The Story: A New Kingdom
Have you ever heard the saying, “every time you open your mouth you let people see into your mind.”? This week we get a chance to look into the mind of Jesus as we examine what He is talking about and what is going on in His mind?
If the things Jesus is talking about is any indication then the kingdom of God is firmly on his mind. In the Gospel of Matthew alone the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” is found 32 times. In the New Testament, the word kingdom means “rule, reign, or authority” rather than a place or specific realm. The phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” refers to the rule of God. So Jesus spends a lot of time trying to get people to see what earth might be like if God were allowed to rule again. He also gives us glimpses as to what the earth made new will look like when Jesus comes back to earth again the second time.
The Jewish leaders wanted a political leader who would deliver them from Rome, but Jesus came to bring spiritual rule to the hearts of people
So how can there be a kingdom of God here now? I believe that this is in the gifting of each person who chooses to let God be king of their lives. When we choose to accept what Jesus did for us at the cross; become part of his family, then part of that privilege becomes obligation to let God’s Holy Spirit lead us into thinking and doing things God’s way. God’s power working in us is the only way we can do that.
We are specifically looking this week at a teaching of Jesus that has become known as “The Beatitudes”. Jesus is teaching us in Matthew 5 that in order to be blessed we must be the blessing. The changed attitudes that come with allowing God to rule in our lives WILL have a positive effect on the lives of those around us. Because we have been blessed we become a blessing to our society.
The word blessed means to be happy, fortunate, or to be envied. I wonder if the people in your neighbourhood are going to be envious of you and desire to have Jesus in their lives as well when they observe the kind of lives and attitudes that you have?
