The Kingdom Of God Marks’ Gospel

The basic message from Jesus is, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:14). This message has two parts. The first part is what Jesus called the gospel: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." The second part is the response to the gospel that Jesus called for people to make: "Repent, and believe in the gospel."

What did Jesus mean by the term "kingdom of God?" We find clues to the meaning of this term in Jesus' parables (stories). Almost two-thirds of Jesus parables refer to the kingdom of God. One of Jesus' parables is known as the parable of the "sower." According to the parable of the sower, the "word of God" is sown "in the heart." God's laws (commandments) are known intuitively, or naturally, by everyone.

What did Jesus mean by the term "kingdom of God?“ Continued Jesus refers to God's commandments as the "word" of God (Mark 7:9; 7:13). Although the parable of the sower teaches that the "word of the kingdom" or the "word of God" is known by everyone, each person must choose whether or not to accept this truth and put it into practice in one's own life.

Gospel The word of God The commandments Response to the Gospel Acceptance of the truth Practicing the truth in daily life

In the parable, Jesus gives four examples of how individuals respond to the "word of God" which is "sown in the heart." 1.Some individuals reject God's law of love completely, like a hard path that will not allow seeds to take root. They let the temptation to do evil devour the truth, like birds devour seeds on the hard ground. In Jesus' day, the temptation to do evil was personified as the "evil one" or the "tempter." (This personification should not be taken literally but the temptation to do evil is real.)

In the parable, Jesus gives four examples of how individuals respond to the "word of God" which is "sown in the heart.“ Continued 2. Other individuals initially accept God's law of love in a superficial way, like the thin, rocky soil receives the seed, but when it becomes difficult to follow the way of love, they abandon it. They let the truth wither away.

In the parable, Jesus gives four examples of how individuals respond to the "word of God" which is "sown in the heart.“ Continued 3. Other individuals let God's law of love get entangled and choked out by materialistic concerns.

In the parable, Jesus gives four examples of how individuals respond to the "word of God" which is "sown in the heart.“ Continued 4. However, some individuals accept God's law of love and produce the fruits of love -- good deeds -- in various amounts. In the parable of the sower, the "word of the kingdom" is sown "in the heart" but only "he (she) who hears and understands (accepts) it; he (she) indeed bears fruit" (Matthew 13:23).

Accept God's law of love Fruits of love -- good deeds The "word of the kingdom" is sown "in the heart“. Hear, understand & accept to enter the Kingdom of God

Parable of the mustard seed Mark 4:30-32 From the parable of the mustard seed, we learn that the kingdom of God is sown or planted somewhere. It is small in the beginning but it grows, and serves a useful purpose.

Although the kingdom of God begins within the individual, it does not end there. The kingdom of God has an "outward" aspect to it. The acceptance of God's way of love becomes evident in the deeds of the individual. In the parable of the sower, the seeds "brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." In the parable of the mustard seed, the plant "grows up and puts forth branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."

The kingdom of God is the reign of God's law of love in individuals and in human society. Jesus said that the kingdom of God is "at hand." What did Jesus mean by the term "at hand?" We find the answer to this in a conversation that Jesus had with a Jewish scribe. "The scribe said to Jesus, 'You are right, teacher, you have truly said that He (God) is one, and there is no other (God) but Him; and to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than burnt offerings and sacrifices.' And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he (Jesus) said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.'" (Mark 12:32-34).

The kingdom of God is the reign of God's law of love in individuals and in human society. Continued It is clear that the scribe was "not far from the kingdom of God" because he recognized that God's basic laws for humankind are "love for God" and "love for neighbor." The discovery, or recognition, of God's natural laws is the first step toward the reign of God's laws in an individual's life. Of course, the kingdom of God, or the reign of God's laws, becomes a reality in a person's life only when a person chooses to live by these laws. The scribe was "not far" from the kingdom of God because the scribe recognized God's laws. The next step would be for the scribe to "enter" the kingdom of God by obeying these laws.

The kingdom of God is the reign of God's law of love in individuals and in human society. Continued When Jesus said that the kingdom of God is "at hand," he meant that we are "not far" from the kingdom when we recognize God's laws of love for God and love for neighbor. And the kingdom of God becomes a reality for us when we choose to follow God's laws as we live each day. The kingdom of God is truly "at hand" for anyone to discover.