The Kingdom is a Gift to Be Shared
Like the apostles, we too are called to welcome the gift of God’s kingdom. We are invited to proclaim with words and deeds that His kingdom is near, to announce a message of hope to everyone we meet.
“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ […] Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:7–8)
In this chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, the apostles have just been chosen by Jesus. He has called them by name and given them special powers to cast out unclean spirits and the ability to heal every disease and infirmity. He then gives them instructions on where and how to carry out their first mission. In fact, the message they are to proclaim is clear: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” [1]
The stipulation to proclaim this message as they go emphasises two things. First and foremost, true disciples should proclaim the closeness of the Kingdom but it is also true that their relationship, as they journey forward together, should also witness to this message. In fact, in John’s Gospel, after giving the new commandment, Jesus says: ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ [2]
“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ […] Freely you have received, freely give.”
The ‘kingdom of heaven’ is at the heart of the proclamation of Jesus. The similar expression, ‘kingdom of God,’ is used in the Old Testament to indicate God’s lordship, governance and saving action in human history. He is the ruler of the world and especially of the people of Israel, who were waiting for a descendant of King David to restore Israel’s role among the nations. In the New Testament, Jesus himself is presented as this descendant and therefore king. Unlike a temporal kingdom, the “kingdom of heaven” is a reign of peace and justice where forgiveness and reconciliation and care for the needy prevail, bringing light and life to all nations. It is a kingdom that already exists in the world and in the human heart but will only reach fulfillment at the return of Jesus.
“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ […] Freely you have received, freely give.”
Jesus announces that the kingdom is close in time. It is imminent. Parables such as that of the mustard seed or the leaven in the dough indicate that the kingdom grows humbly and mysteriously but with great tenacity.
‘Near’ also has a spatial meaning. When the disciples, who carry the spirit of the presence of Jesus, approach on foot, the kingdom of God approaches, and when, in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus says to the scribe, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God,’ [3] he probably meant not only ‘you have begun to understand’ but also ‘you are not far from me.’
“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ […] Freely you have received, freely give.”
The word ‘freely’ translates a term that in the original Greek means ‘as a gift.’ This highlights that what the apostles received was not given to them because they deserved it. Instead, the source is God’s generosity and the fact that they were chosen for a special mission.
Chiara Lubich writes: “The kingdom of God must therefore be welcomed. It is a gift that God gives you. In fact, no human effort, no ascetic endeavor, no study or intellectual research can bring you into the kingdom of God. It is God himself who comes to meet you, who reveals himself with his light or touches you with his grace. There is no merit that you can boast of, or rely on, to be entitled to such a gift from God. The kingdom is offered to you freely.” [4]
Today, we too are called to welcome this gift. We are invited to continue the task that Jesus entrusted to the apostles, that is, to proclaim with words and deeds that the kingdom of God is near. Even in this troubled and uncertain world, we are called to announce a message of hope to everyone we meet. God loves the world and each one of us immensely.
Augusto Parody Reyes and the Word of Life team
[1] Matthew 10:7
[2] John 13:35
[3] Mark 12:34
[4] C. Lubich, Word of Life, ed. Fabio Ciardi, (Works of Chiara Lubich 5), New City, London, 2022
