Not The Gift We Expected
And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables.” Mark 4:11
Has Been Given – Have you been given the mystery of the kingdom? If you are called as one of His brothers or sisters (the ones who do the will of the Father), then you have certainly received this gift. But what exactly is the mystery of the kingdom? What is this gift that has been given to you? If we look closely at the verb for “give,” we discover an important clue. It might not be what you think it is.
Mark uses the verb didomi. It has several important meanings. The nuances are determined by the context. Translating it as “give” without the nuance leaves us thinking whatever we wish about this action. That is disastrous, particularly when it comes to thinking about the kingdom. Not all gifts are the same.
The general meaning of didomi is “to bestow, to give.” This meaning is found in verses like Matthew 4:9 where the context shows us that what is being transferred from one person to another is property and power (Satan offers to give Jesus tangible gifts). But there is another version of giving that is present in Jesus’ gift to His disciples. In this context, nothing tangible passes from one person to another. What occurs is the passing of a charge or commitment. Here “to give” means putting the responsibility in the hands of someone else. With this nuance, didomi becomes the verb for delivering over, presenting or rendering to another. It is passing the torch of obligation.
Do you see the difference? If you do, then you will be able to easily answer this question: Is the kingdom of God a place, a possession or a property that I can possess or own? Of course not! The kingdom of God is the rule and reign of the Father in the hearts of His children. There is no deed of ownership here. This kingdom is a kingdom of relationship. That’s what makes it so mysterious. It is not at all what men expect. So, when Jesus says that we have been given the mystery of the kingdom, did you think that He meant we take possession of God’s treasury? Did you think that He was talking about houses, cars, churches, bank accounts, ministries or businesses? There is no mystery in that version of give. What Jesus puts into the hands of His disciples is the incredible understanding of God’s not-of-this-world kingdom, a kingdom that operates anywhere men and women do the Father’s will. We have been committed to taking care of this. We have been given charge of this. Jesus has delivered over to us the nurturing, expansion and proclamation of “thy will be done on earth.”
Here’s the bottom line. You don’t own it! There is nothing here to own. If you thought that somehow you became the possessor of the cattle on a thousand hills, you made a mistake. What you have been given is a holy and sacred commitment – to bring God’s rule and reign into a rebellious world. You have been privileged to see the mysterious truth. Those outside will have to learn it the hard way.
