The Kingdom of God (Matthew—“the kingdom of heaven”)
The work of God and God’s people on earth
The way God works here, together with God’s people
The kingdom of God works within all human kingdoms
God (the Holy Spirit) works within and through God’s people
God’s people work together with our God, in God’s way, to achieve God’s purposes in our world

The Kingdom of God is not like the treasure or the pearl.
It has no value.  It cannot be purchased nor possessed.
There is nothing we can do to deserve it or receive it.

The Kingdom of God is like:
A man who found a treasure, buried it, and bought the field
A merchant who looked for pearls but found one he would  ever sell
We are the treasure God has sought and found and paid everything for.

The kingdom of God joyfully lets go of everything it has achieved when it finds the next pearl.
Like the shepherd and the lost sheep
Like Jesus on the cross

The kingdom of God does not follow the ways or rules of any human kingdom.

     “The fruit of the spirit grows only in the garden of obedience.”  —Terry Fullam
        Yes.  The fruit of the spirit grows only when we act, work, serve, minister.
        No.  The spirit proceeds from faith and not from obedience.  (Gal. 3:1-5)  Obedience is not possible without the spirit.  (Romans 7:14–8:2)  Life in the spirit is what the life of obedience would look like if obedience were possible, if sin had no power.
        The fruit of the spirit grows only in the garden of faithful service.

Two questions of judgment:

·         Would you rather be right or would you rather be good?

·         Would you rather take credit for who you are or would you rather be who you are (without credit)?

The paradoxical fruit:  Self-control.

     The circle of loving, seeing, obeying (loving–knowing– doing; loving–believing–imitating):

We can put faith first and imitation second, inasmuch as it is necessary for me to have faith in that which I am to imitate. But we must also put imitation first and faith second. I must, by some action, be marked in some measure by conformity to Christ, and thus collide with the world.  Without some kind of situational tension, there is no real opportunity of becoming a believer.

—Søren Kierkegaard

     This circle in the Sermon on the Mount:

  “Whoever does one of the least of these commandments and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 5:19)

  “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” (6:21)

  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven but only the one who does the will of my father in heaven.”  (7:21)

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like the wise man who built his house on a rock.”  (7:24)

     Regular self-examination:

• How strong is my love for Jesus Christ?
• How am I succeeding and where am I failing in keeping his commandments?
• How has he revealed himself to me?  Where and when have I seen him?
• How has my life been conformed to the life of Christ?  How is God working through me?

Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” [vs. 8]
Who gets to say what is enough for us? Is life really about God satisfying us, our needs or desires? Might the Lord of the Universe not have other plans?

When we undertake a journey we would like to know the destination, if not the final destination at least some next place along the way. We want to know where we will end up so we can decide if we even want to begin.
But God shows us the way and asks us to trust that the place whither that way leads is good.
“Enter through the narrow gate … For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
We don’t get to make a final choice. A choice to follow God’s way is a choice to live, which presents us with another opportunity to choose the way but not the distination.

At the end of our spiritual journey we would like to see God, actually, the sooner the better.
But Jesus shifts the focus from seeing God to doing the works of God.
God will not be satisfied simply to show himself to us. God is at work and God is with us when God is at work in and through us.

Jesus “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.”

        He emptied himself of the privileges and benefits that not being born yesterday can bring.

Other biblical resonances for “I was born yesterday.”

·         We are born again.  (John 3:1-21; 1 Peter 1:3)

·         We are people of the resurrection.  (Romans 6:4)

·         We are children of the kingdom.  (Mark 10:15)

How can we continue to say, “I was born yesterday”?

·         Breath by breath gift of life.  (Psalm 104:29-30)

·         Daily bread and daily forgiveness in the Lord’s prayer.

·         God of the burning bush.  (Exodus 3:1-6)

Some results of always being born yesterday:

·         Lifelong learning

·         “Reformed and always reforming”

·         Openness toward the new creation, kingdom of God

·         Lifelong service

In our relationships with others:

·         No holding grudges or nursing anger

·         “In humility regard others as better than yourselves.”

·         No holding debt or taking credit

Trust that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.  And because he lives we were born yesterday.

Coming and going. Sending and ____________.
“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
The people is the place.

As resurrected people:

· With new life, a second chance, free of the past

· To begin from square one, to reinvent the wheel

· As forgiven, to forgive

· Free of debt and unwilling to take credit

· With death and dying as part of the mission

As peace makers:

· To enter locked doors, where angels fear to tread

· To dispel fear and inspire courage

· To reconcile people to each other

· To reconcile people with God

“God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17)

· As healers and not as judges

· Focused on future

· Focused on people

· Direct action

Making the connections.

The faith of Jesus is most clearly seen in the events of holy week including the entry into Jerusalem along with this saying, “If these were silent, the stones would shout out.”

Jesus sees that the way he is taking will quickly lead to his death at the hands of the authorities. Nothing he can do, short of changing his course, will alter that. Even if all his disciples kept quite, the stones would announce that he is coming as a rival king into Jerusalem.

The faith of Jesus:

• sees the course God desires him to take
• accepts it as his own course
• sees the risks and eventual outcome
• understands that these are also part of God’s will
• accepts them and continues without turning aside

Jesus also sees that death is not the end. The gravestones could rise up and shout. Here is both the hope of the individual for life after death and the hope that in the end God will make all things right, at the final resurrection.

The faith of Jesus:

• recognizes that his mission in life is part of God’s mission in the world
• trusts that his disciples will continue his mission after his death
• sees that God will certainly bring that mission to full fruit
• continues without turning aside

The certainty of death is matched by the certainty of resurrection and a steadfast commitment to God’s way and God’s mission in this world.

Overlooked passage:

• Not a miracle, or parable, or teaching
• Jesus might be perceived as deceiving his brothers

The differences between Jesus and his brothers

• Now vs. the right time
• Publicly vs. in secret
• To be admired by his disciples vs. to be hated by evildoers

When and how Jesus appears for us

• Publicly or in secret: In an event or in a feeling
• Right time not any time: According to a season or a schedule
• To be hated but not to be ignored: To challenge whether willing or not

When and how we make Jesus known

• Publicly or in secret: By our words or by our lives
• Right time not any time: Announce and invite, or listen and speak
• To be hated but not to be ignored: To challenge the willing and unwilling

“Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” (vs. 12)

• barley loaves—food of the poor—Jesus feeds the hungry.
• fragments left over—a boy, the sick, etc.—Jesus welcomes all, especially those unwelcome by others.
• nothing lost—“This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” (John 6:39)—Jesus loses no one.

“So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.” (vs. 13); one for each disciple. As Jesus lived, so are we to live, so is he to live through us.

• to feed the hungry any way we can.
• to welcome everyone, especially those unwelcome by others; and to welcome and use their gifts.
• to care for each other, especially when someone is drifting or being pulled away.

This then is the second half of Jesus’ ministry (and our ministry) of healing and feeding.

John

What might this woman be thirsty for?

Given her situation:

Given her words:

Given Jesus’ response:

In Matthew 5:6 Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied. How might this woman be thirsting for righteousness or justice?

The living water which Jesus gives:

• Those who drink it will never be thirsty again.
• Becomes a fountain of gushing water.
• Brings with it “eternal life.”

How might this living water quench your thirst?

John