What is the Kingdom of God like, and how or when will it appear? A study of the parables of Matthew 13 might be very revealing for some. For example, from the Lord’s perspective the Kingdom of God seems to be located within mankind (Matthew 13:3-23; cp. Luke 17:21). He is glorified in the good fruit his word produces in our hearts. On the other hand, from our own perspective, the Kingdom takes a more outward posture (Matthew 13:24-52. While it still cannot be found on a map, the Sower, Christ (Matthew 13:37) sows seed (believers) in his field, which is the world (Matthew 13:38).
However, defining the Kingdom of God doesn’t stop here. Jesus also mentioned it was like the tiny mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32), which grow very large, at least enough that birds build nests there. The problem is, however, that the birds are seen in Jesus’ parables as the enemies of the Gospel (Matthew 13:4, 19). These are folks who either take away the word of God from the heart of believers (Matthew 13:4, 19), or they deprive the Lord of his heritage by devouring the lives of believers, bringing them to serve the labor of the Lord’s enemies, instead of the Lord (Matthew 7:21-23).
Jesus also compared the Kingdom of God to leavening three measures of meal. Using leaven with burnt offerings for the purpose of worshiping God was strictly forbidden in his word (Leviticus 2:11; 10:12). God’s portion, or offering, in Jesus’ parable is the three measures of meal, which was most holy (Leviticus 10:12). Wrong doctrine acts as a leavening agent in the truth we speak in the name of Christ (Matthew 16:6, 12). The Gospel or word of God can be made to have no effect, if is mixed with it the traditions of men (Mark 7:13), thus leavening what is God’s portion, and in effect keeping him from enjoying the fruit of his word.
Through their destructive traditions, they have either made the word of God of no effect in the hearts of people, or they live off God’s heritage establishing a name for themselves, depriving Christ of his glory, which is the fruit of his labor in us, vis-à-vis, when folks begin to believe (cp. Matthew 12:22-23), they put fear into their hearts and keep them from following the impulses of Jesus in their hearts (Matthew 13:24). The same occurs in the church today, when God’s children are used by church authorities to build up the name of a man or his organization, instead of encouraging believers to glorify Jesus by fulfilling his command to love one another, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, having mercy on the immigrant and bonding with those in chains for the sake of the Gospel (Matthew 25:34-40).
In both the parable of the mustard seed and that of the three measures of meal, the evil comes from the outside to deprive the Lord of the fruit that should have been his (cf. Luke 13:6-9). There is a very real danger for us to become fruit for a man’s use instead of Christ’s glory, or to grow in man’s word (tradition) instead of the word of God. Peter spoke of God’s people being made the merchandise of false teachers (2Peter 2:1-3), depriving God of fruit in our lives that should have gone to him.
It seems to me the Kingdom of God concerns the heart of the believer, which the Lord enlarges to mature his people into followers of him in this world. The Kingdom of God isn’t some future entity nor is it completely free from evil. The children of the Kingdom must confront and overcome spiritual evil aimed at controlling the children of the Kingdom and keeping God from benefiting from the fruits of his labor in our lives.
I remember when I was another man’s paycheck. He told me what to do and how to believe. If there was any fruit born to God in my life during that time, I am unaware of it. Everything I learned in God’s word was bent for the profit of a man and his organization. I gave my allegiance to him. I trusted him. I paid him. Had I been yielded to Christ, I would have borne fruit to God. His word would have caused me to have compassion upon others who lacked the blessings I had in abundance. I would have mourned over the condition of the world around me and loved folks as Christ did, but I was arrogant, considering all of them cursed who were not like me. When Christ freed me from this bondage, I was given a kind of awakening as to what was happening. I look back in amazement at the immediate effect it had upon my heart toward God and man. Nevertheless, I nurtured a “root of bitterness” within me for those who offended me, until the work of God’s Spirit worked into me the willingness to forgive. I have found the Kingdom of God within me is more powerful than the intimidation of men in the world (Luke 11:15), more powerful than the effect of their traditional doctrines (Luke 12:52), and, praise God, more powerful than my own hard heart (Luke 6:45; Mark 7:20-23). What a wonderful Savior![1]
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[1] This study has been updated as of December, 2024.
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