God’s Kingdom Will Stop Other Kingdoms

The Word of God today invites us to look beyond the noise of history and the rise and fall of earthly powers, and to fix our gaze on the only Kingdom that endures—the Kingdom of God. In the first reading from Daniel, we encounter the striking vision of a massive statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay. It looks magnificent, powerful, impenetrable—much like the empires of the world that dominate the stage of human history. But Daniel reveals the truth behind the illusion: at the base of all earthly power is clay. It is fragile. It cannot ultimately stand. And with the touch of a small stone—“a stone hewn without human hands”—the entire statue collapses, becoming dust blown away by the wind. That stone, Daniel explains, becomes a great mountain that fills the whole earth. This is the image of God’s Kingdom. It comes not by human force, political strategy, military power, or economic influence, but from God Himself. Daniel is speaking to a persecuted people under the tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes, a leader who believed his authority was absolute. Yet Daniel, with the eyes of faith, sees beyond the present chaos: God is at work, guiding history, and His Kingdom will stand when all others pass away. This message is not only for ancient Israel—it is for us today. Many times we look at the world and feel overwhelmed by political turmoil, violence, injustice, or the rise of leaders who seem untouchable. Even in our personal lives, we build our own “small kingdoms”—our reputations, achievements, positions, plans. They may appear solid, but deep within, they too rest on clay. Only God’s reign is unshakeable. In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns His disciples not to be dazzled by earthly structures—not even the Temple, the pride of Israel—because everything built on human foundations will eventually fall. But He also tells them not to be terrified. Why? Because the collapse of earthly kingdoms is not a sign of God’s absence, but of His coming. It is the preparation for His Kingdom to be revealed. So today, the Church invites us to renew our hope. God is not absent from history. He is not silent. He is not defeated. His Kingdom is already growing—even in the midst of disorder, even through events we do not understand, even through the humble and hidden “stones” He sends into our lives. The question is: Are we building our lives on the enduring Kingdom of God, or on the crumbling kingdoms of human power?