The Bible Is for You: 5 Days in the New TestamentНамуна

The Gospel of Matthew

A lot of things haven’t gone like I wanted them to. I think I meant to stay slimmer, 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, and 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.

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? 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.

The kingdom of God is the theme of Matthew’s Gospel, which sits at the hinge point between the Old and New Testaments. The Prophets had told of this coming kingdom, and now here it was in the flesh—in the person of Jesus. The Son of God announced it Himself, declaring, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17).

So, what is the nature of God’s kingdom? Scripture gives us a beautifully rich, wide range of descriptions. His kingdom 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 (Isaiah 61:2–3). He will replace shame with a double portion of blessing (Isaiah 61:7). It is all of this and more—and we are invited in (Matthew 5:3).

The kingdom of God is personal and offers profound relief from all the heartbreak of living in a fallen world. Jesus entered our suffering and took it on Himself so that this kingdom could be fully known and suffering would one day be no more. 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 God will make all things right.

This promise of healing for our deepest wounds and most agonizing heartbreaks is the hope the world is longing for. Our most awful pain will be fully healed in the kingdom of heaven. And this is not just a future hope—the kingdom is here! In the person of Jesus, the kingdom of God came to us, and it will come in full at His return. Jesus has brought—and will bring!—true comfort, blessing, and hope. He brings good news to the poor, He heals the brokenhearted, He brings liberty to captives, and He comforts all who mourn (Isaiah 61:1–2). Thanks be to our God for the utter goodness of His kingdom.