"The disciples of Jesus said to him: 'When will the Kingdom come?' Jesus said: 'It will not come if you look for it. Nor can you say, it is here or it is there. For the Kingdom of God is already spread out over the earth, but people don't see it.'"

It has been said that Jesus preached the Kingdom, not himself. (Copied) That is clearly so if we look at the focus of the Gospels. "There are some traditional understandings of the Kingdom that do not do justice to it, according to the New Interpreter's Bible." First, it cannot simply be identified with the church any more than it was contained by Israel. It is there for all who believe and has no boundaries. Second, it cannot be identified by social programs – though it might be present in 'liberation' programs outside the church, they are not to be identified with the Kingdom. It is in error to talk about 'spreading,' 'building,' or 'establishing' God's reign. It is already present…we cannot make it happen. Finally, it is not a subjective experience of the 'heart.' The Kingdom is the sovereign activity of God in the world and history, and it is never located in the heart." (NIB, Vol. VIII, p. 293)

Since it is a noun of action, describing God's activity in the world and throughout the entire panoply of history, it cannot be contained by one group, one understanding or the few who think they have the only way.

Many years ago I told you of losing the pearl from my ring. I finally, after futile searching, replaced it. The following spring as the snow melted I found it in a crack in my driveway. It had been there all along. This is much like the party game where twenty-five objects are hidden in plain view and one must find them. The Kingdom is like that…all around us but hidden in plain view.

Matthew's Gospel describes it in the ordinary human experiences of the people of his time: a mustard seed, yeast, treasure, pearl and a net. Further, he never says that the Kingdom 'is' but, rather, the Kingdom 'is like.'

It is like a mustard seed, a tiny black speck (not like the seeds we use for seasoning) which becomes a great bush. It grows in secret, underground. It is mystery and does not need our help or cooperation. In the past and in the present this can be misunderstood. The zealots killed those they thought were enemies of God. The Pharisees believed that an intricate law was necessary. However, growth cannot be forced and calls for patience and confidence. The Kingdom is mystery.

It is like leaven that a woman hid in three measures of flour. Three measures equal sixteen five pound bags of flour and would produce one hundred and one pounds of dough. In this case, the woman is God and the flour and subsequent dough the world. Like the world it is huge and hard to handle. Once incorporated the leaven cannot be separated out for it permeates the whole. Hence, the Kingdom is worldwide and already present since creation. It is inseparable from Jesus Christ who, as the Gospel of John tells us in the first chapter, was pre-existent before creation. Jesus leavens the world through his death and resurrection, through the water and blood. The Kingdom of God has been ever present and encompasses the whole world. It broke forth in Jesus, and, even today, struggles to come in all of its fullness. It is hard to recognize, much as a fish swimming does not know water.

The Kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man finds it, hides it, sells all that he has and buys the field. Again, it is hidden, mysterious and has unsurpassed value in and of itself. It is worth all that one has, and begs the issue of priorities and decisions as to what has value. The Kingdom is unsought, unexpected and calls for risking everything. It is pure gift beyond anything the world has to offer.

The pearl image differs from the treasure that is found unexpectedly. In the parable of the pearl, the seeker is each of us, seeking God, seeking the Kingdom and giving up everything.

Finally, the Kingdom is like a net, catching fish of every kind. All are gathered in without respect to differences. Scholars contend that the separating at the end of the passage was an Early Church add-on. Jesus didn't separate people but was there for everyone. Christ's death and resurrection redeemed all people. Any judgment will be reserved for God at the end time. Jesus was radically inclusive. He found lost sheep, coins, and the prodigal. Jesus ate with sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors and lepers. No one was excluded from his loving embrace.

The Kingdom of God is for all people, not a chosen few.