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Understand the kingdom
Jesus told his disciples to pray for his kingdom to come. But what exactly is this kingdom and how exactly will it come? With the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13,11) Jesus described the kingdom of heaven to his disciples by making it pictorial for them. He would say, "The kingdom of heaven is like..." and then would cite comparisons such as the mustard seed starting out small, the man finding treasure in a field, a farmer scattering the seeds, or a nobleman , who sells all his habakkuk and belongings to acquire a very special pearl. Through these comparisons, Jesus tried to teach his disciples that the kingdom of God is "not of this world" (John 18:36). Despite this, the disciples continued to misunderstand his explanation and assumed that Jesus would lead their oppressed people into a secular kingdom where they would have political freedom, power, and prestige. Many Christians today understand that the kingdom of heaven has more to do with the future and less with us in the present.
Like a three-stage rocket
While not a single illustration can do justice to the full extent of the kingdom of heaven, the following might be helpful to our context: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a three-stage rocket. The first two stages refer to the current reality of the kingdom of heaven and the third deals with the perfect kingdom of heaven that lies in the future.
Level 1: The beginning
The Kingdom of Heaven begins in our world with the first stage. This happens through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. By being whole God and whole man, Jesus brings the kingdom of heaven to us. As king of kings, wherever God is, the kingdom of heaven is also present everywhere.
Level 2: The current reality
The second stage began with what Jesus did for us through his death, resurrection, ascension, and sending the Holy Spirit. Although he is no longer physically present, he lives in us through the Holy Spirit, bringing us together as one body. The Kingdom of Heaven is now present. It is present throughout the creation. Regardless of which country is our earthly home, we are already citizens of the sky, since we are already under the rule of God and accordingly live in the kingdom of God.
Those who follow Jesus become part of the kingdom of God. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray: “Thy kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6,10) he made her familiar with standing up in prayer for both the present and the future. As followers of Jesus, we are called to testify of our heavenly citizenship in his kingdom, which is already here. We should not imagine the kingdom of heaven as something that only affects the future, because as citizens of this kingdom, we are already called to invite our fellow human beings to also become part of this kingdom. Working for the kingdom of God also means looking after poor and needy people and taking care of the preservation of creation. By doing such things, we share the good news of the cross because we represent the kingdom of God and our fellow men can recognize it through us.
Level 3: The future fullness
The third stage of the kingdom of heaven lies in the future. It will then attain its fullness when Jesus comes again and initiates a new earth and a new heaven.
At that time everyone will know God and he will be known for who he really is - "all things considered" (1. Corinthians 15,28). We now have a deep hope that everything will be restored at this time. It is an encouragement to imagine this state of affairs and to ponder what it will be like, even if we should remember Paul's words that we cannot fully understand it yet (1. Corinthians 2,9). But while we dream of the third stage of the kingdom of heaven, we should not forget the first two stages. Although our goal is in the future, the kingdom is already present and because it is so, we are called to live accordingly and to pass on the good news of Jesus Christ and to participate in the kingdom of God (present and future) permit.
by Joseph Tkach
