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John the Baptist said it first: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Then, later, after John had been arrested, Jesus took his message and made it his own: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Jesus may have struck a different tone than John the Baptist, one that is less harsh and judgmental, but he continued to proclaim John’s core message of renewing our lives, what he called“repentance,” and acknowledging that the kingdom of God is at hand. Because Jesus took this message and made it his own, we can assume that he thought it was important.
Let’s focus on the second part of his message, about the kingdom of God (heaven). What does he mean when he says it is “at hand”? I tend to think there are three ways to think about this, all of which are true. The kingdom of God is near, within us, and among us.
First, to say that something is “at hand” suggests that it is within reach. It is nearby in a spatial way. The realm of God is not some distant reality. We don’t have to travel across oceans orvast deserts to get there. We don’t have to go on a pilgrimage to some far-off place to find it. It is not hidden in secret places, like caves or deserted monasteries. It is always near us spatially.
It is also near to us in a temporal way. It is not something that is reserved for the future alone. Jesus didn’t teach that we should wait passively for heaven. We participate in it now by allowing God’s Spirit to reign in our hearts.
It is in the here and now. It is present wherever God’s love is lived, wherever mercy triumphs over judgment, and wherever forgiveness replaces resentment. It is not “just around the corner” because there is no corner in the kingdom of God.
Second, the kingdom of God is within us. By “us,” I mean us as individuals. The kingdom of God is within you. This means that every act of kindness, every prayer whispered in faith, every sacrifice made for love’s sake is a seed of the kingdom.
When Jesus says the kingdom of God is as tiny as a mustard seed but grows into something big, he could be saying that it begins in each one of us. The kingdom is at hand because it is in our hands.
Third, the kingdom of God is among us. The seed lies in each one of us, but just as seeds are sown together in a field, the kingdom of God becomes a community. It is a reality when we gather as a church, when we pool our resources together andcare for the poor, and when we reconcile with one another.
It is not just about personal holiness, but about building a community where God’s justice and peace flourish. Every time we choose compassion over indifference, we extend the kingdom’s reach into the world.
The kingdom of God is near to us, within each one of us, and among all of us. It is multidimensional. It permeates every part of our lives. Because of that, we are called to live differently: to forgive quickly, serve generously, pray faithfully, and love unconditionally.
The kingdom of God is not a distant dream; it is a present reality waiting for us to embrace it. So, let us open our eyes to see it, our hearts to welcome it, and our lives to live it. Amen.
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