Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

 

Luke 17 explains that the “kingdom of God” is within man and therefore cannot be observed with the outward eyes of observation because it is a place where God rules from the inside and has set up dominion or control “within” man. The definition of a “kingdom” is specifically “a county, state, or territory that is ruled by a king or queen”. So, the territory (kingdom) that is ruled by God is on the inside of man, not the outside.

 

Matt 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth [it] not, then cometh the wicked [one], and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

 

Someone can hear the word (this message) about the kingdom and still not completely understand.

 

Luke 8:11, 15 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. ... But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep [it], and bring forth fruit with patience.

 

The parable of the seed represents a word or message that needs to be understood for it to take hold. And it says in Mathew 13 and Luke 8 above that the “word” (i.e. seed) is sown in the “territory” of the heart of man where the seed grows with a fertilizer that is called patience.

 

Matt 13:36-40 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked [one]; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

 

The parable of the tares is also an inside job because the seed that is sown is placed within man’s heart. And it says the children of the kingdom are the good seeds, where seeds are the “words” [of the mind]. The tares represent the bad seeds which are negative thoughts (i.e. “wicked” ones). The field that is the world represents the field of the mind where the good and bad seeds are sown and grow and sorted through.

 

The kingdom of God is a territory within man where the good God can set up rule and authority and therefore control every thought so that every tare (i.e. negative, destructive, hateful, envious, fearful, prideful, judgmental thought) is destroyed. The “end of the world” represents the end of the tares where only good thoughts reside in a person.

What rules your mind?