What is the Kingdom
of God
like?
We could spend a lot of time meditating on that.
We should spend a lot of time meditating on that.
We know a lot about the Kingdom
of God.
But not everything.
And we don’t always have a clear picture of it in the
front of our minds.
We know that the Kingdom
of God is here
today—here on earth.
Jesus established it when he came here two thousand yeas
ago.
A Kingdom without borders, but a true state, a true
community.
A state where we can choose to take up residence.
A state of being, a state of mind, a spiritual state.
A state populated by many others—passed and present—known
and unknown,
Who welcome us into community with them.
In our Gospel today, Jesus stresses two aspects of the
Kingdom.
Its dramatic growth and the sustenance it provides.
It’s like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a bush
that’s billions of times its original size.
A bush that is home and shelter to those who come to
dwell within it.
The Kingdom is also like the yeast that mixes in with the
surrounding wheat flour to transform it.
It makes the dough expand and rise up and as one bread,
one body.
Indeed, the Kingdom has grown immensely since its
establishment.
From an initial handful, to a few thousand at the time of
Jesus’ resurrection,
To many billions throughout the years leading up to today.
That growth has come through the grace and action of God.
First by Jesus himself coming to gather the nations into
the peace of God’s Kingdom.
And then by citizens of the Kingdom mixing with and raising
up the surrounding populations.
We Christians, especially we Catholics, are blessed with
the faith God has given us.
The truth He has revealed to us.
The Good News that Jesus came to save the world.
The Good News that God is the loving Father of all
mankind.
That he loves all His children, and wants all
of them to enter into His Kingdom.
We are today’s earthly contingent of the Kingdom
of God.
We’re blessed with our citizenship and with the shelter
of the Kingdom.
And we’re charged with the task of finishing the work
Jesus began.
The work of gathering the nations into God’s one Kingdom.
Using the talents we’ve been given to spread the Good
News.
By word and act and example.
We’re today’s yeast.
To paraphrase Pope Francis,
Let’s get out there and mix it up.
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