Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Kingdom: Part 2

In Part 2 of my study of the Kingdom of God I want to look at some of the characteristics of the Kingdom. Perhaps this is nothing new, but it's helpful for me to see them all in one place.


  • Kingdom will have no end (Lk. 1:33)
  • Beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mt. 5:3, 10).  Interesting that in Luke's parallel (Lk. 6:20) he writes "Blessed are you who are poor (no spirit) for yours if the kingdom of God."  Also Jesus says "is the kingdom of heaven" and not "will be" indicating the immediacy of the kingdom.
  • The entire Sermon on the Mount speaks to the characteristics of the kingdom.  It speaks of enemy love, giving to the needy, prayer, fasting, seeking the kingdom and more.
  • Not just about a set of beliefs but also about action (Lk. 7:21)
  • Parable of the Sower (Mt. 13:1-23; Mk. 4:1-20; Lk. 8:1-15) The kingdom grows like a seed.  Unfortunately it doesn't grow everywhere it's planted.  Like planting a seed and watching it grow, spreading the kingdom takes patience and care.  Mark especially points out this characteristic of being patient in the Parable of the Growing Seed (Mk. 4:26-29)
  • Parable of the Weeds (Mt. 13:24-30)  In the kingdom the good and bad are allowed to exist for a while as the weeds grow in among the wheat.  God separates at the end.  Sometimes it seems like the church is in a hurry to get to this part and wants to start the separating before its proper time.  Our job is to bear witness to the love of Christ and be Christ to the world.  Let God do the separating when he's ready.
  • Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mt. 13:30-32; Mk. 4:30-34; Lk. 13:17-19)  The kingdom starts like a small seed but grows.  In Jesus for President Shane Claiborne points out that growing mustard in a Jewish garden was forbidden.  Mustard starts small.  Slowly but surely it takes over the garden.  The kingdom certainly starts small with Jesus and his disciples but it grows and grows.  
  • Parable of the Yeast (Mt. 13:32-34; Lk. 13:19-21)  The Jews were no big fans of yeast either.  Jesus says the kingdom is like yeast.  A little bit works it's way in and changes everything around it.  Jesus seems to have in mind the kingdom expanding and affecting everything around it.  We don't see a massive forced take-over, but a slow and steady spreading of the kingdom.
  • Pearl of Great Price (Mt. 13:43-45) Kingdom is like a pearl that is worth giving up everything to pursue.  
  • Parable of the Net (Mt. 13:47-50)  The kingdom draws in everyone and the good and bad are separated out at the end.
  • Those that are teaching about the kingdom are talking about something new in the world and at the same time something that God has been building and is very old (Mt. 13:52)
  • The greatest in the kingdom is like a little child (Mt. 18:1-3; Mk. 10:13-15)
  • The Kingdom is a place of mercy and grace (Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Mt. 18:21-35)
  • Must be willing to give up everything to pursue the kingdom unlike the rich young man (Mt. 19:16-30; Mk. 10:17-31; Lk. 18:18-30) Jesus also talks about the renewal of all things.
  • Parable of the Two Sons (Mt. 21:28-32) Jesus warns that "tax collectors and prostitutes" are entering the kingdom ahead of those who think they are in.  The parable warns us about saying we believe and actually following Jesus in our actions.
  • Parable of the Wedding banquet (Mt. 22:1-14; Lk. 14:)  The wedding banquet is populated by people off of the street; those that were thought to be lowly, poor and outcast come while those who had been invited don't come.
There are other verses that could be added here as well.  These characteristics are taken from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke).  Let me add a few observations.  The kingdom is seen as a place that is expanding slowly but surely.  Unlike the kingdoms of this world which expand through force and subjugation of people, the kingdom of God expands through love and mercy and small mustard seed-like actions.  Several parables seem to indicate good and bad people existing in the kingdom for a while until God separates them.  Jesus warns about the dangers of assuming you're "in" and not following Jesus in action.  Instead the outcasts, poor and "sinners" are often seen joining the banquet.  The kingdom of God is something so unlike what normal kingdoms look like.  In my next post I'll take a look at what John has to say about the kingdom and John's introduction of one of the most powerful symbols of the kingdom.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Kingdom

I haven't written in quite a while.  I've had a lot of stuff happening in the Grove and out.  I haven't been idle , however.  Recently I've been hearing so much talk about "The Kingdom."  It's a phrase we often use in Christianity.  I've heard and read it in different contexts and with different ideas as to what the Kingdom is. A few weeks ago I decided to start studying what the Bible has to say about The Kingdom.  I have been looking so far at the New Testament.  I have my own ideas but part of what's great about the internet and social media is the ability to interact on ideas with different people.  So this post is as much to get feedback and comments as much as tell you what I think.  So here goes...

I'm going to start with the Synoptic Gospels and add the rest of the New Testament over the next couple weeks.  I started by going to biblegateway.com, typing in "Kingdom" into the search and then noting every mention of the Kingdom in reference to the rule of God/Jesus.  The question I had going into this was, "Is the Kingdom primarily a future destination or a present reality?"  In other words should I be waiting to go to the Kingdom, or participating in the Kingdom that has already started.  I must confess by bias going into the study.  No one just reads the Bible and does what it says, even if that's what they claim.  We all interpret because we all come carrying our own baggage when we read the text.  We also have 2000 years of history to overcome to get to the original text.  I'm also reading an English NIV Bible so interpretation is just part of life.

One of the first things I noted looking through Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Synoptic Gospels) is the language used.  Matthew calls it "the Kingdom of Heaven" while the other two call it "the Kingdom of God."  Matthew is writing primarily to a Jewish audience who would not even write the name of God let alone speak it.  Mark and Luke, however, write to a more Gentile audience who are alright with writing God.  The three writers are all talking about the same thing as evidenced by the similarities in stories.  Matthew's "Kingdom of Heaven" is not so much a statement about the geography of the kingdom as it is where the Kingdom comes from, where its authority originates.

Matthew 5 (Sermon on the Mount) speaks of the characteristics of the kingdom.  The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 Jesus says, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  I'm no Greek scholar, but my question here is if Jesus is asking for only God's will to be done on earth, or if he is also asking for the kingdom to come to earth as well.  Luke simply writes "Your Kingdom come."
There are several clear references to the Kingdom in the future but there are also references to the Kingdoms existence and presence now.  Jesus says in Matthew 6:32-34 (Luke 12:30-32) "Seek first His Kingdom."  I would assume Jesus is not telling them to seek the Kingdom unless the Kingdom has already broken in on the world.  Matthew 16:27-28, Mark 9:1-3 and Luke 9:26-28 Jesus says that some in the group listening to him will not die before they see the kingdom come.  The original audience to which Jesus spoke expected to see the Kingdom.

This is a start.  Enough to introduce the study and get me thinking.  Some theologians refer to the kingdom as "already but not yet."  The Kingdom has started and we can see glimpses of it but it is obviously yet to be completed.  I'm open to discussion, criticism, or other comments.  In the coming weeks I'll write some more about the Synoptic Gospels, look at the few references in John, take a look at Paul's view and lastly do a little with Revelation (although that's a whole other study that I've started).