Today's Gospel

Don’t Build Your Own Kingdom

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant. I'm Matthew Kelly. Each day we gather for a few minutes to reflect on the gospel, the genius of the gospel, the genius of Jesus. Today's reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 5 verses 17 through 30. Jesus answered them, "My father is working still and I am working." This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing, and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he wills. The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, and all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.

He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my words and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly I say to you, the hour is coming and now is here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in himself and has given him authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming when they who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth.

Those who have done good, to the resurrection of the life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. I can do nothing on my own authority as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just because I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me." So here in the Gospel of John, we see this beautiful relationship between Jesus and the Father. And Jesus is constantly talking to the Father, communicating with the Father, and is constantly talking to the people around him about his connection and communication and relationship with the Father.

And one thing is abundantly clear every time Jesus talks about the Father, and that is, is that Jesus is living in obedience to the Father. He's living in obedience to the Father. It's like, if the Father's got this will, the Son is carrying out the will. And why? Why is Jesus modeling this to us? Because he knows that in order to make the spiritual journey, to walk the path of salvation, obedience is required. Obedience is required. We live in a culture where everyone just wants to do whatever they want, right? That's why so many people are thrown away religion. Nobody wants to be obedient to anybody or anything. Everyone just wants to do whatever they want.

And of course, the results of that experiment in modern life have been absolutely disastrous in every corner of society. But we continue. We want to be masters of our own worlds. We want to build our own little kingdoms rather than build the kingdom of God. And so Jesus is modeling disobedience for us. And so the very practical question this brings to mind for me is you got up today. You're going to do whatever it is you're going to do today. Is it what God wants you doing? Is it what God wants you doing? And how would you know? Well, you're certainly not going to know if you don't have this conversation with him.

Jesus is having this back and forth, this conversation with the Father, modeling that for us to say, "Hey, what do you want us to do today? What do you want me to be doing today? How can I further your kingdom today instead of trying to build my own little fiefdom in my own little corner of the world and the culture." Have a great day. Be obedient to the will of God. There's great joy and happiness in it. Be Bold, Be Catholic.