The Kingdom of Heaven is Near!

Poor, sweet disciples.

They are ready to take their country back. Ready to be liberated from the dirty, rotten party in power (darn Romans). Ready to have their leader installed in his rightful position of authority.

All this talk of the kingdom has them surging with adrenaline.

Yes! Yes! The kingdom of heaven is near! We are ready to take our country back!

"Will you allow these two sons of mine to sit at your right and left in your kingdom?" They are excited about politics. They are excited about making some new policies. Policies in line with the commandments of God. Good, beneficial policies.

Jesus will help us take back what is rightfully ours! Jesus will be King! What else could all this kingdom talk be about?

Sickening disappointment.

"We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel."

Things are not going as planned. The dirty, rotten Romans are still in power. And our own countrymen don't even like us that much.

But, our nation was founded on the principles of God! It's not supposed to be this way! We want things to go back to the way they used to be! When our country was on top and subject to no one! When the Promise Land belonged to us alone and we were in charge and abortion was illegal and there was prayer in school and everybody always spoke English!

We don't want to be under the yoke of these dirty, rotten liberals (I mean, Romans)! We want political power! We want to make policies in line with the commandments of God. Good, beneficial policies.

What kind of kingdom are you talking about, Jesus? What kind of revolution have you been referring to? What could following you possibly be about, if it's not political? You mean, you didn't come to help us get our country back?

"Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

"Or the Senate to the Republicans?"

Poor, sweet disciples.