Is the Kingdom of God Jesus is describing and establishing here on earth a treasure; is it a pearl of great price, maybe a net, or perhaps a person caring for a home – and how is it so? It is all and more and each of Jesus’ metaphors is worthy of its own considerable reflection. They are rarely given that consideration given that so many are squeezed into one reading.
As a theology teacher I routinely asked students, ‘What is Jesus’ most significant and consistent teaching.” It was rare for a student to respond, ‘The Kingdom of God.’ Jesus teaches about his establishing the Kingdom of God constantly – it appears over 90 times in the Gospel and is therefore his most significant and consistent teaching. It is, however, largely unknown to the average church going Christian. Most are raised in Christian families and educated, to some degree, by Christian schools. They hear Bible readings, homilies, or sermons most of their lives. In other words, my students and the average church-going adult are living in the context in which they should have been taught about Jesus’ Kingdom of God. They were not. Why? Why does institutional Christianity not teach about Jesus’ teaching and, more importantly, his establishing the Kingdom of God here on earth? Is it to divert people from the truth that establishing the Kingdom of God here on earth is a direct and radical challenge to maintaining the kingdom of rulers here on earth.
Stanley Rother was raised in a typical Christian family and educated in a typical Christian setting when he became, for his time, a typical Catholic priest. He did all this without being taught or giving much attention to Jesus’ Kingdom of God – until he was missioned to Guatemala. Rother was no theologian. He was a farmer. His faith roots were in Jesus’ nature based parables on the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ stories took on full meaning for Rother living among Guatemalan farmers who brought those parables on the Kingdom of God to life. The people treasured each other as fine pearls and were never ending caregivers for family, neighbors, and the earth. They gave witness to Jesus’ Kingdom and as a result they suffered continually greater persecution from those devoted to the kingdom of rulers. That kingdom consisted of Guatemala’s wealthy politicians and their military. They got help from the kingdom of rulers in the U.S. Together they waged wars of poverty, malnutrition, pollution, and assassination against the Guatemalan people. They were the people with whom Rother lived and farmed and shared resources and lives. The soldiers had come for so many Guatemalans, 200,000 in all. In time, the soldiers came for Stanley Rother. Rother fought to the death, physically, so as not to be among ‘the disappeared.’ Rother was murdered 36 years ago this past Friday, July 28. He and so many Guatemalans were murdered because they chose the Kingdom of God over the kingdom of rulers.
Prayer: Spirit of Courage, help us to turn away from rule and turn toward communion.
Question: What does it mean for a Kingdom of God to be here, among us?
July 30, 2017 Gospel Matthew 13:44-52 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time