Hearing Jesus: About the Kingdom
Reading: Matthew 13:31-33
“The kingdom of heaven is like . . . ”
Some concepts are so difficult to explain that a comparison is the best response. The Gospels speak of the “Kingdom of God” at least 100 times. We talk about the idea in church, but we often do not understand its meaning. Actually, the phrase explains itself. The Kingdom of God is where God is the ruler. That could be in our hearts now. It will also be recognized by the whole world when the end of history comes.
Matthew gives us two short parables used by Jesus to describe the Kingdom. The first compares it to a mustard seed, one of the smallest of all seeds. The Kingdom began on earth in a quiet and humble way. A baby born in a manger grew into a man who then called twelve ordinary followers to carry His message. Over the centuries the number of people in whose hearts God has ruled already numbers in the billions.
The second parable shows what a little leaven can do. Those of us who bake bread understand the importance of yeast. It works quietly, but without it, there is no edible result. A hard biscuit becomes a soft loaf. One Christian can change a family. Only a few Christians, sincerely practicing their faith, can make a difference in a community. God is quietly at work producing a visible Kingdom through those who confess Jesus as Lord.
For Reflection: What is my vision of God’s Kingdom?
Prayer Seed:
Give us, O God, the strength to build
The city that has stood
Too long a dream, whose laws are love,
Whose ways are servanthood,
And where the sun that shines
Becomes God’s grace for human good.
Walter Russell Bowie, 1909
