The Wind in the Trees

It’s a curious fact that even those who claim to follow Jesus have almost no concept of the number one thing he taught–the kingdom of God. Jesus began his ministry by proclaiming God’s kingdom had now arrived.¹ The subject of the kingdom dominated his teaching for three and a half years. When he rose from the dead he continued to speak about it the whole time he was with his disciples.²

At best, we have a dim conception of the kingdom. We think of it as a heavenly realm we enter after we die, but the kingdom of God present here and now, as Jesus taught, remains an enigma.

John 3:3 tells us what the problem could be. Jesus say that if we have not been born of the Spirit, we can’t even see the kingdom. Without our way of  thinking being baptized, we’re blind to God’s realm all around us. When the Spirit enlightens our eyes, we wonder that we did not see it before.

We think of the kingdom of God’s Spirit as mysterious and indeed it is. In many ways, however, Jesus demystified it and made it completely accessible for whoever wants to see and enter.

Jesus amazed people for three and a half years talking about the realm of God’s Spirit. However, what astounded people about his teaching was not its mystery but rather its content.

The one who comes in at the last hour gets the same wages as the one who works all day.³ Greedy, pleasure-seeking individuals who know their brokenness come into the kingdom before those who believe they’re already in.⁴ And how can we love our enemies or forgive seventy times seven? Most baffling of all, the king dies on a cross to open the doors of his kingdom for everyone to enter, even his enemies!

The idea of God’s kingdom naturally puzzles us, but that all changes once we understand peace and peacemaking as central to God’s nature. When we pay attention to the gospel of peace that the Prince of Peace preaches specifically for the purpose of bringing people into harmony,⁵ the kingdom finally comes clearly into view.

We enter a little deeper into this heavenly territory every time we hold our tongue rather than barking out in anger, each time we give to those in need, when we earnestly listen to a child even though exhausted, when we encourage someone with kindness, when we forgive or when we pray for those we can’t stand.

As we walk with Jesus, living this kind of life, as John says,⁶ we receive assurance we are born of the Spirit.

1. Mark 1:14-15 ↩︎
2. Acts 1:3 ↩︎
3. Mat. 20:1-16 ↩︎
4. Mat 21:28-31 ↩︎
5. John 17:20-23; Rom. 12:18; 1 Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:3-6; Col. 3:13-15 ↩︎
6. 1 John 3:16-19 ↩︎