The kingdom of heaven as a theme in Jesus' parables in the gospel of Matthew

Abstract

The aim of this work will be to deal with the theme of Jesus' parables found in the Gospel of Matthew. In doing so, we will specifically focus on those parables which deal with the theme of the Kingdom of God. We will show that while Jesus never defines the term 'Kingdom of God' nevertheless he uses metaphorical language to explain this important notion in his teaching. We will illustrate how Jesus' parables which deal with the theme of the Kingdom are divided into two main categories: those which speak about the present aspect and those which deal with the future aspect of the Kingdom of God. By pursuing this work we may hope to arrive at a notion which shall be helpful in enabling us to judge of the place and value of this doctrine.