The Kingdom of God (2)

“‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!’”(1:15)

According to the appendix for Greek English dictionary edited by several scholars including Kurt Aland, ‘basileia’ is translated in English like this: reign, rule, kingdom, domain. And then “the kingdom of God” means sovereignty of God, the kingdom of God, the domain of God. Considering these meanings in the dictionary, the kingdom of God means the spatial space as well as power moving around inside of that space. But with the preposition that God does not be restricted in a limited space, the kingdom of God should be interpreted as a concept of sovereignty. This means that the kingdom of God is God’s reigning.

For understanding the kingdom as reigning, first of all we should overcome the idea of substantial metaphysics. Substantial metaphysics is an idea that there is an original substance forming this world. Whether that is Plato’s Idea or Aristotle’s phenomenon, westerners used to think that substance exist. According to this kind of substantial metaphysics, the kingdom must exist as substance. Just like a heaven that we Christians imagine we might go after we die.

But does that substance ultimately exist? Modern physics already has denied that idea of substance. The idea that the least unit for forming material is an atom had been destroyed already. And also Heisenberg’s “uncertainty principle” points out that it is impossible to prove the phenomenon of material objectively in the world of quantum. It is saying that because quantum is always changing by the observer, it is impossible to observe the quantum objectively. And if it is impossible to observe quantum objectively, it could not be regarded as a theory of natural science. From this point of view it is true that today’s physics pass over beyond the boundary of psycho-science. It means that material and mind could be totally differentiated. We are getting aside a little much. Maybe I was saying what I don’t know much exactly. But if you see a big frame of the picture, it could be correct. Now let’s get back to our main topic.

To a person who regards the kingdom of God as God’s reigning, this world should not have to be understood or possessed by his own idea. Instead, he opens his heart to God’s reigning. But the problem is that God’s reigning or his control could be not felt by our sense, because his way of reigning is always beyond our expectations. Generally speaking, it is easy to think world’s history had been written by cause and effect or by virtue and vice. Neo-liberalism is regarded as the most highly ideology by a tacit agreement that only economic power could save uman beings. The authors in the Bible did not judge history like that. They point out that the most powerful king, empire, authority, and power in Bible age were so vain in front of God. The simple example is that Israelites walked through the Red Sea like on dry land, but the most powerful Egyptian bands of army submerged into water. That is a confession of faith that God’s reigning is out of the center of our expectation.

How could we experience God’s reigning today? Maybe still we are controlled by empirical order. Maybe still we are restricted by worldly system of economic power. Maybe we might think we possess the kingdom of God. That’s why we are wasting our time for expanding that kind of sphere. Does God control our private lives? Or do we surrender our fate to God’s reigning? Maybe we don’t have any concern about God’s reigning, because we have been already conquered by possession-centered principles of life.

Jesus said God’s reigning is near. But it seems to be not possible for anybody to understand the imminent God’s reigning. Those days for Jesus there were not many to understand his life and teaching. There were not many to regard Jesus on the cross as Messiah. If we think we recognize God’s reigning because we believe in Jesus as Messiah, it is a misunderstanding pretty much. To us to believe in Jesus is changed as a kind of power. Our reality is that reigning of God becomes so powerless by the power of church leaders who has revived church a lot. I don’t have to take some examples in here, I think. Many people who know the atmosphere of the churches could already feel it.

Now we should pay attention to what God’s reigning means. The reigning of God to be said it is very near. Just like musicians find reason for his existence only in music, Christians should find reason for his being in God’s reigning so near to us.

Lord, I want to be a person who accepts totally God’s reigning. Amen.