That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed.
Matthew 13:1-3 NIVUK
I am a big fan of walking through the countryside. I find that very calming, particularly as my job can sometimes be stressful.
When you are in the countryside you do have to be a little careful. There are plants and flowers that look pretty, but some of them contain irritants or even poison.
Things are not always what they seem.
These parables are a little like that. They seem relatively benign – just nice stories that Jesus told. But within these stories Jesus is expounding on a theme that the totalitarian regime under which He lived would treat as a dangerous poison that had to be uprooted at all costs.
Jesus was teaching of the presence of another kingdom. Another power. Another right to rule. One more powerful than Caesar.
He was picking up a theme introduced in the book of Daniel, written hundreds of years before:
‘In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure for ever.
Daniel 2:44 NIVUK
Jesus was talking about a conquering kingdom.
Let’s not underestimate or misunderstand this. When Jesus talks about the Kingdom of Heaven, He is talking about this kingdom.
You can understand why anyone who made the connection would feel threatened.
Every totalitarian regime since has viewed the presence of Kingdom-living Christians as a threat.
Why?
Because their primary loyalty is not to their state or government. No, their primary loyalty is to God. And a paranoid totalitarian state cannot tolerate anyone with a different loyalty.
These are collectively known as the ‘Kingdom Parables’. Why? Because in the different versions of them recorded throughout the Gospels, they begin with the words ‘The Kingdom of God is like...’
What is the Kingdom of God?
It is not, and never will be, a physical place. As Jesus explained to Pilate:
Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.’
John 18:36 NIVUK
So as well as a conquering kingdom, it is a spiritual kingdom – an entity not born our of nationality, but a shared loyalty to God and to His Son Jesus Christ. It has no territory. It has no army. But it has an identity more strong and powerful than any nation ever will.
As we will see in the parables, and also saw in Daniel, it is also a growing kingdom. Men and women are joining it on a daily basis. Contrary to the alarmist headlines in the press that seek to discourage us, this kingdom is well and truly on the march.
Daniel also points out that is an enduring kingdom. It lasts forever. It knows no end.
Countries change and cease. In my youth, Yugoslavia and Czechosolvakia were countries, the USSR was a country, Sudan was just one country. No nation is permanent. Nations change.
But the Kingdom of Heaven remains forever.
The parables we will study examine the nature of this kingdom: how it begins, how it grows and how it is refined so that false members are rooted out and true members remain. There is tremendous hope for true Christians in these verses, but also a tremendous challenge.
And for those who do not yet follow Jesus, the invitation is there to respond to Jesus’ teaching and be part of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, there is much in the news that seeks to depress me and to convince me that your Kingdom is shrinking, not growing. But I know it isn’t true. As I study these verses, help me to understand how I can play my part on helping others grow. Amen.
Questions
1. Why is the concept of the Kingdom of Heaven such a threat to totalitarian regimes? Should they feel threatened?
2. Which of the qualities of the Kingdom of Heaven do I find most challenging? Why?
3. What part can I play in helping the Kingdom of Heaven to grow?
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