Well, since there's nothing for me to do but wait for news of my new grandchild, I've been trying to get back to my regular morning prayer time. Here's today's insight:
Reading in I Maccabees, you can see that the author uses personified "Heaven" as a circumlocution for God. For example, "Let us cry out to Heaven, in the hope that HE will favor us" (I Macc. 4:10, see also 4:24). This provides a background for the way the NT authors switch back and forth between the phrase "Kingdom of God" and "Kingdom of Heaven," using them synonymously.
As I said in our Bible study, the way I learned it was that it was originally "Kingdom of God" but Matthew (writing to a Jewish audience) changes it to "Kingdom of Heaven" - that could be the way it happened, but I think it's more likely that it was originally "Kingdom of Heaven" (Jesus was a Jew, after all, and he certainly read the books of the Maccabees), but then Mark (writing to a Gentile audience) changes it to "Kingdom of God" for clarity. In any case, there is no difference between Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven, since in this context, "Heaven" is a personification meant to indicate God. You probably knew that already, but I think that the insight for today is that it's more likely that Jesus himself would have said "Kingdom of Heaven," knowing his audience would know that he meant "the Kingdom of which God is King" more than simply "the Kingdom that is in the place we call heaven." It's not about the place, it's about who reigns over it.
Dear friends - Please take 10 minutes to watch this personal update from me:
I'm back, up and running, and ready to go - I should have a new JOURNEY episode within the next week or so - and because you are my loyal peeps, here is an exclusive, just-for-you, behind the scenes SNEAK PEEK into my new office:
I mentioned in The Journey that I wrote a song based on Isaiah 2, which is one of my favorite OT passages:
In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain, and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it. Many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
I hope you like the song!
The problem with us men is that often we don't have the wisdom to be a father until we're a grandfather.
This may sounds like some ironic statement that makes you nod your head in agreement but shrug your shoulders in resignation, thinking, well there's nothing we can do about that. But the practical application of that is that it demonstrates how important it is for kids to grow up around their grandparents. But as in our culture the family becomes ever more fractured and spread out, that is harder and harder to do.
Lately I've been thinking that part of the problem is the whole concept of college. It used to be that everyone thought a person had to go to college to make a good living. Not only is that not the case (truck drivers make more money than I do) but now college has gone from useless to actually ruining our kids. But when I went to college, what you were supposed to do is figure out what career you wanted (as if anyone knows that at age 18) and then go away to the college ...
And don't forget, if you would like to read my latest novel:
The Sword and the Clover - just let me know by email.
I'm happy to send you the PDF version, even if you haven't been a monetary supporter of the community - all I ask is that you don't share it with anyone else.
My email address:
Keep in touch!
JIm
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