Family

The family is a small kingdom. It more closely resembles God's kingdom than, say, political kingdoms, because the family allows for intimacy, friendship, wise and kind flexibility when governing the family. It is one reason bad parenting is so deadly; it attacks that fundamental understanding of God, who used to walk in the Garden with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. Here was the King of the universe, conversing, communing with his creation. It was what has been restored through Christ's intervention in history to cover the sin, sheathe the sword of justice that guarded the entrance to Eden, show us what it's like to walk with the King of Kings. He was someone little children loved to be with and who said, "Come to me, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest, for I am meek and lowly of heart." This is how families should be.

What a family cannot do is exact penal justice, like capital punishment. That is for the state alone. The rod is the only physical discipline allowed. No one could harm Cain after he killed his brother. One reason may have been the fact that there was nothing but family living on the earth at that time to exact the just punishment, but God did not want to establish that precedent.

KINGdom

I think it's fair to say that a kingdom has a king. The king has total authority over all matters in the realm. We are not used to this form of government, and like Sandy in "Chariots of Fire," object to such distatorship. To that, the minister replies, "Ah, but a wise, benevolent dictator."

But even that response falls far short of describing the glorious King, whose word as that of our Creator, must be for our good. It could not be otherwise. To even doubt that His Word is good is to commit a damnable sin. So His wisdom is unassailable.

What about just? He is perfectly just. That's one of the main reasons Christ had to give His life in exchange for our lives and souls - He is so just that He must punish evil, even if the victim is a sacrificial lamb.

As for kind, that is an understatement. This is the God whose Son became man to die for the sins of the world. While we have heard that phrase a million times, it should still take our breath away to consider such service of kindness at great sacrifice. His wisdom is unassailable.

But do we really believe that He has our best interest at heart in all things, including our business, our politics, our family, even every event of our lives?

Reformed Answer

Here is the Westminster Shorter Catechism (a critical document issued during the Reformation) answer to the question:

Q. 102. What do we pray for in the second petition [of the Lord's Prayer]?
A. In the second petition, which is, Thy kingdom come, we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed;[Mt. 12:25-28; Ro. 16:20; I Jn. 3:8] and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced,[Mt. 72:8-11; Mt. 24:14; I Cor. 16:24-5] ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it;[Ps. 119:5; Lk. 22:32; II Th. 3:1-5] and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.[Rev. 22:20]

Do you agree with that assessment? Is it too limited? Too broad? Does it leave out the workplace, politics, the Church, etc.? Or are those aspects of life implied in the terms used in that answer, terms like Satan's kingdom, the kingdom of grace, etc.

When

Another question that I left off the first blog was When? Many people have serious difficulty with this because they think the kingdom can only come when Jesus comes back. They think Jesus Christ has to sit on a physical throne in Jerusalem, but He already sits on the most powerful throne in heaven and on earth - the right hand of God.

What is the Kingdom of God?

Here's a question I've had for a long time. What is the Kingdom of God? If we're talking about a God who has created all things, isn't everything God's Kingdom? Yes and no. Jesus spoke of it as something exclusive, conditional, and somehow separate from the rest of the phycial universe. So what is it? Is it the church? Is it a thing? Is it a group of people? Is it heaven? It must involve something on this earth because the Lord's prayer speaks of it coming - Thy Kingdom come - to earth. Is it spiritual? Can it encompass the physical? Politics? Society? Work? Play? Extracurricular activities?

What part do I have in that Kingdom? Am I in it? Why does Jesus refer to it as a Kingdom? Does it have an army? It must have a King, and that would be the Son of God, the King of Kings. How much does He rule over now? How does He rule from the right hand of God? What is His relationship to the rest of the world, that part of the universe that is outside His Kingdom? Or is that an illegitimate question? Is anyone outside His Kingdom? Why? How do they get in? Can they get out? Who are His subjects? How do you know who His subjects are? What activities do Kingdom subjects engage in? What is their aim in serving this King? How do we honor this King?

The questions go on and on. Do you have any thoughts on this question? Please blog them.