Orientation

After his baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, and after emerging successfully from forty days of testing in the wilderness, Jesus now goes to Galilee to to inaugurate the kingdom of God. In these verses Jesus not only begins to distinguish himself and his message from John the Baptist; he also begins to re-define the meaning of "kingdom."

For Jews living in the 1st century, "the kingdom of God" was a familiar idea with roots in the Jewish scriptures (our Old Testament), where God is understood to be King not only of Israel, but also of the whole world. In Judges 8:23, for instance, Gideon refuses to rule over the Israelites, insisting that God is the real king. And "in the days to come," according to Isaiah, "the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established at the highest of the mountains . . . [and] all nations shall stream to it" (2:2). God's kingdom would one day replace all human kingdoms and usher in a new era of peace, justice, and righteousness that will even transform nature ("the wolf shall live with the lamb," Isaiah 11:6).

Yet many Jews in the 1st century also hoped for a revival of the kingdom of David, the most beloved of all kings in Jewish history. Someday, they thought, one of the descendants of David might assemble an army, expel all foreigners from the land of Palestine, set up a political kingdom with geographic boundaries, and build a new palace in Jerusalem.

Therefore Jesus' announcement that "the kingdom of God has come near" would have stirred great excitement among Jews, especially those suffering from poverty, injustice, or debt. It was hardly surprising that once they saw Jesus teach with authority, heal the sick and demon possessed with ease, and reach out to people at the margin of society, people crowded around Jesus. This man has unusual abilities: maybe the kingdom really is coming!

Yet in the same breath as Jesus announces the coming of the kingdom, he also begins to re-define it: to prepare for this kingdom, people must "repent." The rule of God begins when people inwardly turn away from evil and choose another way. God will not forcibly impose the kingdom from the outside.

From now until the end of his life, Jesus' primary goal is to help others understand the nature of God's rule. The rule of God is here, but it has not yet fully arrived. It comes not by violent, armed rebellion, but by nonviolent change. It has no geographical boundaries, but can exist anywhere at any time. It restructures economic relationships. It supercedes one's family of origin. It affects what we eat and with whom we eat. It leads to crucifixion and resurrection.

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