The Kingdom of God

1. The Kingdom of God

2. How Do We Understand “Kingdom of God”? • What problem(s) was Jesus addressing when he announced, “The Kingdom of God is at hand”? • What would his listeners have understood him to be saying?

3. Patronage in Ancient Mediterranean Societies Patronage for us Sermon Outline Political/Family-based Society 2007 Kingdom of God in Jesus’ Context

4. The Big Idea God will be your Patron if you are willing for Him to be your only Patron

5. Ways Societies Structure Themselves • Historically, societies have structured themselves around four major concerns: • Family (Tribe) • Politics • Religion • Economics

6. Getting from Here to There • Our Culture: • Economically Driven • Family, Politics, and Religion all subsumed under Economics • Jesus’ Culture: • Family and Politics driven • Economics and Religion subsumed under family and politics

7. Grasping Jesus’ Society

8. Different Locations, Different Hierarchies • Roman Elites • Palestinian Elites • Herodians: Herod • Sadducees: Antipas and Caiaphas

9. No Claim

10. Thoughts, Comments, Questions?

11. The Big Idea God will be your Patron if you are willing for Him to be your only Patron

12. Dealing with Threats Patronage

13. Patronage for us Sermon Outline Political/Family-based Society 2007 Kingdom of God in Jesus’ Context Patronage in Ancient Mediterranean Societies

14. Kingdom of God: Background • Our concept of “kingship” is entirely political • In Ancient Mediterranean culture, politics was an extension of the family • Internal Roman politics based on families • External Roman politics based on patronhood

15. Ancient Mediterranean Politics

16. The Patron/Client Relationship:An Exchange of Non-comparable Goods The Patron/Client relationship required: • Unequal status • Reciprocity • Proximity

17. Patronage Language • “Abba” the word used to designate the patron in a patronage system • Patronage administered by “brokers”, typically members of the patron’s household • often, slaves • Paul’s self-description as “Jesus’ slave” • (us as Jesus’ slaves)

18. Only One Patron

19. The Big Idea God will be your Patron if you are willing for Him to be your only Patron

20. Thoughts, Comments, Questions?

21. Sermon Outline Political/Family-based Society Kingdom of God in Jesus’ Context Patronage in Ancient Mediterranean Societies

22. Jesus’ Metaphors: Politics • Kingdom of God/Heaven • God as Father • Jesus as Son These are Jesus’ most common, and least understood, metaphors

23. God as Patron: The Pattern • Unequal Status • He is holy; we are not • He sustains us; we do not sustain Him • Close Proximity • As close as the air we breath • In Him we live and move and have our being • Reciprocity • He ameliorates our environment threats: sin and oppression • We offer esteem, deference, and loyalty

24. God as Patron: Supporting Evidence • Israel’s dire need of a patron • “Abba” the word used to designate the patron in a patronage system • Patronage administered by “brokers”, typically members of the patron’s household • often, slaves • Paul’s self-description as “Jesus’ slave” • (us as Jesus’ slaves)

25. Source Domain: the Patronage System Target Domain: Our Interactions with God Kingdom of God: Mappings • Associate with the authority through his personal agent • The Holy Spirit • Paul’s use of “brother” and “sister” • Bureaucracy comprised of the family of the king • Standing determined by birth/ancestry • Jesus’ emphasis on the new birth • Broader standing determined by ethnicity • Now a “royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God”

26. Father and Son: Mappings • Used to indicate formal adoption and heirship • Indicates reliance by the heir on the father/king’s word and training

27. Jesus as Broker: Mappings • Able to introduce others to the Patron

28. What Jesus’ Listeners Would Have Heard • God now available as Patron • Themselves in a new patronage system, and therefore outside of the current system • Themselves in a new birth, therefore: • In a new honor status with new entitlements • In a new family, with new ties

29. The Big Idea God will be your Patron if you are willing for Him to be your only Patron

30. Thoughts, Comments, Questions?

31. Patronage for us Sermon Outline Political/Family-based Society 2007 Kingdom of God in Jesus’ Context Patronage in Ancient Mediterranean Societies

32. The Kingdom of God for Us • God has offered to be your patron • Jesus the broker of God’s patronage to you

33. The Kingdom of God for Us (cont) • In a new patronage system • Unequal status • Close proximity • Relief from threats in exchange for honor • Patron’s choice as to which threats to relieve, for whom, and how • God’s system of patronage differed from that of Ancient Mediterranean; His definition of threats differed from theirs • His definition of threats differs, as well, from the threats our system defines (economic)

34. The Kingdom of God for Us (cont) • In a new family system with a new status • Your honor position based on birth • New birth, new honor • New standing from which to assess/judge all other patronage systems

35. The Kingdom of God for Us (cont) God will be your Patron if you are willing for Him to be your only Patron

36. The Kingdom of God for Us (cont) • God takes His honor VERY seriously • Dishonor Him by taking other patrons: • Our performance • Money

37. Sermon Outline Political/Family-based Society 2007 Kingdom of God in Jesus’ Context Patronage in Ancient Mediterranean Societies Patronage for us