Not from, but for, the World

What are we to make of the famous reply of Jesus to Pilate: ‘My kingdom is not of this world’? Left there, it sounds as though Jesus is talking about a realm which is far removed from terrestrial concerns. Perhaps our task as his followers is to meditate into a blissful nothingness, to live other-worldy lives.

It is a poor translation, and it should read: ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would have fought to stop my being handed over.’ Of all the ways in which our Lord could have contrasted his realm with all the other ways in which societies are ruled, he chose a contrast about the use of force. Rather, his reign springs from his Father’s will that humanity should live together in a realm of non-violence.

We can easily criticise ISIL’s blasphemous use of barbaric violence in the supposed service of religion. It is the most extreme opposite of Our Lord’s teaching which He embodied in his practice. But, even for us, the challenge is there to restrain too-ready resort to armed violence and to humanely moderate its exercise where it is used to protect the innocent.

We could pause for a moment to pray for the coming of the Kingdom, not as an ‘out of this world’ experience, but in the words of the Our Father: ‘Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’

© Fr Michael Tate; mtate@bigpond.com