A DreamWhat is your personal dream?Dreams for the world:How do you want to improve the world?How could you accomplish those goals and what sort of difficulties you would face?

E.g. end poverty.

THE KINGDOM Of GOD

The Dream of Jesus: the KoGAll religions/people reflect a human need to hope for a future that is in some way better than the present. The Dream varies depending on what the believers ground their hopes in. Jesus, too, had a strong vision of an ideal future, and he dedicated his life to making that future a reality.Jesus referred to his vision as the KINGDOM OF GOD.His teachings and his stories revealed his understanding of the Kingdom. His miracles were expressions of the fact that God was inaugurating the Kingdom through himself.

The word kingdom can get in the way of our understanding what Jesus meant when he preached about the KoG. For us, the KoG can imply a place or a region.

Many people thought that Gods Reign, or Kingdom, meant that the Jews, led by a military or political messiah, would triumph militarily and re-establish the ancient kingdom of Israel, as in the glorious era of King David.The kingdom that Jesus proclaimed and lived was entirely different from what so many people expected. It was kingdom of love, not of political rule or power.

Jesus missionTo proclaim the KoG- to preach it as a reality that was coming but also to live the kingdom in the present.Jesus knew that people would never catch on to the goodness and glory of Gods kingdom unless they experienced it for themselves. So Jesus dedicated himself to living the Kingdom in the midst of the people, not just talking about it.

Signs of the KingdomEvery page of the gospels shows Gods love and Gods Kingdom being manifested in Jesus actions.Healing and life-restoring miraclesJesus cured sick people- leprosy, hemorrhage, blindness, epilepsy Nature miraclesThe loaves and fish and calmed a fierce stormInclusion of outsidersAte with sinners, foreigners, women, the unclean, the insane, the poor, the sick, and those considered lowlife.Love of enemiesLuke 6:27-36- He forgave those who persecuted him and those who put him to death.The confronting of hypocrisy and religious legalismJesus could not stand hypocrisy and injusticeIn one occasion, a Pharisee confronted Jesus about healing on the Sabbath Jesus loved the Law, but he could not bear to see it abused as a way to control people and put them down.

The least are the greatest in the Kingdom of God as Jesus lived it and taught it, the usual values and priorities of the world are turned upside down. Those who have less really have moreThe poor are truly the rich.A person who wants to lead must first become a servant. Those who want to gain their life must first lose it.The beatitudes represent the values and the lifestyle that characterize those who live in Gods Kingdom

So, what is the K. o. G.?Traditional Jewish Understanding of the KoG Following Torah leads to the kingdom of GodJews are to be the light to all gentiles The Law is a joy, not a chore, to live

Matthews understanding of the KoG Following Torah and showing compassion leads to the kingdomThose who are meek, who suffer, who mourn will inherit the kingdom of God see Mt. 5:1-12

So, what is the K. o. G.?: The Kindom of God for us todayWhat we want for our selvesPrestige & popularityWealthTo rule the world Security/safety for us and our loved onesFun 24/7Nice stuffComplete control over our lives and others livesPlease othersWhat God wants us to bepoor in spiritthose who mournMeek Hunger and thirst for righteousnessMercifulpure in heartPeacemakerspersecuted because of righteousnessNo to fear insult

Answer the reflection questions see your lecture notes

Is What God wants really whats no fun? Does God want us to be a bunch of poor, sad, dull, depressed pansies? So does this mean that if we are strong we should become weak? That if we are happy we should be sad? That we should be persecuted?Jesus shows us that what God really wants for and from us is to be humbleTo love God by loving the people around usFor us to not count the personal cost of doing the right thing when it can get us into troubleFor us to need God and seek God out

Is Crucifixion the destiny of every Christian? (not in the literal sense)

What do you think and why?

How do we interpret Matthew today?Lets look at the sermon on the mount.The Beatitudes teach us that Jesus says that those who mourn, are meek and persecuted for the faith, in short all those who suffer will inherit the kingdom.Remember that the gospels were written at difficult times for Christians the poor and the meek and the oppressed were the original followers.So what is Jesus telling them to do?