not label something as bad or evil unless it is fully grown as such. Every evil need not be in stark opposition to God. There is some amount of evil in every individual, community, society and even in the Church.
Since God’s Kingdom is a spiritual entity, its establishment and development is significantly invisible. Like the tiny mustard seed which eventually grows into a big shrub, we can, one day, grow in the “Kingdom of God”, only if we desire and live the word of God.
–Fr. Ranjan D’Sa, OCD