UNDERSTANDING

                                                                    Understanding

One of the things that Christians have trouble understanding is Christ’s kingdom. Are the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven synonymous? And are they the same as Christ’s kingdom? ‘Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world”’ (John 18:36). Is His kingdom on earth or is it somewhere else? It can be confusing for some. Jesus’ disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables. ‘He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables’ (Mark 4:11). So, to understand Christ’s kingdom, one must understand the kingdom parables. This means that there are two kinds of people: Those with understanding and those without, i.e., ‘those on the outside.’ Scary! Who does not want to be in Christ’s kingdom?

Our understanding is deepening already. Those already in the kingdom are given understanding of the parables. The others remain outside. His disciples understood. This means that Christ’s kingdom already was on earth. The others just heard stories about mustard seeds, leaven, lost things, talents, a pearl, hidden treasure, workers in a vineyard, sheep and goats and a whole lot more. They see only the road and miss seeing the rail track that runs parallel to it. They see only a closed clam and not the precious pearl within. Like the whole Bible, the parable (and therefore the kingdom) remains closed to them, unless as was the case with Nicodemus, the Lord opens their eyes to see it and enter in (John 3).

Now, here’s where it gets subtle in our own day. Christians do not have to physically die to enter the kingdom of heaven. We are already in it! And like leaven, we are to be involved in spreading its influence throughout the whole earth. We do this by first understanding and then spreading the Gospel. Planted on earth, the kingdom like a mustard seed becomes a large tree in volume. We invest and multiply our talents through Gospel obedience. We work in His vineyard treading the grapes of Gospel vintage. We dig in His fields and uncover His hidden treasure. Sadly, this all sounds like so much nonsense to those still outside the kingdom, those whose understanding remains darkened. Again, Jesus to His disciples: ‘And He answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand”’ (Matt. 13:11-13). The old adage applies here, ‘There are none so blind as those who will not see.’ That’s derived from this warning, ‘“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not. Do you not fear Me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before Me?”’ (Jer. 5:21-22a; cf. Mark 8:18).

The secret of the kingdom? The kingdom parables teach spiritual truths by using earthly analogies. However, ‘The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit’ (1 Cor. 2:14). Spiritual does not mean other worldly. Jesus says, ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth’ (Matt. 5:5). We’re to pray, ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ (Matt. 6:10). Understand His kingdom includes His Earth (Ps, 2:8).