Living 4 Him

“The Kingdom of God is within you.”  Luke 17:21

The Kingdom of God holds a bit of a mystery for us, but fortunately Jesus brought us numerous clues to help decipher this essential element of knowing God.  Jesus spoke of the Kingdom 126 times in the gospels, and  nearly one-quarter of his parables focused on the Kingdom of God.  His teachings are paramount as we seek to know and to share God’s kingdom on earth.   

In Luke 17, Jesus told his followers that the kingdom was not a place, but it already existed among them.  Mike Goldsworthy says it this way, “The Kingdom of God is where God’s will is carried out.” In Adam Hamilton’s recent book, The Message of Jesus, he explains, “Life in the Kingdom
of God is characterized by humans who pursue love; acts of kindness, compassion, mercy, goodness and more.” It seems that God’s Kingdom encompasses his vision or his hope for us; to live in the qualities of his own character.

As I have grown older and contemplated God’s Kingdom, I have discovered that to know God is to know his Kingdom. 

God is love and His Kingdom is love. 

God is good and His Kingdom is good.

God is eternal and His Kingdom is eternal.

God is peaceful, joyful and powerful and so is His Kingdom. 

God’s Kingdom exists wherever the spiritual essence of who he is exists, in heaven and on earth. 

Parables guide us to the greatness of God translated into earthly terms, helping us to access a fraction of heaven on earth.  As we carry our understandings about the Kingdom,  let’s see how some of Jesus’ parables bring more clarity.

The value of God’s kingdom is shown through two comparisons in Matthew 13:44-46.  “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure, and then he hid it in the field again. He was so happy that he went and sold everything he owned to buy that field.  Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a man looking for fine pearls.  When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.” God’s Kingdom is something to be desired even more than our material accumulations or fine jewels; a treasure within us worth more than anything we own.

In Matthew 13: 31-34, Jesus describes the Kingdom of Heaven (or the Kingdom of God) in two different ways with very similar meanings.“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches. The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

In these parables, we see that the Kingdom is active, always growing.  The Kingdom is large and inclusive; expanding and spreading to provide what is needed. The examples Jesus used in these parables were very tiny objects causing very big results. The contrast between little beginnings to mammoth results helped me realize that every minor act of love, no matter how small or trivial to us, benefits the major work of God’s kingdom, growing in size beyond our own understanding.

As I dissected the yeast parable even further, I looked for a small word that would make a big difference.  I found the word “hid.” Some translations use “mixed,” but the original Greek word egkrupto means to hide or conceal. The yeast, representing God’s Kingdom was hidden in the dough, but it still was able to work. This discovery brought me encouragement, because at times we can feel that the goodness of God’s Kingdom is hidden from us.  Our faith rides a roller coaster of highs and lows, but the power of God’s Kingdom cannot be contained or stopped.  Even when God’s kingdom is concealed, it is still working and growing the plans that God has for us.  

We have every reason to hope in God’s Kingdom, our most valuable resource.  The Kingdom is alive and always working. Every small act of goodness grows to greatness.  God’s plans for his Kingdom will come to pass.  No wonder Jesus taught us to pray, Your Kingdom come. Your will be done.  May you walk anew in God’s Kingdom.

Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in your soul):  In your own scripture reading, look for small words that make a big difference. 

Reaching out (taking God’s word into the world): Find small ways to show love and kindness and know that you are sharing God’s Kingdom.