Keys of the Kingdom 11
Monday January 21, 2008
Categories: Kingdom of God
Mark 12:34, in context, reads: "28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29...
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Advertisement
Advertisement
Search This Blog
Recent Posts
About Jesus Creed
Scot McKnight is a widely-recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. He is the Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University (Chicago, Illinois). A popular and witty speaker, Dr. McKnight has given interviews on radios across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly asked to speak in local churches and educational events. Dr. McKnight obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (1986). Click to continue reading Scot McKnight's Bio...
Subscribe
Featured Books
Tag Cloud
Advent, Bible, Creation, evolution, Faith, Faith and Politics, Faith and Spirituality, Generation Me, Genesis, Genesis 1, Gospel, Heresy, Homosexuality, iGens, James, James Brother of Jesus, James Epistle of, Jean Twenge, John Walton, Lent, New Perspective, Obama, Politics, Prayer, Romans, science and faith, Science and Faith, Spirituality, Third Way, Youth Ministry
Calendar
Blogroll
Daily Prayers:
- A. Book of Common Prayer
- A. Book of Common Prayer 2
- A. Divine Hours
- A. Evening Prayer (Anglican)
- A. Morning Prayer (Anglican)
- Celtic Prayer
- Creeds of Christendom
- Eastern Orthodox Prayers
- Lectionary
- Liturgy of the Hours
- Missio Dei
Emerging Movement:
- Andrew Jones
- Andrew Perriman
- Anthony Stiff
- Art Boulet
- Bob Robinson
- Br. Maynard
- Dan Kimball
- David Fitch
- Dogwood Abbey
- Ecclesia Network
- Emerging Women
- Eugene Cho
- Henrik Holmgaard
- Jamie Arpin-Ricci
- Jazz Theologian
- John Frye
- John Lagrou
- Jonny Baker
- JR Briggs
- Leonard Hjamarlson
- LeRon Shults
- Lukas McKnight
- Peggy Brown
- Sivin Kit
- Stephen Shields
- Steve McCoy
- Steve Taylor
- Tamara Buchan
- The Practicing Church
- Tim Miekley
- Todd Hiestand
- Tom Smith (RSA)
- Tony Jones
Other sites I frequent:
- Allan Bevere
- Andy Rowell
- Attie Nel
- Barna
- Brad Boydston
- CC Blogs
- Don Johnson
- Ed Gilbreath
- Erika Haub (Carney)
- Faith Blogging
- Falsani
- Fr. Rob
- Hummers
- iMonk
- James McGrath
- Jim Martin
- John Stackhouse
- JR Woodward
- Karen Spears Zacharias
- Laura Barringer
- LaVonne Neff
- LeaderFOCUS
- LL Barkat
- Luke/Annika
- Mark Galli
- Mark Roberts
- Michael Kruse
- Nexus
- Owen Youngman
- Ted Gossard
- Tom Wright
Recommended Online Readings:
Scholarly Books I've written:
- Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels
- Hist Jesus Anthology
- Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels
- Introducing NT Interpretation
- Jesus and His Death
- Jesus in Memory (ed.)
- New Vision for Israel
- Synoptics: Biblio
- The Face of New Testament Studies
- Who Do They Say I Am?
Scholarship Online:
- Apollos
- Books & Culture
- ChristianityToday
- CS Lewis
- EAC
- Early Xian Writings
- Euaggelion
- Gospels
- Jesus and His Death Blog
- Karl Barth Online
- Mark Goodacre's Weblog
- Online Journals Access
- Online Pseudepigraph
- Pete Enns
- Prime Time Jesus
- Theopedia
- ThinkTank
Stuff online:
- 5 Streams
- Big Muddy
- Catalyst Scripture
- Catching the Wave
- DaVinci Code
- Forgiveness
- Future or Fad?
- Gospel of Judas
- High Calling
- Interview on Emerging
- Interview with LL Barkat
- IVCF Eikons
- IVCF Gospel
- John Bunyan
- Keys of the Kingdom
- Lake Emerging
- Mary in CT
- Missional in Seattle
- Missional Matrix
- Nativity Story
- Never Alone
- New Perspective
- Pepperdine Interview
- Professor as Scholar
- Recl Mind Mary 1
- Robust Gospel
- Social Justice
- Trojan Horse 2
- WiredParish Mary Interview
- Word/World NPP
The scribe "got it". I presume that he would have to do it to be ïn".
RonMcK,
By "got it" I mean he saw that the essence of the Torah was about loving God and loving others.
So what does this tell us about the Kingdom of God?
Presumably that the kingdom of God is comprised of those people who "get it" and act on it. And "get it" is in essence defined by love for God and others.
God is love and he who lives in love lives in God. Back to the same idea and it's a great one: building loving relationships builds the Kingdom of God.
It seems pretty clear that the Kingdom is here and now. I get those critics who say God's kingdom won't be until His return. It is hard to misunderstand those words though.
So..
"getting it"...loving God and loving others...essentially means Christ in us, God in us, The Spirit in us...So then we can be in the Kingdom without any outward mental or psychological assent to propositions about Christ or even naming him, but must simply express the reality of "getting it?" The reality of being in the Kingdom is an incarnate life...As simple and profound as that is, it certainly begs an argument from all sorts of pharisees, even the emergent few who are certain their version(s)of the Kingdom are correct... thanks for the topic and the good discussion.
I wonder if, "not far from the Kingdom" may be the difference between simply knowing the right answers and actually altering your life in such a way that you live out these Kingdom values. Go back to Mark 10:17-31 to see an account of how difficult actually living these values out can be. I think many get to the "door" of the Kingdom but aren't willing to give up the "keys" to the kingdom of self so they never "enter." So, perhaps one can be "not far" but never enter.
Bryan,
Not likely that we can really know too much about this, but the view you mention is entirely possible. The tone of Jesus with respect to this man is different than with the Rich Young Ruler. It is more like the tone of Nicodemus, who appears to be a disciple because of his connection with Joseph of Arimathea.
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.