By using the phrase “upon,” Jesus is saying that God is not off in some

distant place called heaven or in some distant future called the afterlife,

but God has come upon the people Jesus is addressing right now. You don’t

have to wait until you go to heaven when you die to experience God’s

presence. It is upon you in this person Jesus. That’s part of what Jesus’

baptism was about when the heavens were torn in two and the Holy Spirit

(God’s spirit) came down upon Jesus in the form of a dove. There is that

word “upon” again. Matthew is telling us that in Jesus, God’s reign of

peace and justice is here.