Tag Archives: kingdom of God

January 20
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“’Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.'” (Matthew 13:45-46, NIV)

Tonight, the President of the United States stands before both houses of the Congress and gives a required annual account of the State of the Union. It is a reminder to every U. S. citizen that we live in a nation with vast resources and responsibilities.

The scriptures tell us of another sovereign entity: The Kingdom of God (also called the Kingdom of Heaven). The state of God’s kingdom is eternally bright and stable because God is both its light and its foundation. More people than are able may desire to become citizens of the leading nations of this world; but everyone looking for a better, brighter, eternally secure place are welcome in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus described this kingdom as the prize discovered in a field that inspires its finder to sell all that he has to get the money to buy the field so that he might possess the prize for all time. And, as we see in today’s scripture reading: The pearl merchant who finds a rare pearl of great value.

Do we esteem our place and possessions in this world of greater value than the Kingdom of Heaven?  Are we willing to forgo and to discard all of this world’s thoughts and trappings that we might, instead, claim the eternal prize?  – Luther

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May 19
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“’Truly I tell you,’ Jesus said to them, ‘no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.'” (Luke 18: 29-20, NIV)

While some may classify these words of Jesus as a “hard saying”; in reality these words are some of the most gracious in all of the bible.

There is a worthy tale that illustrates what Jesus is saying: A rich man had a son who painted a self-portrait.  Though no one would ever mistake the painting as the work of a skilled artist, the father treasured this painting above all else, because the son — who was his sole heir — had been killed in war and the painting was a reminder of his beloved son. In his will, the rich man required that the painting be sold at auction with all of his other possessions.  On the day of the auction, estate agents and bargain hunters from far and wide converged at the rich man’s estate for the sale.  The first item up for bid was the son’s self-portrait.  The crowd grumbled.  They had not traveled to the sale to bid on the work of a third-rate artist.  They were there there to buy houses, land, livestock, and fine furniture!  

 At first, no one wanted to bid on the painting, but the auctioneer made it clear that in accordance with the rich man’s will, the painting must be sold ahead of all other property. So, to move along the process, one person made a small bid for the portrait.  Hearing no other bids, the auctioneer  said, “Sold!” to the lone bidder, then added, “You’ve just purchased the entire estate: Houses, land, livestock, and fine furniture. The lot is yours.” 

The crowd was stunned.  

The executor of the rich man’s estate appeared at the podium to address the unhappy gathering of would-be buyers, and said, “In accordance with the desires of the father, the person who gets the son, gets it all.”

We can make our lives “a la carte” and risk missing the One; or we can take the One above all others and ahead of all else — and having gotten the Son, get it all.  As Jesus taught us: “Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all of these [other] things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)  – Luther

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April 23
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“Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.’” (Luke 17:20-21, NIV)

Resist the urge to make the kingdom of God real “out there” before it has become real “in here.”

In today’s scripture reading, Jesus tells us that His kingdom is personal, not geographical; spiritual, not temporal; hidden from natural observation, yet growing by leaps and bounds within the life yielded to Him.

As much as some of us might want to “Christianize” (or “spiritualize”) the law, the government, the marketplace, the neighborhood, and the school — as the Pharisees desired to do in Jesus’ day; it always becomes a fool’s errand when such changes are imposed from outside. Change that is positive, lasting, spiritual, and liberating always begins within an individual — and manifests itself in the choices that that individual makes.

Is God’s rule (kingdom) growing within you?  – Luther

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