RBWords

     The Gospel of Matthew has Jesus beginning his "career" after his baptism by John and after his temptation in the desert!  He makes a particular village his headquarters - Capernaum - but travels from there throughout Galilee.  Matthew sees this as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah quoted above.  Jesus' message is a simple one:  "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!"  This message is to be the "light" that has arisen!  The first part of the statement - "Repent!" - was [is] not, in itself, very threatening.  The second part can be very threatening because it points to a state of affairs beyond our own personal conversion and renewal!

     In Jesus' time, to speak of any "kingdom" in Palestine other than the Roman empire was considered to be a revolutionary act!  There were plenty of these uprisings which Rome would summarily crush.  Eventually one of them would lead to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple about 40 years after Jesus' death and resurrection [70 AD].  Pilate thought that Jesus might just be another one, but Jesus' preaching was about a kingdom that would not be established by armed violence!  It would include personal conversion but it would also include concern for all who suffered in any way, whether from illness or oppression or poverty or hunger, etc.  Matthew 25:31-45 makes that so clear that one wonders why the whole world "cannot see the light!"  Jesus' kingdom is not a geographic political entity.  His kingdom is not about politics, although it can have a tremendous impact on human political behavior.  This is why some people accuse preachers of "preaching politics" when Jesus' kingdom threatens their established powers!

     A secular political vision can have great positive results, but the starting point for Jesus and any baptized person has to be the kingdom of heaven [or Kingdom of God] and not the geographic boundaries of this or that nation or political power.  There are no Democratic or Republican parties in the kingdom of God.  Furthermore, this is not some "pie in the sky by and by" kingdom.  It is meant to be established here and now and endure till the Lord returns.  Jesus' preaching about his kingdom cost him his life!  We profess to believe in his teachings, but do we really "see the light" as long as the unborn, the immigrant, the hungry and thirsty and all those mentioned in the gospel continue to suffer?  The word, "Repent!" calls us to conversion not only personally, but as members of the Body of Christ throughout the world!  That is the light that Jesus offers to our darkness!  Can we see it?  AMEN