God's reign, present and awaited
In Christian understanding, the kingdom of God means God's reign in the hearts and lives of people who respond to him with faith and repentance. The expression “kingdom of heaven” carries the same meaning. Entering this kingdom involves submitting to God's rule; it concerns how people live under his authority.
Jesus connected the kingdom's arrival with his own actions: “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20). Here, his expulsion of demons is the concrete sign he gives of the kingdom's presence. [1]
Jesus' words in Luke 17:20–21 have been understood as referring to an inward kingdom, a kingdom within reach, or the kingdom present among his listeners in Jesus himself. The third reading understands “among you” as pointing to his presence, rather than locating the kingdom in the hearts of the Pharisees addressing him. A complementary Christian interpretation emphasizes the Spirit's work in people's lives and relationships, rather than a territory with geographical borders. [1]
The mustard-seed and leaven comparisons explain growth through small beginnings. In this interpretation, the mustard seed pictures the kingdom spreading from an apparently insignificant start. Leaven pictures something initially small or unnoticed steadily affecting the whole batch of dough. These images give two distinct ways to imagine the kingdom's influence: outward expansion and pervasive transformation.
The Christian expectation also looks forward to God's reign being perfected and the powers of evil overthrown. Until the kingdom and its king appear in open glory, the good news of the kingdom is to be proclaimed to all peoples and nations.
Matthew 6:10 records Jesus teaching his followers to pray for God's kingdom to come. Within Christian discipleship, that prayer expresses an ongoing expectation of its coming, while sharing the good news remains part of his followers' calling. [2]
