Revolutionary Kingdom

In Matthew 26:55, Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.” Jesus made it clear that he did not come to lead a rebellion. He was leading a revolution. The difference between the two is significant. The aim of a rebellion is to obtain reform within the existing order, while the end goal of a revolution is to replace an established order with something vastly different. In Scripture, we see how counter-cultural Jesus was, and the ways he planted the subversive seeds of revolution throughout his ministry on earth.

Those that Jesus heal and shepherd are mostly marginalized by society. But they are also the ones that later stand with him as he journeys to the cross. Simon of Cyrene, a man of color, a foreigner from North Africa, is pressed into service to help carry the cross for Jesus. Mary, Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene, women with no social or political clout, and John, an ordinary fisherman, are witnesses. Joseph of Arimathea, the only one with a privileged social status, risks it all by burying Jesus, a convicted felon. Jesus’ life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension are revolutionary, and they are what usher in this new kingdom. 

Now, the people who have become centered in Jesus’ kingdom is good news for us all, especially for people of color, because this kingdom declares a message that is contrary to what the world says. These days images, people and ideologies are promoted that are actually attempting to thwart the spread of Jesus’ revolution and kingdom. Almost daily, people of color face racism, bias, false labels, and expectations, and the result is that many of us are weary and now carry unhealed racial trauma from the onslaught of racist incidents. Our minds and bodies are so burdened that some have experienced a loss of focus and direction about our role in the kingdom. This is true for adults as well as children and youth of color. Lots of attention is focused on adults, but we are failing to see the profound impact that racism is having on our young ones. This generation of vulnerable children and youth of color are deeply wounded by racism and they are ill-equipped to deal with racial trauma.  

A refugee child is traumatized as his family runs from a failed rebellion in his home country. He crosses the Southern border only to be separated from his parents and further traumatized in a detention center on this side. A teenager loses a friend to gun violence. A girl hears that her country of origin is a “s-hole nation,” while an inner-city boy is told his hometown is a “disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess.”

The reason for these sinful attacks is not random. Paul addresses these “fiery darts” in his letter to the Ephesians, and they are very specific. The aim is to undermine how these young ones feel about themselves, their race, ethnicity, and communities. These darts feed the doubt that there is a hope and a future for them. The evil one knows that if he can cripple or distract children and youth of color early, he will not have to be concerned about their future role in the Kingdom of God. And if that does not work, he will try to delay the recognition of their purpose. This attack seeks to rob, kill, steal or destroy the divine purpose in their lives, and to put a stop to “the good works that God has purposed in advance for them to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

The things that are said and done may try to hinder our children and youth, but the revolutionary kingdom of God advances and always welcomes the most vulnerable. In Matthew 19:13-15, we read, “Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” In the kingdom of faith, children, youth and adults of color are reminded that the work of Jesus on the cross has freed us all from the power of sin and death. Although we face opposition and have wandered about trying to find a home, the Lord tells us that we are no longer wandering exiles, orphans, strangers or outsiders. We are loved and we belong. In this new and ever-expanding kingdom, God is not building a wall; he is building a home. And he is including all of us in what he’s building; young and old from every nation, tribe, people and language. His revolution has resulted in a kingdom where we can all find peace and rest for our weary souls.