Knowing this King and His Kingdom

It is self-evident that our world is in need. Th ere are shortages of a variety of material goods. Th ere are great defi ciencies and inequities in justice and freedom. And in many areas of the world, peace is in painfully short supply. But ironically, singer Jackie DeShannon may have settled on one of the greatest global needs in her 1965 top-ten hit, “What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love.” While it may be that her song didn’t necessarily focus on the TRUE SOURCE of love, the stated concept in the refrain is actually correct. And 1900 years before DeShannon’s hit, the Apostle John wrote with clear conviction that, “God is love” (1 John 4:16). Truly, the world’s greatest need is God HIMSELF, and His life-changing love.

Th e world’s problems all trace themselves back to the garden of Eden. We sinned, and darkness entered. it wasn’t long before the selfi shness of man plumbed the depths of depravity as Cain killed his brother Abel out of pure jealousy. And It seems that sinful darkness has no fi nal threshold; it unswervingly fi nds new and deeper pockets of evil. But God had a plan from the beginning, an antidote to this deepening darkness. And it is a painfully simple plan in concept, although a deeply expensive one for the Trinity in light of the cross. God’s plan for an abundant and rich life is centered in living life HIS WAY, being like Him. Th rough Moses, God gave the nation of Israel instructions for life and worship that were intended to guide them into Godliness. But His ways are so diff erent from ours. Hannah, Samuel’s mother, prayed, “Th ere is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you ...” (1 Samuel 2:2a).

So how do we know what God is like? What is our template? Our model?

Th e writer of Hebrews answers the question this way: “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. Th e Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being …” (Hebrews 1:1-3a).

Th e powerful truth is this: Jesus came into our world to show us the Father!

Every movement of Christ was an object lesson. Every activity was a 3-D demonstration of what God is like. And that may have been suffi cient, but God did not want to leave us to scratch our heads and wonder if we understood. No indeed, Jesus painstakingly taught about this King and the principles of His kingdom. Over and over and over, He carefully described this amazing King, and how

Knowing This King and His Kingdom by Rev. Max Edwards

life works best under His rule. Jesus often chose comparative stories, or parables to convey kingdom principles:

“Th e disciples came to him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’ He replied, ‘Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you …’” (Matthew 13:10-11).

But He was not just teaching concepts about a place. He was describing a person:

“Th erefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king …” (Matthew 18:23). “Th e kingdom of heaven is like a king …” (Matthew 22:2a). “Th e Kingdom of Heaven is Like . . .” Seven times in Matthew 13 alone, Jesus used this phrase! Seven times.

Verse 24 “Th e kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his fi eld.” Verse 31:“Th e kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.” Verse 33: “Th e kingdom of heaven is like yeast.” Verse 44: “Th e kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a fi eld.” Verse 45: “Th e kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fi ne pearls.” Verse 47: “Th e kingdom of heaven is like a net

that was let down into the lake …” Verse 52: “Th e kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” From these simple allegories and parables, we learn that our King is patient, willing to calmly wait for a fi nal harvest. His infl uence starts small, but grows very, very large. His truths spread infectiously from person to person. His lifestyle is an amazing treasure that is worth everything else we might trade for it. He off ers us one very precious pearl that is beyond compare. His kingdom is broad and diverse in its citizenry, with beautiful variety, but unifying goodness. And knowing HIM is like being a collector of prized treasures, never growing tired of learning. His family is constantly expanding, and his friends fi nd themselves treasuring the old while all the while being teachable and humble, looking for new insights that confi rm and deepen our understanding of God’s ways.

Some wonderful authors explore these and other kingdom concepts in this issue. God very much wants us to know what He is like. Enjoy every word, and don’t EVER stop learning.

Rev. Max Edwards the International General Superintendent of the Evangelical Methodist Church.