Reflection: The Kingdom of God on Earth and in Heaven

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us how to pray the "Our Father," which includes the petition, "Thy kingdom come." "Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." .Jesus references the first heir to the Davidic Kingdom – Solomon – several times, including Matthew 6:29, and 6:33, when he urges people to seek the kingdom above all else and trust that in this kingdom, God will provide for their needs even more than he provided for Solomon’s.

Jesus’ wisdom was greater than Solomon’s, but he still used many of the same methods of passing on that wisdom; Both taught through parables. In Matthew 13, Jesus teaches about the kingdom through seven parables, including: The Parable of the Sower, the Parable of the Mustard Seed, the Parable of the Leaven, the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds, the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, and the Parable of the Dragnet. Through these parables, Jesus teaches that while there is nothing more valuable or important than the kingdom, this kingdom is not always immediately seen; it is hidden in the midst of the world. Something else to note: When Jesus ascended to the Father, he didn’t simply take the kingdom with him. The kingdom is present today as it has been for the past 2,000 years, through the successors of Peter and the apostles.