TOWARDS THE KINGDOM: LENT, DISCIPLESHIP AND PRAYER - Part 3
Towards the Kingdom: Lent, Discipleship and Prayer
“Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43)
Prayer: Towards the Kingdom Within
“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given”. These words were spoken in Matthew 13, a chapter that has a series of parables on the Kingdom, including the most well-known parable of the sower who sows the seeds of the Kingdom. Why is it granted to some to know these secrets and not to others?
“Because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand”. (Matt. 13:13).
These secrets cannot be understood by flesh and blood, by our own efforts, intellect, or emotions.
the natural 1 person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14).
But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God (1 Cor. 2:7).
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? (1 Cor. 2:10, 11)
Essentially the Holy Spirit interacts with our spirit and it is at this level that revelation takes place. “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16). This interaction of the Holy Spirit with our spirit takes place deep down. How do we reach down to this level where the Holy Spirit imparts revelation to our spirit? To that level where the secrets of the Kingdom are revealed? To where transformation takes place? The Word of God is called the “Word of the Kingdom” (Matt. 13:19). The secrets of the Kingdom lie in the Word of the Kingdom and the Word of the Kingdom can only be understood by citizens of the Kingdom that have prepared the soil within. Our natural self often gets in the way as it did in the case of Peter (Matt. 16) and it blocks revelation, it blocks the understanding, the secrets are not revealed, they remain hidden. This is why self-denial is so important. There is no life, no revelation, and no guidance without self-denial.
Talking about Peter look at what happens in Matthew 16. Jesus asks “who do you say that I am?” and he replies “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Jesus then says
“Blessed are you, Simon bar Jonah! for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 16:17).
Two or three verses later Jesus says “get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me”. In the first instance, Peter received a divine revelation. He was not influenced by flesh and blood, he was not influenced by his own emotions, thoughts, convictions, or by what other people said. In the second instance, when Jesus foretold his death, Peter's words were the result of his natural emotions. His thoughts and his emotions got in the way; they were not in line with the will of God. I am 100% sure that each of us would have spoken just as Peter spoke. Our spiritual journey is precisely from the second instance of Peter to the first. From thinking, speaking, and living according to our own natural emotions to thinking, speaking, and living according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit “all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). Are we led by the Holy Spirit or by our own natural thoughts, emotions and will?
During Lent we are all called to enter into the secrets of the Kingdom and so we need to learn to listen, “hearing they did not hear”. We are all called to listen in order to receive revelation and guidance for a renewal of discipleship guided by the Spirit, not by our own will, thoughts, and convictions.
We entered the Kingdom the day of our baptism. Now let us prepare the soil within to welcome the seed of the Kingdom, the word of the Kingdom, so that it may take root and grow till it becomes alive and active and fills us with the spirit and glory of the Kingdom. Let us watch the small mustard seed of the Kingdom grow and prepare us for our mission to make disciples so that they too can flock to that same Kingdom to share that same glory that has been given to us.
I shall describe a particular method of prayer centred on the principles of Lent, genuine discipleship and self-denial. It is a journey into the spirit of prayer leading us towards the divine presence in the Kingdom within. This prayerful approach to Scripture will be familiar to some but not to others. It comes in 5 simple stages and can be used as a personal approach to Scripture or in our group Bible sessions. This method is a spiritual journey that involves progressing from information to formation, then to transformation. It also progresses from the corporal and psychological to the spiritual and prepares us for service. We are journeying towards the Kingdom within in order
to serve.
1. Stage 1. Consists in choosing a brief text of Scripture. We read and understand the basic meaning of it making use of our God-given intellect. We gain an objective understanding of the Word of Kingdom.
2. Stage 2 consists in meditating on the chosen text. We apply Scripture to our own personal circumstances and relationships. We listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us, personally. What is this verse telling us about our daily life and our discipleship? Here we allow the Word to challenge us, our thoughts and ways (Heb. 4:12) as the Word goes deeper into the inner soil. We move gradually from an objective to a more personal relationship with the Word; from head knowledge to spiritual knowledge.
3. Stage 3 consists in praying the Word of Kingdom. Now we see how our understanding of the Word takes the relational approach a little further as we relate to God in prayer inspired by the Word. Our meditation on the text leads us naturally into prayer, into dialogue with God. It could be a prayer of praise, thanksgiving, petition, intercession etc. We enter into conversation with he who has already spoken through the text we have chosen.
4. Stage 4 consists in contemplating the Word of the Kingdom. Our words and thoughts are no longer adequate. In a normal relationship, when the conversation is over we say goodbye and each goes his own way. In a loving relationship, when all words cease, each person remains in the presence of the beloved, in silence, and each other’s company is enjoyed on a much deeper level. Something similar happens in this 4th stage. Each of the 3 previous stages is a preparation for this moment of silence. Here we put aside our thoughts and words. In this method we discover how to listen, how to be disciples. This method takes us to different levels of embracing the Word. These are moments of self-denial in order to be receptive to the divine presence and divine revelation. This is the level where the seed bears fruit according to the parable of the sower. We begin to hear not like the crowd who hears yet does not hear. We are reaching the level where true spiritual understanding takes place, the level of the spirit where the Holy Spirit bears witness to our spirit, it is where spiritual things take root.
Here we encounter Father and Son who dwell within (John 14:23) and we are aware that we are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20). We are led to the inner sanctuary where the vital transforming encounter with the divine presence takes place.
It is now that we obey the command “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Here we have the shedding of self. It is here where the Spirit bears witness to our spirit. What is happiness if it is not this coming together, the integration of the three dimensions of man spirit, soul and body in this divine encounter? It is here that healthy spiritual roots grow for fruitful discipleship.
Our spirit often lies as fallow ground, not cultivated; arable but not cultivated. Remember it has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit with the aim of union with the Father. In this stage we are beyond words. We rest in the Word of the Kingdom and while we rest, the Word is alive and active within. A seed has been sown and now we rest and let it do its work. It is a moment of silence and rest of our whole being. In these moments of silence and rest we find the essential unity of self, spirit, soul and body. We experience psychological healing as well as spiritual healing. As we detach ourselves from self we see more clearly within. Self-denial, self-detachment leads to self-discovery. Many experience a disconnect with self and in contemplation we encounter the source of life and reconnect with our true self.
Noise is toxic, in silence there is healing. Noise tires us, it weakens us, it prevents our spirit from breathing. Away from toxic noise and the madness of the world with its confusion and chaos we find harmony within. Engaging with the Word is a journey. Our spirit is often heavy and weary (John 12:27), here, in contemplation, we find restoration. We need to learn how to rest; this is not easy. Here we enter into the rest of God (Heb. 4:1), not natural rest or relaxation. Here there is outer and inner silence.
In contemplation we remain as empty vessels. The Holy Spirit fills that emptiness that we present to him and he fills it with what? With himself, his presence, his power, his healing, his wisdom, with everything that he is. God does not give us things he gives us himself. The more we empty ourselves the more we can be filled. Just be and let the Word of the Kingdom seep deep down and mature within. We become one with the Word, we become one with the King in the Kingdom.
5. Stage 5. Consists in being doers of the Word. After contemplation we go down into the valley where our mission calls us. Jesus typically withdrew to be in union with the Father to find strength for his mission. This is our pattern, too.
Love, understanding and strength has been gained for renewal through contemplating the Word. We are now ready for service. We can’t do Spiritual work in the flesh; we try, but things don’t work out. Why? Because only God can do the work of God and he does his work through us, if we let him. It was the same with Jesus: “the Father who dwells in me does his works” (John 13:10)
Conclusion
To conclude let us bring things together. Lent invites us to renew our spiritual journey. That journey takes us to our destination, the Kingdom. The Kingdom has at least three dimensions. It lies beyond and it is within, it is also among us as we journey in unity. The principle on which everything depends is the indwelling of Christ. We move forward to the Kingdom beyond and we move inward towards the Kingdom within and in unity we reveal the Kingdom among us. In doing this we are always aware of the divine presence of the King. This gives us strength, power, peace and joy. Let us never separate our trials and tribulations, our adverse circumstances from the joyous expectation of the Kingdom beyond, within and among us. Let us never separate our relationships from the joyous expectation of the Kingdom.
“For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory” and praise be to him who has given us that same Kingdom, that same power and that same glory. “The glory that you have given me I have given them”. Amen
For more information on this type of prayer see the pages on lectio divina:
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NOTES
1 Ψυχικὸς psychikos, psyche, often translated as life or soul, Matthew 22:37
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