The Mystery of Kingdom Of God
Rev. Shiby Varghese
Passage Matthew 13: 31 – 34
The gospel according to Matthew is different in sense, because he talks about the church and
the establishment of the Kingdom of God in world through the church.
We have to understand why Jesus tried to make them explain the concept of Kingdom of God
through parables. The 3 reasons are
1. Misunderstanding the concept of Kingdom of God
2. Misinterpretation of the Kingdom of God
3. Misrepresentation of God’s word
There has been a great study on parables using many methods such as historical critical
method and hermeneutics Famous Thinkers and Philosophers C H John & And Jehochiem Jeremiah, both proposed that the Kingdom of God relates to the present time and also has an eschatological dimension. When the language of the parables is studied a different interpretation can be derived. Paul Grikar
Norman states that the Kingdom of God is not a Utopian concept rather a sign and a symbol. When the Kingdom of God is understood as a sign or symbols its meaning is amplified. Christ is trying to explain what the Kingdom of God is all about through the parables. Matthew says that Jesus spoke only through parables, which reinforces the importance of the parables. In Vs 10 & 12 the disciples ask Jesus why do you speak to them in parables? Jesus tells them that the mystery of the Kingdom of God is being reveled to them. It has been reviled only because they have been called by God and also because they were special. In the Greek text & philosophy we can see that the relation of God and Man is portrayed as a myth, but Jesus position the Kingdom of God as a mystery rather than as a myth. In 1 Corinthians 2: 7 Paul says “But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory”, he affirms that God’s wisdom was kept secret and hidden which is proclaimed for the glory. There are three things evident in these passages:
1. God’s word edifies the Kingdom of God
For ‘Word as a text’, we might be having a notion about the term ‘Word’. However when we read the scriptures in a textual framework we get more transparency. There were many words prevailing during that time. Jesus didn’t reject any of them but in fact fulfilled them. Thus, he is not rejecting the Jewish text. Looking at this text, we learn that Jesus is trying to covey something else. Through the seven parables he portrays a fisherman, a lady, a sower & and trader who are from the ordinary people of the society so that he could convey that the Kingdom of God can be applicable among them. These parables have been given to the disciples as a deep-rooted & as an uplifting lesson about the kingdom of God.
2. A New Identity has been formed.
In all these parables it has something that relates to a seed, a sower and a land. Every seed is passing through a journey, a journey which has dreams; a dream of the sower. There is an inseparable bondage between the seed and the sower, the dream that one-day the seed would sprout, grow and be fruitful. The behavior of the seed is reflected on the sower. The seed has to die to give life. In every calling & selection there is a death. The death is not just about the seed dying and getting worthless, but to sprout out from the ground.
3. It’s a Journey to design the Kingdom of God
It’s a journey with other. Most often the seed may not behave as we expect. It is the duty of the sower to mould it. When we start a journey, we would have many preferences and expectations of the journey but this journey of the sower and the seed is complementary. Not only is the seed transformed, but also the sower is also being transformed through this journey. It is not a journey of the sower or the seed alone, but they together are experiencing healing. Together they are being rectified through this pilgrimage. They enter into a new experience and also have to face new realities. They are able to discover new realms of faith. Here, both are experiencing redemption. Similarly, in the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’, Jesus presents the Samaritan as the one who is being a help to the wounded man. After placing the wounded man in the inn, the Samaritan man on his return is in a way starting a new journey. He is being transformed as a new Samaritan man. So, the title, ‘The Good Samaritan’ remains apt. In this journey, the process of the Samaritan and wounded man, is not going unchanged nevertheless when the wounded man is healed, the Samaritan man is also enlightened with a new vision. This occurrence is known as the Kingdom of God. Rather than travelling alone in our journey by eliminating others we ought to travel together by strengthening and keeping others close to our heart to the Kingdom of God.
When we enter this reality, we become an architect than just the architecture. In a Zen story, it says about a man who came to the Buddhist monastery and expressed his wish to become a disciple. The Monk replied, “You cannot be a follower because there are more than 1000 Buddhist followers who came with the same wish, they are mere architecture figures and I am searching for a disciple who can be an architect”.
Let us grow as disciples, who can build, love and transform our journey towards our destiny.
Rev. Shiby Varghese
Passage Matthew 13: 31 – 34
The gospel according to Matthew is different in sense, because he talks about the church and
the establishment of the Kingdom of God in world through the church.
We have to understand why Jesus tried to make them explain the concept of Kingdom of God
through parables. The 3 reasons are
1. Misunderstanding the concept of Kingdom of God
2. Misinterpretation of the Kingdom of God
3. Misrepresentation of God’s word
There has been a great study on parables using many methods such as historical critical
method and hermeneutics Famous Thinkers and Philosophers C H John & And Jehochiem Jeremiah, both proposed that the Kingdom of God relates to the present time and also has an eschatological dimension. When the language of the parables is studied a different interpretation can be derived. Paul Grikar
Norman states that the Kingdom of God is not a Utopian concept rather a sign and a symbol. When the Kingdom of God is understood as a sign or symbols its meaning is amplified. Christ is trying to explain what the Kingdom of God is all about through the parables. Matthew says that Jesus spoke only through parables, which reinforces the importance of the parables. In Vs 10 & 12 the disciples ask Jesus why do you speak to them in parables? Jesus tells them that the mystery of the Kingdom of God is being reveled to them. It has been reviled only because they have been called by God and also because they were special. In the Greek text & philosophy we can see that the relation of God and Man is portrayed as a myth, but Jesus position the Kingdom of God as a mystery rather than as a myth. In 1 Corinthians 2: 7 Paul says “But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory”, he affirms that God’s wisdom was kept secret and hidden which is proclaimed for the glory. There are three things evident in these passages:
1. God’s word edifies the Kingdom of God
For ‘Word as a text’, we might be having a notion about the term ‘Word’. However when we read the scriptures in a textual framework we get more transparency. There were many words prevailing during that time. Jesus didn’t reject any of them but in fact fulfilled them. Thus, he is not rejecting the Jewish text. Looking at this text, we learn that Jesus is trying to covey something else. Through the seven parables he portrays a fisherman, a lady, a sower & and trader who are from the ordinary people of the society so that he could convey that the Kingdom of God can be applicable among them. These parables have been given to the disciples as a deep-rooted & as an uplifting lesson about the kingdom of God.
2. A New Identity has been formed.
In all these parables it has something that relates to a seed, a sower and a land. Every seed is passing through a journey, a journey which has dreams; a dream of the sower. There is an inseparable bondage between the seed and the sower, the dream that one-day the seed would sprout, grow and be fruitful. The behavior of the seed is reflected on the sower. The seed has to die to give life. In every calling & selection there is a death. The death is not just about the seed dying and getting worthless, but to sprout out from the ground.
3. It’s a Journey to design the Kingdom of God
It’s a journey with other. Most often the seed may not behave as we expect. It is the duty of the sower to mould it. When we start a journey, we would have many preferences and expectations of the journey but this journey of the sower and the seed is complementary. Not only is the seed transformed, but also the sower is also being transformed through this journey. It is not a journey of the sower or the seed alone, but they together are experiencing healing. Together they are being rectified through this pilgrimage. They enter into a new experience and also have to face new realities. They are able to discover new realms of faith. Here, both are experiencing redemption. Similarly, in the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’, Jesus presents the Samaritan as the one who is being a help to the wounded man. After placing the wounded man in the inn, the Samaritan man on his return is in a way starting a new journey. He is being transformed as a new Samaritan man. So, the title, ‘The Good Samaritan’ remains apt. In this journey, the process of the Samaritan and wounded man, is not going unchanged nevertheless when the wounded man is healed, the Samaritan man is also enlightened with a new vision. This occurrence is known as the Kingdom of God. Rather than travelling alone in our journey by eliminating others we ought to travel together by strengthening and keeping others close to our heart to the Kingdom of God.
When we enter this reality, we become an architect than just the architecture. In a Zen story, it says about a man who came to the Buddhist monastery and expressed his wish to become a disciple. The Monk replied, “You cannot be a follower because there are more than 1000 Buddhist followers who came with the same wish, they are mere architecture figures and I am searching for a disciple who can be an architect”.
Let us grow as disciples, who can build, love and transform our journey towards our destiny.