Kingdom Disciples

At the end of his sermon, Jesus claimed absolute authority for his words. If we ignore them, we risk rejection by him – Matthew 7:21-28. “ I never knew you! Depart from me! ” These are the most frightening words we might ever hear from Jesus. His warning demonstrates that Christ’s teachings are not optional. The commandments of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ teach us how we are to live as faithful citizens of the Kingdom of God.

Forgiveness links the call of the tax collector to the healing of the paralytic – Christ’s authority to discharge sins and restore men – Mark 2:13-17. When Jesus pronounced the paralytic’s sins “ forgiven ,” he offended the Scribes and Pharisees, and he alienated them by showing mercy to “ sinners ” considered unacceptable by more scrupulously religious Jews. Seeing Jesus eating with “ tax collectors ” and “ sinners ,” the Scribes and Pharisees insinuated that Christ also was a notorious sinner – (Mark 2:1-17).

The Gospel of Mark provides several examples of the many parables taught by Jesus (“ Apart from a parable he did not speak to the crowds ”). The dominant theme of his parables is the Kingdom of God that began to invade the Earth in his ministry and continues to grow and produce fruit wherever the Gospel is preached. The “ Son of Man ” taught the Jewish people in parables, but only as they “ were able to hear ,” and this clause stresses the responsibility of the listener to hear and heed his words.

The Parable of the Sower and its interpretation provide the key to understanding the parables of Jesus. The Kingdom of God began to invade the present age, starting with the proclamation of the Gospel by the “ Son of Man .” This process commenced with his announcement of the Good News in “ Galilee of the Nations .” Since then, it has advanced across the Earth largely unnoticed by humanity.

To follow Jesus requires the willingness to suffer for his sake. The call to endure persecution for Chrisr is the highest honor imaginable in his Kingdom. Retaliation and violence are not appropriate reactions to hostility and persecution for the disciple of Jesus. Instead, his follower must meet threats and assaults with humility, mercy, and forgiveness. This is what it means to “ deny yourself ,” “ take up his cross ,” and follow him “ wherever he leads .” Doing good to one’s “ enemy ” is contrary to the “ wisdom of this age ,” yet doing so is how we become “ perfect as the Heavenly Father .”

Following Jesus means a life of self-denial and service, and a willingness to suffer persecution and loss for his sake . Rage and retaliation are inappropriate reactions to hostility if we are disciples of Jesus. His instructions about this certainly are contrary to “ the wisdom of this age ” and human experience. Nevertheless, responding in anger to violations of our political, civil, and individual “rights” only demonstrates how far we have strayed from his teachings and examples, especially his sacrificial death on the Cross for friend and foe alike.

Forgiveness connects the call of the tax collector to the healing of the paralytic – Christ’s authority to forgive sins – Mark 2:13-17. When Jesus pronounced the paralytic man’s sins forgiven, he offended the Scribes and Pharisees. But he went on to alienate them even further by showing mercy “ to sinners ,” individuals considered unacceptable by religiously observant Jews. Seeing him eating with “ tax collectors ,” the Scribes and Pharisees insinuated that Jesus was also a notorious sinner – (Mark 2:1-17).