Jesus explains the Kingdom of God to us with a series of stories:  many of these use agricultural images, some from other kinds of rural work, some from business, some from family life, some from the home. A  few have a king.  In Jesus’ stories often the one we expect to be good may not be, and someone who is normally an unfavorable character is the good one.

A fundamental theme of several of the stories seems to be the twist.  People expected a powerful political Kingdom from the Old Testament prophecies, but Jesus offered something slow, secret, inward, and spiritual.  This unexpected process, more like spreading a good disease or changing men into new beings (cf. C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity), allows good and evil to remain together in the world.  Their complete separation lies in the future.

Jesus uses the example of seeds growing into fruitful plants or yeast spreading through bread.  As we know, yeast is a symbol of sin in the Old Testament (hence, the importance of unleavened bread without any yeast), so one wonders how that can be an appropriate image of the Kingdom.  But the image actually works very well in the context of Jesus’ death:  He became sin for us to free us from sin and bring us into the Kingdom.

Speaking in parables was predicted:  “O my people, listen to my teaching.  Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable.”  (Ps. 78:1,2)  It served to separate those who could spiritually listen from those who could not.   Researchers today have discovered that storytelling is one of the best forms of teaching.  It engages more of the personality, is memorable, and therefore can have a more profound effect.

While the stories of the Kingdom have far more to offer than a simple analogy, we can draw out at least one simple lesson from each to gain a clearer picture of what Jesus taught us about the Kingdom.

Hearts must be prepared to receive the Kingdom (Sower) which is currently mixed with the evils of the world, but will be separated at the end (Wheat and weeds, Fishing net).  It grows from small beginnings (Mustard seed), grows slowly until complete (Growing seed), and spreads and makes significant change (Yeast).  It is worth losing everything to gain (Hidden treasure), but it is hidden, must be sought and is worth making sacrifices to obtain (Pearl).  The King pursues those outside the Kingdom (Lost sheep), does not give up (Lost Coin), and is eager to receive any who come to Him (Lost Son).

God is constantly offering grace and postponing judgment (Barren Fig Tree).  Unfortunately, some He expected to respond to him have rejected Him and others must be brought in to the Kingdom (Great feast).  Worse yet, those rejecting Him have harmed His messengers and even killed His Son (Evil Farmers).  Unfortunately, even bringing His son back from the dead will not convince them (Rich man and Lazarus).

The King forgives us so completely that we must forgive others (Unforgiving Debtor).  He doesn’t discriminate between those who serve him much of their lives, and those who have done nothing (Vineyard workers).  What is crucial is an obedient heart that acts, not mere words (Two sons).   Those you don’t necessarily expect may be the ones truly living in the Kingdom (Good Samaritan), because it is the humble, not the self-satisfied who are true members of the Kingdom (Pharisee and Tax collector).   We must be diligent and use God’s gifts, not approach Him with false humility, and realize that he has a right to get what He wants from us (Ten servants).  Those in the Kingdom must be wise in reaching out to others (Shrewd manager), and we must prepare and wait alertly for the return of the King (Ten bridesmaids).

To summarize:  The Kingdom exists alongside sin in the world now, but a day will come when only the Kingdom of God rules.  God now seeks men to be part of the Kingdom, full of grace and forgiveness.  Those who reject Him will themselves be rejected, and others will be called.  Kingdom members must show wisdom and diligence in their service of God, no self-righteousness, but real obedience and humility.

One way of hearing the stories again is to update them into our cultural context.  For example, a homeless man lying on the street was passed by a pastor, then passed by a university professor, and was finally picked up kindly and taken to a shelter by a member of a radical Islamic sect.  “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man in the street?… Go and do the same.”

Or, a wealthy business man was praying and thanking God that he was honest, respectable, and a pillar in his church.  He was particularly grateful not to be like the tax lawyer implicated in a recent corporate scandal, praying nearby at church.  But in God’s eyes it was the lawyer who went home justified, not the pillar of the church.

Or, an American CEO whose son was getting married in a castle in Europe, was dismayed when most of those invited didn’t RSVP.  He even made some follow-up phone calls, but they said they couldn’t take the time to fly over and back to Europe.  He was angry enough he decided to stop doing business with them, and he sent the caterers out to invite local people so the food he’d ordered wouldn’t be wasted.  When greeting the substitute guests, the CEO was horrified that one of the newcomers hadn’t changed out of his sweats, so security pitched the man off the property.

Or, a group of bridesmaids were trying to catch a flight to the wedding.  Rain caused a delay and made them miss their connecting flight.  In exhaustion, waiting to see if they could get on standby, they slept in the airport.  At midnight the loudspeaker announced a flight and they got in line to get their boarding passes.   But some of them hadn’t gone to pay for changing the ticket.   “Pay for us!” they begged their friends.  “Sorry!  We can’t!  You’ll have to run to the ATM!”  And while they ran for the cash, the flight filled up, and they were left behind and missed the wedding. 

Or, a venture capitalist went to Europe to do some public service for a while.  He talked to three companies and invested in each of them.  His European public service didn’t last long—several journalists wrote negative pieces about him and undermined his reputation.  When he returned home, he called the CEOs .  With one the profits had gone through the roof and he was really pleased and offered the man a position running one of his conglomerates.   Another company did very well, but the third had made no profits at all—in fact they hadn’t even implemented their business plan.  “I knew you’d be upset if we lost any of the money, and even if we made money, you’d take it all anyway.”  “Good grief! You could have done better putting it into CDs!  I’m investing all this money with the company that made me money.”  When his secretary protested that company didn’t need the money, he replied that at least that CEO would know how to use it.  “Now get me those journalists on the phone, and I’m going to sue them for all they are worth!” 

Or, what good is an ad if you don’t actually run it in the paper?  Get it out there!

Or, a manufacturer had a factory where a supplier provided some substandard material.  When the inspectors pointed out the problem, the manufacturer exclaimed, “Someone is trying to ruin me!”  “Shall we shut down production?” the foreman asked.  “No, we’ll lose on the good material if we do.  Just produce it all and we’ll test and see what’s good that we can sell and we’ll recycle the worthless stuff.”

Or, a scriptwriter tried to find a producer for a movie.  Some sounded interested, but when you really tried to get backing things fell apart.  Others would make an appointment, but then take so long with other clients and need to leave quickly so there was no time to explain the idea.  But one producer loved the script and attracted a terrific team to make the movie.  It was a box office hit, won several Oscars, and made the script writer’s fortune and reputation!

One can see from these retellings that the stories are playful, subversive, and the analogies to the Kingdom are pretty easy to find.   But after the diversion into modernity, rereading the original stories, one can sense their freshness and charm for Jesus’ audience.  The fact that they had a meaning connected to the Kingdom, made them a puzzle or a code to solve.

The one reference to the Kingdom of Heaven in the gospel of John is in the conversation with Nicodemus when Jesus uses the image of being spiritually born as the necessary step for entering the Kingdom.  This has become our preferred image for explaining what Jesus asks of us, and curiously, we have even disconnected it from the reference to the Kingdom.  Perhaps there is wisdom in putting that back into the context of Jesus’ teaching—new birth makes us members of the Kingdom.

Some of Jesus’ stories resonate with Old Testament passages, as for example the “Good Shepherd” in Ezekial 34:1-24, and 31, “Separating Sheep and Goats” in Ezek. 34:17, the “Sower” in Jeremiah 4:3  So also the parable of the Mustard Seed, which in the Old Testament version is a tree that perhaps only travelers to Lebanon could have seen, the magnificent cedar.

Ezekiel 17: 22-25  And the Sovereign Lord says: I will take a tender shoot from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel’s highest mountain.  It will become a noble cedar sending forth its branches and producing seed.  Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter beneath its branches.  And all the trees will know that it is I, the Lord, who cuts down the tall tree and helps the short tree to grow tall.  It is I who makes the green tree wither and gives new life to the dead tree.  I, the Lord, have spoken!  I will do what I have said.

Mark 4:30-32  Jesus asked, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God?  What story should I use to illustrate it?  It is like a tiny mustard seed.  Though this is one of the smallest of seeds, it grows to become one of the largest of plants, with long branches where birds can come and find shelter.”