The Kingdom of God is At Hand, Part I

By Fr. Christopher Foeckler, MJ • Phoenix, AZ

As we begin the new year and a new decade in this relatively new century, we must be mindful of something that is both a constant, and at the same time, developing: the Kingdom of God is at hand. While most Christians would be ready and able to explain the essential Christian question of “Why did Jesus die?”, they may not all have the same agility in answering the question, “Why did He live?” Why did the Son of God become a man, the son of Mary, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and live among us for 33 years? The answer is quite simple – to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth! 

The Angel Gabriel told the Blessed Virgin Mary in the announcement of her conceiving and bearing the Son of the Most High that “the Lord God will give Him the throne of David His father, and He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end”. (Lk2:32-33) When the guiding star disappeared, the Magi inquired at Jerusalem: “Where is the newborn King of the Jews?” About 30 years later, when John the Baptist began his preaching in preparation of the Lord’s arrival, the very first words he said were: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” (Mt3:2) At the beginning of His own public ministry, just as John the Baptist was arrested, the Lord Jesus Himself echoed the very words of the Precursor: “Repent, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” (Mt 4:17)

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied: “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is.’ or ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” (Lk 17:21) It is not a temporal kingdom! It would not be the earthly triumphant kingdom that the Jewish people by and large were hoping for to reestablish the majesty and power of the Davidic kingdom, to overthrow the Romans, and begin an endless kingdom of Israel here on earth. It is a spiritual kingdom, a kingdom of “truth and life, of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace”. Yet, the Lord came to establish it on earth. So where is it on earth? The Kingdom of God is where the King is. As Jesus spoke to the people, His Kingdom was in their midst and its qualities were manifested by the very person of the King, His virtues and attitudes. The King promulgated the Constitution of His Kingdom at the Sermon on the Mount. Blessed are those who imitate the life and teaching of the King – they are His followers, His subjects, the People of God.