The Kingdom of God in Matthean Parables

There is no single correct answer to the question, what is the Kingdom of the Heavens according to the parables of Matthew? The parables of the Kingdom are open-ended and no single interpretation will exhaust their meaning. They are poetic rather than narrative; symbolic and figurative rather than literal; and tend to inspire rather than provide a systematic explanation of faith. Matthew was more of a creative theologian than a technical engineer. It is, however, possible to come near to an answer. The conceptual metaphors of the Kingdom outline the framework of Matthew’s understanding. Hence the parables convey three paradigms. They are concerned with telling a story about the Kingdom’s progress in time and its closeness, its ultimate fulfilment which will bring a final assessment of each person’s righteousness, and the call for radical commitment which will culminate in an enormous gain. The call to commitment is multi-faceted. The Kingdom calls for forgiveness, merciful justice, acceptance of its demands (living righteously) and readiness to fulfil them. This quadruple call is its core message.