SCRIPTURE REFLECTION 34TH SUNDAY

The one and only message of Jesus was: “the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the Good News.” What sort of a Kingdom is at hand? The Kingdom is the compassion of God healing a word broken by sin. It is here already but not quite complete. The outcome of sin is death in many forms.

Every word, gesture, healing and action that Jesus performed in some way described the Kingdom overcoming sin (= disease, sickness, personal ruin) with restoration and wholeness. In this Jesus becomes the Universal King of a restored universe.

It is the spiritual death that distances ourselves from God. It is the death that slowly erodes the humanity God has endowed us with, we become less whole and more fragile and more susceptible to evil. It is the death of our relationships because we become more hollow as we become less loving (response and responsible) we become more introverted. It is the death of our universe as we mindlessly and selfishly abuse and squander its resources.

So it is into this broken world that Jesus enters proclaiming a new era of God’s compassion where evil (=sin) is slowly being overcome by good (=grace) – the intentionally of God’s original plan for humanity and our environment is being healed. A renewed world where vengeance gives way to mercy; anger is quenched by patience; and power is modified by acceptance.

Every act of kindness, patience, forgiveness, thoughtfulness, acceptance and self-giving furthers the Kingdom in our reality as we contribute to be compassionate disciples of Jesus healing the broken-hearted, the disposed and the marginalised. It grows each time we listen to another’s story with the attention of life and pray for them to God. Each kind gesture on our part is another step in furthering the Kingdom of God in the here and now.