Beyond The Basics

This is the first in a series about eternal rewards.

Kingdoms are weird.

I mean, think about it. I live in the United States of America and have for my entire life. I know that is the case for most of you, my esteemed readers. The idea of a kingdom is a completely foreign concept to us in the USA. We spent the first part of our history rebelling against one so resistance to kingdoms are kind of in our DNA. The concept that one could inherit supreme executive power due to the order in which one born is just so bizarre.

Now that I’ve alienated about 10% of my readers, I must say, I somewhat envy my friends who live in other nations that have a history of being led by a monarchy.

Ummm… why?

Jesus overwhelmingly described the reality of heaven on earth as a kingdom. There are realities of living in a kingdom that those of us who live in America will simply never understand because of our rebellious nature against monarchies. Those who live in nations that are actual kingdoms, or that have a long history of being kingdoms before slowly being transformed into democracies, are capable of having a much deeper understanding of the nature of living in the kingdom of God.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)

Jesus gave us two heart attitudes in the Sermon on the Mount that would result in one very specific reward: receiving the kingdom of heaven.

The first heart attitude, being poor in spirit, refers to our understanding of our position of need. Those who are poor in spirit recognize how much they lack on their own and how much they are in need of the Lord. It is a reference to Isaiah 66:2 which says that the Lord will have favor on those who are humble and contrite in spirit. This is not a self-depreciating attitude but one that acknowledges the reality of our tendency toward sin and compromise without the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The second attitude is one of complete surrender to Jesus to the point of persecution. It is an attitude that recognizes the things we possess in this world, whether reputation or career or even life itself, is worth nothing compared to the glory of resurrection in Christ (Philippians 3:8-11).

The reward Jesus offers us in return is significant because these two attitudes go against our deepest nature: the first, against our pride; the second, against our self-preservation. But in order to understand how significant this reward is we must first understand the nature of the kingdom of heaven.

We could go through all the parables that Jesus tells that reveal the kingdom of heaven to us but this post might not ever end if we do that. You know the ones; I’m talking about all the parables that start with “The kingdom of heaven is like…” There are dozens of them. But there has to be a place where Jesus just defines the kingdom of heaven, right? Right?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. But if we place ourselves in the shoes of a first century Jew we might be able to understand what Jesus was referring to when He talked about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus knew those who listened to Him speak would know the Hebrew Scriptures well, including the following passages:

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)

I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. (Psalm 2:7-11)

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (Isaiah 2:3-4)

There’s so many more of those.

They all speak of the future Messiah taking possession of an eternal kingdom in an Eden-like context in which sin, war, and death has been conquered and the Messiah reigns over the whole earth. This kingdom of heaven is not simply referring to Jesus’ rule over our hearts, although that is certainly a good thing. But if we stop there we dilute the message of the kingdom. The message of the kingdom of heaven is that Jesus is returning to take possession of the earth once and for all. His rule will never be disputed, never be challenged, and it will never end.

And when He comes, He will give His kingdom to those who are poor in spirit and to those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake. They will take an active role in the administration of His kingdom across the earth. They will have high stakes in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus will make those who lowered themselves in this present age the greatest in the age to come (Matthew 20:26).

Now that’s a kingdom that I want to be a part of.