Paradox (paradox /păr′ə-dŏks): noun; a situation or statement that seems impossible or is difficult to understand because it contains two opposite facts or characteristics. (Cambridge Dictionary)
In my journey to understand life within the context of the Kingdom of God, I have learned to become accustomed to its paradoxical nature. That is not to say that I am comfortable with it; I am just accustomed to it—less surprised by it and, to some degree, expectant to see it.
Consider how the Kingdom of God is described in the most general terms. The New Testament describes it as both yet to come and already present or in our midst. Like many paradoxes, these seemingly contradictory natures are true simultaneously.
The Coming Kingdom
In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus taught His disciples to pray. In the first three petitions related to God’s glory, we read: “Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.“
This part of the prayer reveals much about the Kingdom of God. We can approach God, the eternal King, as our “Father,” who is in heaven. However, His name is to be “hallowed” (revered). He adopts us into His family as His children, but we should not become so familiar that we lose sight of His preeminence and majesty.
The petition, “Your kingdom come,” refers to the future manifestation of God’s rule and reign in the new heaven and earth. The petition concerning the fulfillment of God’s will on earth (“Your will be done on earth. . .”) is more like an offering of one’s life—”just as Your will is fulfilled in the heavenly realm, let it also be done here and now—in my life.”
In this prayer, the full manifestation of the Kingdom of God lies in the future, a seismic event of eternity racing toward those confined to the dimension of time. Yet, there is an aspect of the Kingdom of God’s in-breaking in this broken, dysfunctional world affected by the fall (“on earth”). As God’s will is fulfilled in the realm of perfection, it is to be done here in the imperfect.
The Kingdom Upon Us
Jesus seemed to teach that the Kingdom was “upon” his listeners (Matthew 12:28: “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you”). In calling people to repentance, Jesus also proclaimed the Kingdom of God was “at hand” (Matthew 4:17: “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”). Additionally, Jesus declared the Kingdom was “in the midst” of his listeners in Luke 17:20-21:
Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Accordingly, a tension emerges between the Kingdom as that which is coming and that which is upon us. In theological terms, the Kingdom is sometimes described as “already, but not yet,” This phrase underscores that certain aspects of God’s kingdom have been inaugurated through Jesus Christ, but their complete fulfillment has not been realized.
Although the Kingdom is out in the future and immediately manifested upon us, there is no indication in the New Testament that we can declare that the Kingdom is wholly fulfilled now for our prosperity and any miracle our hearts can conceive. In the simplest of terms, this tension means that things in the spiritual realm are ordered according to the Kingdom of God and God’s purposes and should occur in some measure now – in this world through the obedience of believers.
In John 9:1-7, we read the story about Jesus healing a man who was born blind. To the natural mind, the life of the man born blind is the textbook definition of the apparent injustice of one who suffers not because of his own act of sin. In the theology of that day, people wanted to blame his condition on someone (retribution theology). So, we read in verse 2 that the disciples ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”
However, Jesus’ response shows the limitations of the disciples’ understanding and their ability to perceive the Kingdom of God as it manifests in their present reality (ours, too, actually). In verse 3, Jesus responds, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” They missed the Kingdom agenda, even though they had already witnessed Jesus doing amazing miracles, including healing.
As believers, we too often miss the Kingdom agenda. Unlike Jesus speaking to the woman at the well in the town of Samaria in John 4, we avoid passing through our Samaria. Even if we venture that way, we certainly don’t bother conversing with someone our culture has defined as our enemy. Never mind that the woman’s life is eternally changed and that she changes her entire community due to the encounter – that is not on our list of priorities. Recognizing that the Kingdom of God is both that which is to come and that which is upon us means we seek Kingdom priorities in this present reality. His will be done on earth, just as it is in heaven. His will done in my life, just as it is in Heaven.
Given the paradoxical nature of the Kingdom of God, followers of Christ are not permitted to withdraw from life in this world, waiting for the coming of the Kingdom. Instead, while passionately waiting for the fulfillment of that which is to come, followers of Christ must seek to discern Kingdom realities properly and faithfully obey the will of God here in this world.
This will require that we do not accept what is observable with natural reason as the ultimate reality. Jesus demonstrated this in the New Testament. In John 7, when the orthodox religious majority saw an adulteress who should be punished by execution, Jesus saw a woman who needed grace and exhorted her to go and sin no more. In Matthew 9, when the spiritual leaders in the community saw corrupt tax collectors and sinners, Jesus saw spiritually sick people who needed grace and healing, so he had a meal with them to talk about the gospel of the Kingdom. In Matthew 15, when the spiritual leaders saw Jesus’ disciples failing to comply with religious regulations, Jesus explained that speech from our lips was a better indicator of our spiritual condition than our perfect performance of religious ritual.
All of this has been challenging for me as an analytical person. Paradoxes can feel chaotic, and I like both sides of the equation to be identical, every box checked, and there to be a clear, bright line between black and white. Life, in general, is not like that; it is messy and unpredictable. Life viewed through the lens of the Kingdom of God is even more unpredictable. We cannot rely on what we see with our physical eyes.
I have learned that I am not only uncomfortable with the paradoxical nature of the Kingdom of God, but I am unable to comprehend it rationally because its nature strikes my analytical mind as absurd. It is almost as if God delights in turning this world’s values and priorities upside down. The first here will be last in the Kingdom; the last in this world will be first in the Kingdom. (Matthew 20:1-16). Want to be a leader in the Kingdom? Be a servant. (Matthew 20:25-27). At the heart of it, when we read the New Testament, we learn that how we naturally think and live does not align with the order of the Kingdom.
In fact, I have concluded that when we read the Bible, if it consistently affirms what we think, believe, or how we live, then we’re reading it wrong. The Kingdom is so different from our human nature that when we finish reading Scripture, we should feel discomfort and struggle—perhaps annoyance and disagreement with what we’ve read.
I offer one example regarding an Old Testament passage that never ceases to annoy me. No matter how many times I read it, it reminds me that (1) He is God, and I am not; (2) I am utterly different from God; (3) I do not understand God; and (4) there’s so much work He needs to do in my life. The story is about King Ahab in 1 Kings 21:25-29. Ahab is one of the most corrupt kings in Israel; he sold “himself to evil” (v. 25) and married an even more wicked woman, Jezebel, who influenced Israel to serve idols. This vile king allowed a righteous man to be slandered and murdered so he could add a vineyard to his real estate portfolio.
When the prophet Elijah arrives to pronounce judgment on Ahab for his despicable behavior, Ahab becomes despondent and adopts a repentant posture. To what must have been Elijah’s surprise, God asks, “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s days.”
When I read that verse, I think, “Surely, God is not fooled by this fraud.” Ahab’s deplorable character is revealed in the next chapter through his hatred toward the prophet Micaiah (v. 8). Ahab does not deserve grace, certainly not admiration. What could God possibly see in this unredeemable man? As frustrating as God’s grace toward Ahab is to me, I realize God perceives what I do not see. Like the grumblers in the parable of the vineyard workers from Matthew 20:1-16, I resent God’s generosity and grace toward those who don’t deserve it. Like most Christians, I too often identify with the heroes of the Bible or the innocent victims in biblical texts. More often, I should be identifying with the villains – the unbelievers, the Pharisees, the troublemakers.
Getting accustomed to the Kingdom’s paradoxical nature doesn’t mean I am comfortable with it. On the contrary, it means that in contrast to my natural instincts, in nearly every situation, I must strive to view life through a Kingdom worldview, seeking the King’s priorities and understanding what is required of me to act according to the King’s will. It is often quite an uncomfortable place.
Thy Kingdom Come 
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