When Jesus says to his
disciples that, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,” he makes
clear the idea that the kingdom of God is not something tangible, like a
building or a territory. He further
explains that the kingdom is not something that will appear suddenly at a
moment in time. Rather, Jesus explains that
the kingdom of God is already present among us, although not necessarily in its
fullest sense. Jesus is also revealing
that the kingdom of God is something that is felt, perceived, and experienced.
The idea that the kingdom is already present had meaning
for those who lived long ago as much as it does for us today. Most did not realize that living in the
presence of Jesus was the same as living in the presence of God. Those who lived in covenant with God,
however, sensed that they were living in the kingdom. For those who perceived Jesus as the
incarnation of love itself also realized that they were living in the kingdom
of God. The Apostle John relied on this same revelation when he taught the
early Christian community that “whoever remains in love remains in God and God
in him” (1 Jn 4:16). For us today, the
kingdom of God is present through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
guides us to follow the example of Jesus in our love for each other and for all
of creation. In this respect, our
imitation of Jesus and love for each other make the kingdom of God present
among us.
Jesus never reveals what the kingdom of God will look like
in its fullest sense. He merely affirms
that the kingdom will come. Although Jesus initiated the kingdom of
heaven through his own life and mission, he seeks other laborers for the
vineyard, those who work in the present for the harvest of the future. Jesus
invites us to continue his work of building up the kingdom by making God
fully present in the here and now.
But, Jesus is not looking for grandiose effort on our
part. Our contribution will often come
in very ordinary ways through the performance of ordinary duties. Jesus is our model. He tells us in the Beatitudes, for example,
that we build up the kingdom with a
helping hand, a kind word, a compassionate response, a decision to forgive, a
desire to love others—all in imitation of him and his love for others. For that reason, we build up the kingdom each
time we renew our commitment to be just and good to others, especially to
the poor and vulnerable members of society.
We build up the kingdom by daring to be Christ to others, even though it
makes us uncomfortable, even though others do not appreciate our effort, and even though we may not see the result.
The result will be God’s work and not
our own.
In the meantime,
Jesus invites us to enter the kingdom.
He invites us to enter a relationship with God our Father and with each
other, a relationship built on love, mercy, kindness, and compassion. Accepting
his invitation means placing our total trust and confidence in God our Father,
who works all things to the good. When
we accept this invitation to follow Jesus, once again we make the kingdom of
God present among us.
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