The Kingdom of Heaven is near. And I have so many questions! How near is it? Is it near in time, like Valentine's Day is soon, and I need to make reservations? Is it nearing politically or historically? An act of God will occur, and it will be so apparent that we will know it when we see it? Or does Jesus mean this nearness relationally, like God's heart is near us when we are suffering? Some might think it means the doors to the eternal heaven are opening, and we will gain access when we die and escape this world. And what kind of Kingdom will this be? Will Jesus be the King? I confess I'm not a big fan of the royals, though I liked "The Crown" and Magen Markell was great in the TV series" Suits" But Kingdom is so "Old Europe" and we renounced all that in 1776. Is this Kingdom on earth or in heaven somewhere in what we call eternity or both? 

How do we translate the Kingdom of Heaven meaningfully for our lives? The Greek word for Kingdom, Basileuo, is a noun that can mean a literal territory, royal power, or the right to authority. Since the term king is more negative in our time, some biblical scholars propose Realm of God or the kin-dom of God. My favorite term from Martin Luther King, Jr. is "Beloved Community." The Beloved Community is near. I will use “Kingdom of Heaven" to stay consistent with Matthew. Matthew will give us more than one answer  (and I love it when there is more than one correct answer!). The phrase “Kingdom of Heaven" appears 31 times in Matthew's Gospel and nowhere else. Other Gospels use the term Kingdom of God. Each occurrence is like a colored piece of stained glass that makes the window pattern through which we see the light of God. 

Matthew says the basic message preached by both John the Baptist and Jesus is, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near,” Jesus's hearers wondered what this meant, so he came to an answer through several parables and analogies. 

In Matthew 13, Jesus gives us five comparisons:

The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, so tiny, yet it grows to incredible proportions.

The Kingdom of heaven is like leaven in bread that causes it to rise exponentially.

Here we have two pieces of “stained glass” that reveal the Kingdom of Heaven is like natural growth processes, seeds sprouting, or the organic chemical reaction of yeast. As one theologian describes it:

“Kingdom of heaven” described a process, a course of events, whereby God begins to govern, or to act as King or Lord, an action, therefore, by which God manifests being God in the (human) world" ¹

So, these first two show the Kingdom of heaven is a process (only 29 to go!). Trust the process. Half of you groan because you get tired of processes and just want to get things done. The other half are delighted that there will be time to process things. 

Next, Matthew 13 gives three examples where the Kingdom of Heaven is something you must search for. It isn't apparent to everyone:

^44"The Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and reburied; then in his joy, he sells all that he has and buys that field.

^45"Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; ⁴⁶ on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

^47"Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; ⁴⁸ when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 

These short sayings could mean Jesus believed the Kingdom of Heaven is a particular level of human consciousness. We must pay attention to discern its reality. This Kingdom is revealed to the seeker. And what we find is the most precious thing in the universe.

In the Beatitudes, which I'm preaching about next week, Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the poor in spirit and those persecuted for righteousness's sake. The Beatitudes bless the meek and those who mourn, who hunger and thirst for God's reality. These verses emphasize the nearness of God in times when we struggle or face adversity. The Kingdom of Heaven represents hope in God's goodness amid suffering, injustice, and evil. 

Several parables emphasize that the Kingdom of Heaven is a community where everyone is equally valued and given dignity. In the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, Jesus says three sets of workers bring in the harvest. Some start work in the morning, some at noon, and others at the end of the day. When work is done, they are all given the same wage. The long-term workers don't think it is fair since they did more work. But the owner (God) says, “Are you envious because I am generous' ’^[a] 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last"  (Matt. 20:1-18)

Jesus emphasizes this when his disciples argue about who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. He reprimands them for this arrogance and says you become great in service, and he repeats; the first shall be last and the last first.

Later Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven is like a wedding banquet, and if all the invited guests don't come, the list is to be expanded to everyone, the good and the bad. In Luke's version, the lame, the blind, and the oppressed are invited, so the food is not wasted. (Matthew 22)

I won't outline all 31 examples where Matthew uses the Kingdom of heaven phrase, but the Lord's Prayer deserves mention. “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."  We repeat this so often in our prayers we may gloss over the impact. Here is the translation from The Message Bible by Eugene Peterson:

Set the world right;
Do what's best—
    as above, so below.

Here's another interpretation from Parker Palmer:

We pray for your reign of peace to come,
We pray that your good will be done,
Let heaven and earth become one.

So, the Kingdom of Heaven isn't just otherworldly; a reward to the faithful in the next life. We are to live in this divine reality in all of life. Aspire to the Beloved Community in the here and now, even if it seems incomplete in our troubled times.

We now have a more complete stained-glass window with various shapes and colors. I like the beauty of stained-glass windows, but what do we do besides gaze at them in wonder? The Kingdom of Heaven is more than an idea that comforts us or inspires us like a sunset. It calls for a response from us. 

This response is what happens in our scripture reading. Jesus comes upon two fishermen and calls them to follow him. Leave your nets, and I will teach you to fish for people. Maybe they heard Jesus preach earlier about God drawing near, or maybe not. I'm always surprised at the spontaneity of these first disciples. I know I would have asked many more questions, at least did a Google search, and checked out Jesus on LinkedIn. There are a lot of frauds out there in the world. How did they know he was the real deal? Would you know Jesus was the real deal if he came to you and asked you to follow? It's hard enough to say yes to being a Deacon or agreeing to do the coffee hour. Jesus must have been inspiring to get them to leave their boats behind. 

Matthew dangles this one-liner in front of the reader, “The Kingdom of Heaven is near."  But the rest of the Gospel explains the invitation. The invite is so essential Matthew finds 31 different ways to say it. Which part inspires you? Let's pause and recap. As you hear this summary, think about which feature most appeals to you. In what way would you like to see the Kingdom of Heaven nearer to you? The Kingdom of Heaven is like these things:

·     This Kingdom is a Growth process, like seeds and leavens in bread, where God's reality starts small and grows exponentially over time.

·     Discovering the Kingdom requires exploring and searching. Its great value is only realized by those willing to see it. It's about consciousness; God calls us to explore our souls more deeply. Are you seeking it?

·     The Kingdom is especially near during suffering and injustice when we are poor in spirit or feeling persecuted. 

·     This realm of God welcomes everyone to participate, and none gets a greater place than others. In turn, we are called to extend God's welcome to live in Beloved Community.

·     Even though the phrase is the Kingdom of heaven, it is not a realm separate from human history. This realm has a tangible earthly impact. It calls us to ethical and socially responsible behavior.

The Kingdom of Heaven is near, and God invites you to respond. What is one way you will seek it this week, one concrete step you will make towards being a disciple? Let that rise in you like yeast. As Jesus said, “Knock, and the door will open, seek and you will find.”

1.     Schillebeeckx, Edward (1983) [1974]. Jesus: An Experiment in Christology. London: Fount Paperbacks. pp. 140–141. ISBN 0-00-626586-3.