The Nature of the Kingdom
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Isaiah 9:2-7, Isaiah 61:1-11, Matthew 4:12-25, Luke 4:16-21, Romans 14:13-19
BY Rebecca Faires
God’s kingdom is characterized by service, humility, justice, righteousness, joy, and peace.
A lot of things haven’t gone like I wanted them to. I think I meant to stay skinnier, make more money, and be a world-famous flautist by now. As I was growing up, the world was constantly telling me to stand up for myself, get what was mine, hurt who I needed to hurt in order to make myself feel good. And man, it’s tempting to shake your flute at people and demand your own way. You may not have a flute to wield, but you get the idea. Sometimes, I just want to give a giant tuba toot when someone tells me I can’t get my security deposit back because of what may or may not have happened to a lamp that was ugly in the first place.
We want to organize our lives according to the kingdom of the world—a world where we demand what we think is owed to us and where the highest good is money and power. But what if the kingdom of the world is passing away? And what if the only lasting kingdom is God’s upside-down economy? Then everything the world holds dear is dust and ashes and we must look to His kingdom for our hope.
What is the nature of the kingdom of heaven? Scripture gives us a surprisingly rich and wide range of descriptions of God’s kingdom. It is vast, and its prosperity will never end; the zeal of the Lord will accomplish it (Isaiah 9:7). His kingdom brings freedom to captives and healing to the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1). It is a comfort and provision to all who mourn (vv.2–3). He will replace shame with a double portion of blessing (v.7). Even now, His kingdom is near and calls for our repentance (Matthew 4:17).
Each of these descriptions could bear deeper study, but one of my favorites is His promise of healing for the brokenhearted. The kingdom of God is personal and offers profound relief from all the heartbreak of living. Sure, there was a time when I was honestly heartbroken about my flute-related failures, yet there is hope and healing in the kingdom of heaven for even these disappointments. I can put my angry tuba away and stop fighting for myself because He will make all things right.
This promise of healing for our deepest, most degrading, and agonizing heartbreaks is the hope the world is longing for. Our most awful pain will be fully healed in the kingdom of heaven. The world is hurting and longing for this truth. We must remember that God loves us and invites us to repent and believe. His kingdom is near, and it is vast, bringing comfort, blessing, and hope. He brings good news to the poor, heals the brokenhearted, brings liberty to captives, and comforts all who mourn (Isaiah 61:1–2). Thanks be to our God and the utter goodness of His kingdom.
85 thoughts on "The Nature of the Kingdom"
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The reminder that the things of this world are passing away really hit me and what is valuable in God’s kingdom looks very different than what I get distracted by in the world. I’m grateful for Christ and his direction in my life as I find confidence and strength in all he has claimed to be.
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Tthank You Jesus
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When I was new to going to church and actually hearing Scripture, Isaiah 61stood out to me! How amazing is His Word. Can you imagine hearing Jesus read that and Him saying that this Scripture is fulfilled?
In agreement with the prayer requests. Also, praying for the discouraged and weary today. May God fill you and all of us with hope and strength. ( I believe it was Marvi and Lucy.) I get this, because I can feel this way too. I’m encouraged by the Scripture that KimN shared: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10
We are here for a purpose! Praying for joy and encouragement for all!
Also, Catie, in agreement with you. May we be set free from the prisons we put ourselves in or have been put in. I heard a pastor’s wife give this illustration. She actually brought in a cage that she put herself in. The door was open. She said what if a king’s daughter was in the prison, wouldn’t he do everything to get her out? She said we are daughters of the King of kings, and we stay in the prison. The door is open, but we don’t walk out. I know I have been tormented for years. I have been told I know His Word, but not Him. The ladies talked about people seeing Jesus do the miracles but not being changed on the podcast.( I think that’s how they were describing this. I’m thinking they were saying they wanted the miracles , but did not want to know Jesus or want Jesus.) I want to know the Word and be changed, and I want to actually know Him. I pray this for all of us that need this Amen! -
Thank you Sharon
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❤️
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Praying for your nephew, brother, and sister in law!!!
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Heidi… that really spoke to me… is what I do and buy, etc., Kingdom lasting or dust and ashes? Wow.
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Today marks two years since I miscarried my first child. It was one of the deepest periods of mourning in my life. The loss of my mother last year was just as hard. It’s so wonderful to know that we belong to a kingdom with no more mourning and more blessings than we can imagine. It’s more than we deserve, but God gave us his son and watched him die for us. That’s a love that’s beyond comprehension.
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