“What shall we say the kingdom of God is like . . . ?”

— Mark 4:30

If you’re writing about a subject for school, you often start with a definition. But in this series I have been writing about the kingdom of God for several weeks, and I haven’t given a definition. Why is that?

What do we know about the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is like yeast in a batch of dough, like a hidden treasure, like wheat and weeds growing together, and like a landowner hiring day-laborers. The kingdom of God is unexpected, like a feast with a surprising guest list. Sex workers and other “sinners” enter the kingdom ahead of deeply religious types. And it’s really hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God belongs to little children, to peacemakers, and to the poor. The kingdom is something to wait for, something to pray for. The kingdom of God is in our midst, but it’s not from this world. The kingdom is light.

That’s a lot to learn about the kingdom of God. And there’s more where that came from. But that’s not what we would call a definition.

Whatever the kingdom of God is, it gives us a different way to see the world, to see people, and to see God. It also gives us a different way to be in the world. And in some ways that makes us strangers and aliens in the world we know so well.

Jesus, we like to know what we’re getting into. So we want to know what your kingdom is all about. But it’s all about you, isn’t it? Let that be enough for us. Amen.