CATHWOR (Catholicism in the Modern World) Sir Mac Cordero

Lesson 1: The Kingdom of God

Service is the value that leads us to give ourselves to others in a habitual, firm, and decisive way. It
leads us to give the best of ourselves and our talents for the good of others without expecting anything in return.
This value leads us also to the central moral message of Jesus in his teachings, the Kingdom of God.

The central moral message of Jesus in his teachings is the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom of God is
deeply rooted in the spirit of service as exemplified by Christ. Unfortunately, sometimes we do not grasp fully
the meaning of this phrase - Kingdom of God. Before we try to understand the kingdom of God, we need to
know first the context of the word kingdom. In everyday language, kingdom means a place where a king
reigns. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for example, is the largest country in the Middle East where King
Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud rules. But when Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God, he did not think in terms
of place or locality. What Jesus proclaimed when he said the kingdom of God is at hand was not the approach
of a place where God rules, but rather the dawning of Gods kingly authority on earth. Thus, when we read the
phrase kingdom of God in the Gospels, we need to think in terms of Gods reign, rule, authority, or
sovereignty.

Jesus Proclaims the Kingdom of God in Parables

Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus preached about the kingdom of God. He used parables to
proclaim the kingdom of God in order to point out clearly the message he wanted to convey. Parables are
analogical stories which illustrate a moral lesson and generally feature human characters in their ordinary way
of life. In Matthews Gospel Jesus described the kingdom of God in a number of parables. This description
shows the essential qualities of the kingdom of God.

1. Its creative and growing power

The Parable of the Mustard Seed represents the active growth of the Church from small beginnings
even it was confronted by numerous hindrances. Just like a mustard seed when sown upon the ground, is the
smallest of all the seeds yet when it is sown, it grows up and ends up as a giant plant. This parable of the
mustard seed offers hope and encourages all of us to be true disciples of Christ. There are times that our
mission seems overwhelming and difficult to do but we must remember that with God's power and guidance,
everything will be possible.

The Parable of the Leaven/Yeast represents the progress of the Church in spite the outspread of sin.
Yeast is a fermented dough used in baking that when a small amount is added, it will cause the dough to rise,
which is how bread is made into large loaves. The yeast represents the Kingdom of God and the dough is the
world. The yeast slowly grows into something much larger like the Kingdom of God. It is also important to note
that yeast is unnoticeable when added to the dough. The Kingdom of God is likewise a growth that you can't see
happening but it is happening. If it seems at times like God isn't present in the world around you then don't get
discouraged because the Kingdom of God is always growing.

2. Its precious value that cannot be measured

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure represents the preciousness of the Kingdom of God which has
the greatest worth and cannot be compared with anything else. In the parable of the treasure, a man working
and tilling a field finds a treasure hidden in it. He rejoices upon finding it but keeps it secret, and hoping to
make use of it, he carefully hides it again in the field, so that no one else would find the treasure; and he goes
and sells everything that he possesses and buys the field. Now he is the owner of the field and has a right to the
treasure. Now, this parable instructs believers to prefer the Kingdom of God over the whole world, and therefore
to deny themselves and all the desires of the flesh, that nothing may prevent them from obtaining that precious
possession.
 The Parable of the Pearl also represents the great value of the Kingdom of God. The pearl is, in a
certain sense, Christ himself and we are the merchants or traders who give up everything we have when we
have found Christ. He alone gives meaning to all the sacrifices of a Christian life. These are not really
sacrifices, but the search for a love that has already been proven.

3. Its universality, including good and bad

The Parable of the Dragnet teaches that the good and evil who live at the same time on earth will be
completely separated in the day of judgment. The net is the gospel which pulls people into the visible church.
But among those in the visible church is a mixture of faithful believers and the unfaithful ones. These faithful
believers who lived according to the will of God will enter Gods kingdom and the unfaithful ones will be
thrown into hell.

The Beatitudes / Sermon on the Mount

Christian hope originated when Jesus preached the Beatitudes. The term Beatitude comes from the
Latin adjective beatus which means happy or blessed. The Beatitudes are a set of teachings or solemn blessings
by Jesus that respond to the desire for happiness which God has placed in the human heart.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the

kingdom of heaven
Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 5:3-10

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

"Poor in spirit" means to be humble. Humility is the realization that all your gifts and blessings come
from the grace of God. To have poverty of spirit means to be completely empty and open to the Word of God.
When we are an empty cup and devoid of pride, we are humble. Humility brings an openness and an inner
peace, allowing one to do the will of God. He who humbles himself is able to accept our frail nature, to repent,
and to allow the grace of God to lead us to conversion.

2. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted

If we are humble and appreciate that all of our gifts and blessings come from God, we grow in love and
gratitude for Jesus Christ our Savior. But this can only produce mourning and regret over our own sins and the
sins of this world, for we have hurt the one who has been so good to us. Mourning in this context is called a
blessing, because mourning our fallen nature creates in us a desire to improve ourselves and to do what is right!
Those who mourn" speaks of those who express deep sorrow over sin, or those who repent from their sins. The
freedom found in the forgiveness of sins and the joy of eternal salvation is the "comfort" of those who repent.
 3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth

A humble person becomes meek, or becomes gentle and kind, and exhibits a docility of spirit, even in the
face of adversity and hardship. A person that is meek is one that exhibits self-control. St. Augustine advises us
to be meek in the face of the Lord, and not resist but be obedient to him. Obedience and submission to the will
of God are certainly not in vogue these days, but they will bring one peace in this world and in the next.

4. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied

Righteousness means being in complete accordance with what is just, honorable, and godly. You could say
that righteousness is a life style that is in complete conformity to the will of God. It is a lifestyle that Jesus not
only finds pleasing, but one that he approves of. Having a righteous life is what also fills the true believer with
peace and joy. And because of their spiritual enlightenment they realize that nothing can be more perfect, more
pure, and more pleasing to Our Heavenly Father then living a life that he totally approves of.

5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy

Mercy is the loving disposition towards those who suffer distress. The merciful are those that are tender
hearted and who truly feel in the deepest parts of their beings the pain and the suffering of those who need
mercy. But most importantly is the fact that the merciful are those special individuals who go out of their way
and make the effort to help. Having compassion on those that are in any way hurting is only the first part of
having mercy. Doing something about it, is the all important second part. We who have received God's rich
mercy are merciful because the grace of God makes us that way.

6. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God

To be pure of heart means to be free of all selfish intentions and self-seeking desires. The path to a pure
heart begins with the realization that we have impure hearts. This beatitude tells us if we are pure in heart then
we will see God. The reward for this beatitude is truly marvellous because when the believer becomes pure in
heart, not only will they see God as they pass into heaven immediately upon their death, but they will see God
right now, not with their natural eye, but through their spiritual vision, through their faith in Jesus Christ. For
the pure in heart will see God in all his glory in every single thing that they see. To the pure in heart, God will
become extremely visible.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God

Peacemakers not only live peaceful lives but also try to bring peace and friendship to others, and to
preserve peace between God and man. Hence the Lord wants you first to be yourself filled with the blessings of
peace and then to communicate it to those who have need of it. By imitating God's love of man, the
peacemakers become children of God.

8. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the
Kingdom of Heaven

The persecution that is being referred to in this beatitude is not for misdeeds or evil acts, but for the
practice of doing righteousness. The truth is, everyone who lives a Godly life in Christ will be persecuted. If no
one is persecuting you, it is because you are not living the Christian life and shining as lights in the world. It is
very true that persecution is the cost of being a Christian, because the believer must reckon upon hardships and
troubles much more than other men. At first glance persecution looks to be a truly horrible experience. But even
though persecution usually isn't pleasant, it does have the greatest reward, the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus Proclaims the Kingdom of God in Deeds

 Jesus proclaimed Gods kingdom not only in words but also in deeds. These actions both manifested the
reality of the kingdom of God and made its presence felt. Without these works and deeds, Jesus announcement
of the kingdom would be worthless and remain as merely concepts in the minds of his followers. People would
have regarded him as a dreamer or even perhaps as a deceiver.

The works of Jesus that revealed the presence of the kingdom took various forms: these are healings,
exorcisms, miracles, and other symbolic gestures.

1. Healings

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus cured people of different diseases. He became more popular and
significant not only because of his preaching but most especially his authority over the limitations of human
bodies. Some of these were the healing of the lepers, Peters mother-in- law who has a fever, paralyzed man,
man with shrivelled hand, woman with haemorrhage, and many others.

2. Exorcisms

Exorcism is the process by which demons are cast out of a person. Jesus repeatedly expelled demons in
the gospel accounts. In Matthews gospel, Jesus healed the Syrophoenician woman's daughter who is possessed
by an unclean spirit. In Marks account, he drove out an evil spirit from a man who was in the synagogue in
Capernaum and also expelled seven demons from Mary Magdalene. And in Lukes account, he healed the
Gerasene demoniac and exorcized a crippled woman on the sabbath in a synagogue. His ability to cast out
spirits is described as being dependent upon the power of God and this, in turn, is dependent upon the faith of
those around him. It is one ministry of Jesus that serves as a clear evidence of the presence of the kingdom.

3. Miracles

According to the Gospels, Jesus performed many miracles. The first miracle was the request of his
mother to turn the water into wine during a wedding at Cana. Then in the different gospel accounts, Jesus
multiplied the bread and feeds many people, walked on water, calmed the storm, raised the dead like Lazarus
and the daughter of Jairus, restoring sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, and many others. Once again,
these mighty works were associated with Gods kingdom.

4. Other Symbolic Gestures

The significant works and deeds of Jesus persuaded people to pay attention to his announcement of the
kingdom of God. But aside from these, he did other things that illustrated the kingdoms presence and character.
Some of which were: eating with social and religious outcasts (tax collectors and sinners) as a sign of the
universality of Gods reign and letting the children to come to him not only because he loved them, but also to
teach something important about the kingdom. Let the little children come to me; do not stop them, Jesus
said, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs (Mark 10:14). Ultimately, some of his most
powerful statements about the kingdom would come through symbolic gestures: the cleansing of the temple, the
Last Supper, and the crucifixion itself.

THE MIRACLES OF JESUS CHRIST

 MIRACLE MATTHEW MARK LUKE JOHN
Healing the possessed man in Capernaum 1:23-28 4:33-37
Healing of Peter's Mother-in-law 8:14-15 1:29-31 4:38-39
Cleansing of a Leper 8:1-4 1:40-45 5:12-16
Turning Water to Wine at Cana 2:1-12
The Miraculous Catch of Fish 5:2-11
Healing of a Paralytic 9:1-8 2:1-12 5:18-26
Cure of the Man with a Withered Hand 12:9-14 3:1-6 6:6-10
Healing of Official's Son in Capernaum 4:43-54
Healing of Centurion's Servant 8:5-13 7:2-10
Raising of Widow's Son at Nain 7:11-17
Calming of the Storm at Sea 8:23-27 4:35-41 8:22-25
Cure of the Gerasene Demoniac 8:28-34 5:1-20 8:26-39
Healing of a Paralytic in Bethesda 5:1-47
Cure of Woman afflicted with Hemorrhage 9:20-22 5:25-34 8:43-48
Raising of Jairus' daughter 9:23-26 5:35-43 8:49-56
Healing Two Blind Men 9:27-31
Healing A Possessed Mute 9:32-34
Feeding the 5000 14:13-21 6:34-44 9:10-17 6:1-14
Walking on Water 14:22-33 6:44-52 6:16-21
Healings at Gennesaret 14:34-36 6:53-56
Cure of Syro-Phoenician's Daughter 15:21-28 7:24-30
Healing of Deaf-Mute 7:31-37
Feeding the 4000 15:32-39 8:1-9
Restores Sight to the Blind Man of Bethsaida 8:22-25
Healing of a Man Born Blind 9:1-41
Casting Out of a Dumb Demon 17:14-21 9:14-29 9:37-43
Healing a possessed stooped Woman 13:11-17
Healing of A Man with Dropsy 14:1-6
Cleansing of Ten Lepers 17:11-19
Healing of Blind Bartimaeus of Jericho 10:46-52 18:35-43
Healing of Servant's Ear during Arrest 22:50-52
Healing of Two Blind Men at Jericho 20:29-34
The Raising of Lazarus 11:1-44