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Gleeson explores the meaning of the vocation and mission of Jesus. His actions, his words and suffering is considered as commitment to his purpose. Jesus’s life was centred to the coming Kingdom of God,
He proclaimed about the Kingdom but never gave a definition of the Kingdom. He expressed it through parables and actions. Jesus clams that the Kingdom will come to us, perhaps if we live like Jesus and follow his footsteps, this is our way to the Kingdom of God. Giving love to others is essentially what Jesus did his whole life. I believe if we do this, we will have keys to the Kingdom. This notion is also reflected in Gleeson’s article.
This article explores Jesus’ parables, focusing on the of work-related references in his stories and how they are significant. Issler questions why is there reference to work and finance in majority of Jesus’ parables when he himself had no money or owned a house? All he owned was the clothing on his body. Considering most adults are involved in a world revolving around work, the reference to work in Jesus’ teachings is persuasive because the stories are presented in a way that is relevant and familiar to others. This encouraged Jesus’ audience to be more engaged. The use of work-related storylines teach us truths about the Kingdom of God and spiritual reality.
This chapter studies specific five different parables and how they develop various notion of the Kingdom of God. The parable that are investigated are the parable of the Lost Sheep (Matt. 18:12-14) the Unforgiving Servant (Matt. 18:22-34), the Workers in the Vineyard (Matt. 20:1-15), the Two Sons (Matt. 21:28-32), and the Wedding Banquet (Matt. 22:1-13). The parables examined against each other eventuate to a clearer image of that the Kingdom. The parables while diverse in story and representation, all correlate to the notion that if we apply these teachings to our lives it will give us joy. Although, the author argues that by doing this, also can be considered “careless, foolish and even unjust” as they are impracticable in the real world.
This chapter elaborates on the evolution of Christian theological reflections on the religious significance of Jesus over time; the “high, descending” approach (from above) and the “low, ascending” approach (from below). A Christology from above (high, descending) is most common until mid 20th century. This understanding of Christ emphasises his divinity. A Christology from below (low, ascending) is an approach that has become very common in modern society. This approach focuses first on Jesus as a human being, as the historical figure of a first-century Jew. Then moving “up” to question the religious significance of that figure (Jesus). There is the interpretation there are only two distinct sides to choose from, but no discussion on the in-between.
This chapter summarises interpretations of what the Kingdom of God is and why Jesus was motivated to announce the coming of it. Various scholars identify what they believe Jesus meant through His words and actions. The Kingdom was commonly expressed through Jesus’ parables, they allow us to foresee and gain an expectation of the kingdom of God. The idea of the coming Kingdom is open-ended, which allows people to interpret it in a way that is relevant to their own lives. I think no interpretation is wrong, the Kingdom of God is moulded to what you perceive it as, and we will only truly know once it “comes” at the end of “our” world.
Loewe discusses the Christian responses to Jesus’ death, he considers various gospels and their interpretations of the final days before Christ was executed. Jesus was executed as a criminal by the Romans, and he endured a painful and degrading death. How could this be God’s plan? It is discussed that some gospels suggest that the Romans made a horrible mistake crucifying Jesus, they didn’t realise the kingdom he was spreading the word was about was not of this world, assuming he was a political figure and instead of just religious. Followers believe that Jesus was sacrificed for their sins and his blood will wash away their sins, perhaps symbolising an act of service of God.
This chapter explores the miracles of Jesus and what they symbolised, as well as the people Jesus associated with and how they are significant. Believers understand that miracles are caused when God intervenes, if there is no natural explanation then that means God did it. The coming of the Kingdom resolves any evil. Jesus’ miracles such as healing the sick, reflects the reality of the coming Kingdom of God. As an exercise of his ministry, Jesus openly accepted all people. He associated with people such as tax collectors and women, even though they were not regarded in a positive light within their society. Jesus’ actions and acceptance towards them shadowed a glimpse of what the coming Kingdom of God is like.
This chapter explores the two main views regarding the historical Jesus; the supernaturalists and the rationalists. The supernaturalist approach accepts the Gospels exactly as they are written with no interpretations. The rationalist outlook worked to uncover new ideas about the Bible’s stories by justifying them with scientific and historical knowledge. Leading scholars and their debates are reviewed and discussed in detail throughout the chapter. I think there should be more emphasis on a balanced outlook of the supernaturalist and rationalist approach, instead of identifying faith as one extreme to another. I believe acknowledging and believing in the mysteries of Jesus’ divinity is something that simply requires faith, which is essential as Christians.
This article suggests that imagination is essential to faith formation. Margo suggests that Jesus’ parables are the backbone of Christian religious education. Jesus’ stories are an outcome of his imagination, so audiences should engage their imagination and contextualise his teachings to suit them. In essence, faith simply requires us to imagine… We imagine what God is like, we imagine what Jesus is like, and we imperceptibly imagine whilst reading and listening to parables. The article offers ways to strengthen imagining skills, this result in audiences engaging with the Kingdom of God and accepting it as something they want to strive towards.
This article follows Levinas’s philosophy, it correlates the nature of feasting and the Kingdom of God. Feasting is considered as an intimate and joyful way of sharing and celebrating. Morrison explores a “theology of feasting”, which represents a willingness to speak to Jesus in hope of encountering in the Kingdom of God. We ‘feast’ to embrace, accept and love everyone, essentially following Jesus’ teachings. By doing this we are drawing closer to God and as a result we hope to be presented with the Kingdom. Morrison ties this belief with a quote from a gospel, (Matt 25:35) “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me”.
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