What is the Kingdom of God like
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Mark 4
Matthew 13
Kingdom, Grace, Judgment (Capon, 2002)
Book 1, Chapter 8: The Weeds
Book 1, Chapter 9: The Mustard Seed and the Leaven
Book 1, Chapter 10: The Interpretation of the Weeds
Stories with Intent (Snodgrass, 2018)
Wheat and Weeds
The Mustard Seed
The Leaven
In the mustard seed, wheat and weeds, and leaven parables, we have different but similar depictions as to what the Kingdom of God is like. In four to five paragraphs, describe your understanding of the Kingdom of God in light of these parables and the associated reading.
What is the Kingdom of God like? Be sure to reference each parable and engage with each of its details (for example, what is the dichotomy between the wheat and the weeds? Why are the weeds left alone?).
Is the idea of a “Kingdom of God” as portrayed in these parables at all a relevant concept for today? If so, how?
If not, was it ever, and how was it relevant?
Support your statements with evidence from the Required Studies and your research.
This is the information for this weeks reading and assignments
INTRODUCTION
Parables of the Kingdom
While there are many ways to classify Jesus’ parables (as you will have seen in Snodgrass, 2008), Capon’s (2002) simple division into three basic types seems most useful. Those three types are Parables of the Kingdom, of Grace, and of Judgment. We will be taking each of these types in turn as a way to organize the variegated parables of Jesus.
Parables of the Kingdom, the topic for this week, are those parables that focus on the nature of the “Kingdom of God.” The Kingdom of God is a concept that gets remarkably little play in many people’s understandings of the message of Jesus. When it is discussed, it is frequently treated as a cypher for an earthly kingdom of power, whether that is understood as a kingdom or state that is in submission to God as those on the so-called “religious right” portray it or as some type of utopian society on the progressive side. These two extremes do not map well upon Jesus’ own idea of the kingdom, and his parables are one good way to gain insight into his purposes.
Rather than something brazen and obvious, the Kingdom of God appears to be something hidden yet exerts great influence for Jesus. Even more, the very fact that parables are used to describe it seems to demonstrate precisely this hidden character. The Parable of the Sower is a prime example of this as is its shocking middle piece where Jesus describes the purpose of parables as to conceal rather than to reveal, “lest they should turn and be forgiven” (Mark 4:12b, citing Isaiah 6:10). This problematizes the entire concept of parables and of Jesus’ own intentions for his earthly ministry. It makes the question of “What type of kingdom is this?” even more urgent.
The urgency of answering this question is even further exacerbated when one realizes that Jesus’ Gospel message in Mark is introduced early on as the proclamation that “the time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is near.” Perceiving this kingdom, its character, and its effects are all topics at play in the parables of the mustard seed, the wheat and weeds, and the leaven.
This week’s assignments will challenge you to answer these questions, to determine what it is that Jesus has in mind regarding the Kingdom of God and how his enigmatic parables proclaim it. Or do they?
Reference
Capon, R. F. (2002). Kingdom, grace, judgment: Paradox, outrage, and vindication in the parables of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing.
WEEKLY OBJECTIVES
Through participation in the following activities, the candidate will:
Explain how to work with the rich diversity within approaches to sacred text.
Kingdom of God
Teaching the Parables
Apply critical skills to reading texts sacred to religious communities.
Seeing but not Perceiving
Kingdom of God
Teaching the Parables
Explain how to read material which is deeply embedded in a narrative tradition.
Seeing but not Perceiving
Kingdom of God
Teaching the Parables
REQUIRED STUDIES
The following materials are required studies for this week. Complete these studies at the beginning of the week and save these weekly materials for future use.
Kingdom, Grace, Judgment (Capon, 2002)
Book 1, Chapter 4:The Ministry before the Parables
Book 1, Chapter 5: The Sower: The Watershed of the Parables
Book 1, Chapter 6: The Sower, Continued
Book 1, Chapter 8: The Weeds
Book 1, Chapter 9: The Mustard Seed and the Leaven
Book 1, Chapter 10: The Interpretation of the Weeds
Stories with Intent (Snodgrass, 2018)
The Parable of the Sower and the Purpose of Parables
Wheat and Weeds
The Mustard Seed
The Leaven
The new Oxford annotated bible: New revised standard version with the apocrypha (Brettler, Newsom & Perkins, 2018)
Read
Mark 4
Matthew 13
Sowing Promises: Truth in Parable Form (Juel, 1994) [PDF]
Answer preview to what is the Kingdom of God like
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