Meditation on the Preaching
of the Kingdom
Richard Salbato
Before Each Hail Mary
1. John, son of Zachary and Elizabeth, also known as the Baptist,
prepared the way for Christ by announcing: "Repent,
for the
2. Christ predicts that many will come into the
3. In speaking of John the Baptist, Christ says, "Amen I say to you,
among those born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the
We could take this to mean "Heaven" in the sky, but we know from
Christ's conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:13 that no one from earth had
entered heaven. The gates of Heaven were still closed and would remain closed
until His death on the Cross. "And no one has ascended into Heaven except
Him who has descended from Heaven; the
Son of Man who is in Heaven.”
If he meant "Heaven in the Sky", how could Heaven be
assaulted? "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the
4. He goes on to say, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like. ..[good seeds and weeds growing together]," 7 "The Kingdom of
Heaven is like. … [the growing of a mustard
Seed]." So that there can be no mistake what He means, Christ explains
that the
To further prove the Kingdom is on EARTH: "The Son of Man will send forth
His angels, and they will gather out of
His Kingdom all scandals and those who work iniquity. .:' 9
5. In the parable, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure." 10 He lets them know that
nothing is more important than entering the Kingdom. In "The Kingdom of
Heaven is like a net cast into the sea," He explains that in the Kingdom
will be the good and the bad. 11
Christ teaches that the Kingdom will be new but will draw from the old. 12 Regarding something new,
He predicts there will be virgins in His Kingdom. ". and
there are eunuchs who have made themselves so for the sake of the
6. H
7. Jesus does not understand the
8. Even after He died and rose from the dead, He preached the
It is a Kingdom of grace, of the Holy Spirit, of love. The old kingdom was a covenant God made with Abraham, a covenant of circumcision. The new Kingdom would have a new covenant, the body and blood of Christ. "This cup is the New Covenant in My blood." 25
9. After the Apostles received the Body and Blood of Christ at the Last
Supper He said, "And I appoint to you a Kingdom, even as My Father has
appointed to Me." 26
10. The words "
"And if he refuse to hear them, appeal to the Church, but if he refuse to
hear even the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and the publican:' 27 "Upon this rock I will build My Church." After Pentecost this
new terminology developed. ..Instead of "Kingdom" they used
"ecclesia," which means "a gathering." The Apostles used
this word to mean "a community of believers." The English translation
of this word is "Church:'
Notes:
1. (Matt. 4:17)
2. (Matt. 8:11-12)
3. (Matt. 10:7)
4. (Matt. 11:11-12)
5. (Matt. 13:11)
6. (Matt. 13:13)
7. (Matt. 13:24-30)
8. (Matt. 13:38)
9. (Matt. 13:41)
10. (Matt. 13:44-46)
11. (Matt. 13:47-49)
12. (Matt. 13:52)
13. (Matt. 19:12)
14. (Matthew 20)
15. (Matt. 12:28)
16. (Matt. 7:21)
17. (Matt. 5:20)
18. (Matt. 18:3)
19. (Matt. 6:33)
20. (Matt. 1:43,23:13)
21. (Matt. 21:43)
22. (Acts 1:3)
23. (Acts 1:6)
24. (Luke 17:21)
25. (Luke 23:20)
26. (Luke 22:29-30)
27. (Matt. 13:17)