'kingdom' Tagged Posts
Kingdom Banquet No Shows
Parable of the Great Banquet Luke 14:15-24. One of the dinner guests jumped to bless those who would share in the kingdom banquet. He surely assumes that he will be among those so blessed. But Jesus cautions the dinner guests about such optimism, while also correcting their misunderstanding of the kingdom itself. The Kingdom is Now The man pronounced a benediction on those who will feast in the kingdom. But Jesus’ parable describes a banquet that is ready. In fact,…
Our Representatives: 1st & 2nd Adams
Representative Are we sinners because we sin, or do we sin because we are sinners? We sin because we are sinners. As the old rhyme has it, “In Adam’s fall, we sinned all.” Or, as Paul puts it, “sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Rom. 5:12) And, lest you conclude that “because all sinned” refers to the sins we’ve all committed, Paul continues, “many…
Mustard Seed and Leaven
Jesus compares the coming of the kingdom to the growing of a mustard seed, and to leaven. The image is a simple one, showing that the kingdom grows, and that it’s growth is pervasive. Simple but Surprising But while that image is simple, it is still surprising. Comparing kingdoms to trees was not new. Neither was the detail about birds nesting in the branches (Ezek 31:3-6). And the promised kingdom of God is cast in similar terms (Ezek 17:23). But…