NOBODY has a right to the Kingdom of God. Why? We are all sinners, as Saint Paul says, "all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," therefore, no one can claim that they have a right to the Kingdom of God.
The Gospel today tells us that the Kingdom of God is for those who deserve it, not for those who think they have a right to it.
It is appropriate that we pause a while and reflect on this.
In modern times, having "rights" is very important to us. Almost every one of us would claim our "rights," according to the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.
But do we not know that our "rights" have corresponding "responsibilities"? That is why I am thinking of doing a research paper on the effectiveness of Responsible Freedom in the context of those undergoing seminary and priestly formation here in the Philippines.
As Christians and citizens of this country, we must be aware that we have rights simply because of our nature as human beings.
Wars are still waged, and millions die because of "rights." Vladimir Putin said he genuinely believes Russia has a "right" to Ukraine by historical boundaries. Israel claims it has a "right" to all of Israel because it was granted to it by God (The Promised Land of the Old Testament). China's "right" to Taiwan, Britain's "right" to the Falklands, and those claiming to own the West Philippine Sea.
Today, we argue, debate, and fight over the rights of the unborn child, the right to take another human life in capital punishment, the right to take my own life, the right to assist a person in ending their life, and so on.
What "rights" do we really have? Having a "right" has reference to human dignity. Our response to these issues is very relevant to today's Gospel.
The Kingdom of God, as we learned in Theology, is not really a place; it is not up there as early people believed. The Dean of Maryhill School of Theology, the Rev. Father Richard Diaz, CICM, clearly explained that the Kingdom of God is not some "pie in the sky" kingdom.
The Kingdom of God is the reality we live in, a state of life. It is as accurate as the flesh and blood of Jesus Himself. He talked about it, and more importantly, He lived this Kingdom in His own life, death and resurrection.
It would be a mistake to think that Jesus was talking about some private afterlife we earn by being personally good. Nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus tell us this. The Kingdom of God is about "now": "Thy Kingdom come…," He said, "…Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven."
The Kingdom of God is much about our earth as it is about Heaven.
Upon the completion of Jesus's mission on earth and His return to the Father, He left the Kingdom in our hands. "Go…," He said, "…and make disciples of all nations…." (Go and make My Kingdom visible everywhere). "…and know this; I am with you always, even to the end of time."
We are charged with making the Kingdom of God visible in our world. Jesus began it. He left it with us, promising that He would always be present through the Spirit to support and guide us. We have been given a huge responsibility — to prepare the way, like John the Baptist, for the final revealing of the Kingdom of God. It will happen when we have made the world ready to recognize and welcome it.
So, in today's Gospel, what is Jesus telling us about the Kingdom of God? The answer is surprising and challenging in the last sentence: "Therefore I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit."
