Sunday: The Kingdom in Miniature
WEEK 19
SUNDAY
THE KINGDOM IN MINIATURE
Ephesians 3:14-19
We have been studying the emergence of the fellowship, the koinonia, as the most wonderful human society ever seen on our planet. In it the word of the kingdom had become flesh. The following describes it:
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. . . .
Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, . . . and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 2:46-47; 4:32-33 RSV)
Note the fivefold relationship: (1) corporate worship—“attending the temple together,” (2) home relationships—“breaking bread in their homes,” (3) personal—“partook of food with glad and generous hearts,” (4) Godward—“praising God,” (5) societyward—“having favor with all the people.” It was no lopsided spirituality, developing in one direction and letting the other sides of life atrophy. It was all round and hence sound. It was spiritually functioning as life, total life. Life was no longer at loose ends; it was under a single control and directed toward a single end. Life was whole. This fellowship was the kingdom of God in miniature. Universalize that and you have the answer. This is the fulfillment of the word of Jesus, “I assure you that some standing here won’t die before they see God’s kingdom arrive in power” (Mark 9:1). Here was the kingdom in preview. When the final order is set up with the return of Jesus, it will not be different from, it will only be more than, this order realized. We now know the shape of things to come. We are sure of where we must head if we are to get to the goal of the kingdom. And we see the very nature of that kingdom. It is a society ruled by love in all the relationships of life, including the social and the economic, and including them especially. The phrase “and great grace was upon them all” gives the source of this fellowship. It was no worked-up, trying-to-be-nice, kind of fellowship; it was rooted in grace, and grace is God’s love in action, and that love in action produced the kingdom in cameo.
O Lord, we thank you for what we have seen. We have seen your order, and our hearts are aflame to see it everywhere in everyone. Help me to begin now. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Grace will make me gracious to all I meet this day.