Not Far From The Kingdom

 The Scribe listens intently to Jesus' summation of the law. Then he quietly affirms that Jesus has focused on the Oneness of God and that as we love God and discover God's love for all creation, we share that love by loving the neighbor as ourselves. Yeah, the scribe says, and that love of neighbor is a whole lot more important that some ritual act or liturgical purity.

On this liturgical day set aside to remember the great contribution of the Reformation, we, the children of the Reformation, listen to that discovery of the scribe that it is love of God and love of neighbor which is critical, and not all the legal requirements of the church which Luther and Calvin railed against. We hear this scribe and we are tempted to think like Henry Higgins, By Jove, he's got it. So it troubles me that Jesus turns to his man and says to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God?"

Far from the Kingdom of God. I'm surprised that the scribe did not respond like that young student in math class who answered that 2 + 2 = 4. The teacher said that was very good. The student responded, Good, hell, that's perfect. What does Jesus mean this man is not far from the Kingdom of God? Not far? Is Jesus saying something like the Wright Brothers were not far from flying out there on the beach? Nor far? What does it mean to say Not far from the Kingdom of God to this man because if I am honest I could be that man. That is the answer I have been taught to give and I thought that answer would get me into the Kingdom of God.

Not far? Not far…maybe Jesus is saying that with a kind of teasing and joking which one person who has been trying to explain something to another person for a long time and finally that person begins to show signs of comprehension. OK. OK. you're almost there. The light is almost on. But even so no matter how you try to hear those words there remains the fact that there is something more the scribe must do to be in the Kingdom of God. Not far from the Kingdom is kind of like saying You're not far from being pregnant. It still means you are not there yet. Not far from the Kingdom of God?

Another Christian reading this passage and reflecting upon it suggests, "How sad it might be to think that this scribe whose words won the approval of Jesus and heard Jesus praise his answer, yet never crossed the invisible and mysterious boundary which he had approached so nearly." Where is that invisible and mysterious boundary? What is it that this scribe lacks to be in the Kingdom?

Some of the people who read and study scripture suggest that Jesus is simply saying that this man, in fact, has all the right stuff. The reason he is not far from the kingdom is because the Kingdom has not yet come. The kingdom is a future event. The Kingdom is when Jesus Christ comes in glory at the end of the age and gathers all those who worship Him as Lord and that this man will be gathered up into that kingdom when it comes, but because the kingdom is to come everybody who is to be in the kingdom is still far off from the kingdom. The man is not yet said to be in the kingdom because the kingdom is a future event and has not yet come. Nobody according to these Christians at the time of Jesus would have been said to be in the Kingdom.

There is a future promise about the kingdom of God in the words of Jesus, but there is also suggestions that the Kingdom of God is in our midst, it is all around us. The Kingdom of God is within you. Jesus came to declare that the Kingdom of God has come.

And that is why others think that Jesus suggests that this Scribe is almost there but not quite in because the scribe does not recognize what Peter and the disciples come to confess that Jesus is the Messiah. The scribe understand the theology but does not see that Jesus is the personality of that theology. The scribe accepts the message but does not understand who the messenger is. Perhaps that is why Jesus says, "Close, but no cigar".

There are others who suggest that Jesus says the Scribe is not far from the Kingdom of God because the faith statement that the scribe makes has to be lived out in reality before it become true. Because Jesus has just talked with a rich young ruler who knew the theology and who could say the creeds, but who could not bring himself to live it out. Later in this chapter Jesus sees the widow who knows the love of God and love of neighbor and who gives her gift in obedience to that faith.

Tony Campolo is an exciting and challenging Christian speaker. He was preaching down at Furman at the Southern Baptist Summer School for Pastors and he said he was a neo-evangelical Christian. He went on to say that Neo-evangelical Christians were different from the Southern Baptist because they not only took the Bible literally, they lived it. Southern Baptist, he claimed, simply said the Bible is the inerrant word of God and fought over that and then went home and did what they wanted. He said he would begin to listen to them when they did what Jesus said and sold their forty million dollars religious complexes of building and gave the money to the poor. They believe it, but they don't live it.

The Scribe was not far from the Kingdom, but Jesus wanted to see if the Scribe lived it out or whether it was all in the mouth. We understand that. We have heard a lot of good things said by politicians and Christians and we have been surprised and disappointed by what has been done. Jesus does suggest that by the fruits you shall know them.

Still, what is that invisible and mysterious boundary that this Scribe had not yet crossed. Why is he said to be not far from the Kingdom? Perhaps we will not know until that future day of the Kingdom. Perhaps we are not suppose to be able to know for sure whether or not we are in because then faith would turn to knowledge and no longer be faith.

Perhaps Jesus did not say that the Scribe was in the Kingdom of God as he did to the thief on the Cross because he did not want this Scribe to become arrogant. Not far from the Kingdom of God like to say to an athlete if he keeps working he will be a potential Hall of Famer. Maybe Jesus takes this good answer from the Scribe and says that he gets close to the Kingdom with that theology because Jesus does not want anyone to think they can earn the kingdom of God with the right answers. Now Our Reformation forefathers would be quick to say that as long as the scribe thought that his correct answer got him into Heaven he was still out because the Kingdom of God is a gift, not something to be achieved. As long as the Scribe and I think that the Kingdom of God is something we can accomplish by whatever means, we are not there yet because we do not understand that the Kingdom of God is received as a gift and not an accomplishment of a lifetime.

But perhaps what seems to me to be the most serious reason why he was not far from the kingdom of God is that he was still by himself and the Kingdom of God is never solo. The invisible and mysterious boundary is where we move into a community of people who share that understanding of life and faith in that kind of God. The Kingdom of God is the body of Christ where each of us brings our individual gifts into the service of God and love of neighbor and all of our gifts are used for the blessing of all. The Scribe is still not yet in the kingdom because he has not yet found two or three with whom he can share his life and his work.

He was an East Coast preacher who was invited out to the West to conduct a large preaching mission for several days. On the second night he was there, his body clock had not yet adjusted so at 3:00 a.m. he was awake and wanting something to eat. He went out of the hotel and walked around until he found an all night dinner. A small place in a crack in the wall. He says it was dirty and the waiter/cook picked up the doughnuts with his fingers. Now 3:30 a.m. must be the time that the prostitutes get off work, for as he was eating his doughnut, three or four of them came into the dinner and sat on either side of him. As the east coast preacher drank his coffee, one of the woman said to the other, "You know what tomorrow is?" "Another day, more debts" said the other. "Tomorrow is my birthday." said the first. "Well, what do you want me to do about it? Throw you a party?" "Nah, Nah, I was just telling you. I have never had a birthday party in my life, why should I expect you to give me a party." The women finished their snacks and left. The east coast preacher asked the waiter/cook if those prostitutes came to this dinner every night. The waiter said, Yeah, they come between tricks. So the east coast preacher said, "What do you say, we throw that woman a party. We can get a cake, a few balloons, a card, and we will surprise her tomorrow night with a party?" The waiter cook thought that sounded like fun. And the next night the word had spread for there was a dinner full of prostitutes and this east coast preacher and balloons and a cake and streamers, and when this woman walked in, and they sang happy birthday to her, she could not hold back her tears. She begged them to let her keep the cake, her only birthday cake, please let me just keep it to look at for a while. So she took it and went to her apartment. While she was gone, the whole group was silent. So the east coast preacher suggested that they pray. When the prayer was over, the waiter said, You never told me you were a preacher. What kind of church are you a preacher of? The east coast preacher said, "The kind of church that gives birthday parties for prostitutes." And the waiter said, Nah, nah, there aint any of those. If there was I would be a member of that church."

I don't think it would be right to say they that group was not far from the Kingdom of God. It sounds to me that for brief moment those people there were the Kingdom of God. Where we are gathered in community with others, loving God and loving each other, there is the Kingdom of God in our midst. It may not last a long time. It does not become our permanent possession. And those brief moments make us that much more eager for the time when it will come in fullness and in glory.

Jesus says the Scribe is not far from the Kingdom of God. What does he mean "not far from the Kingdom of God?" What does the Scribe lack? But maybe the Scribe is not all that unique. Maybe None of us is far from the kingdom of God?

Rick Brand