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The parable of kingdom encompasses voices
each transmitting a sound, which can range from music to some listeners
to dissonance to others—even the sound of silence. Music to the ears is
problematic, however, because many listeners are captivated merely by
reverberating music that does not get to the depth of the resounding
music transmitting the voice of God’s kingdom.
The Sounds in the Parable
What sounds good to you? This is a question that we must all
understand, because it addresses how we respond to situations and
circumstances in daily life.
The earliest group of migrants that was identified as God’s people
formed their neighborhood in the midst of other neighborhoods.
Initially, this group had distinct guidelines to distinguish its
neighborhood from all the others surrounding them. The sound from this
neighborhood reverberated to cause dissonance in the other
neighborhoods. What could have had the potential to resound from the
migrants, however, eventually became indistinguishable and even
inaudible. How so?
As the migrants settled to establish their neighborhood, changes took
place in how they lived. Even though they had nonnegotiable guidelines
for their identity as God’s people, they were exposed to the voices of
other neighborhoods; the sounds heard from others became influential to
affect whatever consonance heard in their own neighborhood. This
influenced the migrants in two key ways, which were and still are
instrumental in causing dissonance in any neighborhood of God’s people.
First, as they became exposed to the sounds of how others lived in their
neighborhoods, they became aware that others lived on their own terms.
In other words, everyone did as they saw fit or what was right in their
own eyes (cf. Dt 12:8). Despite being warned not to listen to these
sounds, this dissonance permeated their own neighborhood to the extent
that the migrants also did as they saw fit or what was right in their
own eyes (cf. Judg 21:25). Therefore, the influence from the
surrounding neighborhoods composed a different sound from the initial
consonance of God’s people. The changing sound increasingly voiced
their individual terms, and thus eventually into voices in discord.
The diversity of voices was assumed to be their right in a democratic
neighborhood; and since there was no single dominant leader in the
neighborhood to unify them, they simply existed amidst voices in
discord. This amplifying human condition was the concern of an earlier
neighborhood, which took it upon themselves to avoid and/or fix such
discord amplified in this fragmentary human condition. Hence, this
innovative neighborhood decided that the language voiced in any and all
neighborhoods should have the same sound without variable discord. So,
they constructed a systemic structure having the same frequency in order
to unify a kingdom for the world (cf. Gen 11:3-4).
In their innovative terms, they assumed that if all the voices had a
common sound, it would compose a chorus without competing
voices. In spite of their good intentions, they only amplified at best
a reverberation simulating a chorus for humanity. Well, such an
illusion from human achievement did not impress God and thus was
humbled. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop others from attempting similar
human efforts.
This raises a vital question essential for God’s people, which the
parable addresses:
Is
God’s kingdom composed by a common sound or an uncommon sound?
The 2nd major influence from the surrounding context that
shaped the neighborhood of God’s people brought a basic change to how
this neighborhood operated. Since all the other neighborhoods had an
authoritarian leader instead of a council of leaders like their unique
neighborhood, God’s people voiced a demand for a monarchy also. That
is, they voiced the dissonant tune to God to live just like all the
others. They no longer wanted to be unique or considered different,
which they assumed was having an identity of being less than the
others. So, they did not change their dissonant tune and thereby
amplified their neighborhood according to their own terms (cf. 1 Sam
8:4-5, 19-20).
Taking on the identity of others in the surrounding human context
implements the prevailing common sound of the human condition. This
explicitly or implicitly involves the process of commonization
that reflects, reinforces and sustains the human condition.
Commonization among God’s people is a critical problem amplifying
dissonant sounds, which are out of tune with the uncommon sound
of God’s voice constituting God’s people (cf. Dt 26:19). Therefore, no
matter what simulated sound that a chorus of common voices can amplify
and reverberate in an appealing frequency, such a chorus can never
resound with the harmony of uncommon voices.
A Chorus in Harmony
A gathering of voices may sing together in a neighborhood, and they may
sing a melody together to sound like a chorus to appeal to listeners.
Such listeners may even join in with the gathering to add voices to that
chorus. In terms of quantity, their addition would certainly expand the
neighborhood. The question key for the chorus, however, remains about
its qualitative nature that is essential for the identity and function
of God’s people.
Many gatherings of God’s people exist, for example, that sing a melody
together to comprise a reverberating chorus to appeal to those
gathered—not necessarily to God. Such gatherings establish their
traditions to form the identity and function of that particular
neighborhood; these traditions are typically composed by the
quantitative terms forming the chorus for their neighborhood alone. The
result has been the formation of a variety of choruses, which may or may
not have any melodic connections with other neighborhoods among God’s
people. Also, the melody of a chorus may have such a reverberating
sound so appealing that it becomes a mega-chorus.
The reality often exists, in fact, that these various choruses compete
with each other for new voices to add to one’s own neighborhood chorus.
In competition or merely in maintaining one’s own chorus, the identity
and function of God’s people have become fragmentary, because the whole
of God’s people no longer live as united together belonging to, in and
for God’s chorus in harmony. The existential reality of this
pervasive fragmentary condition
often subtly exists beneath the sound of a chorus’ melody, and thus goes
undetected by those not listening carefully and paying attention
completely.
This highlights in the parable the essential distinction between a
chorus in harmony and a chorus merely with a melody. The latter is
indicative of a chorus reduced to the sound of common voices, which is
always something less or some substitute for the chorus constituted by
the harmony of uncommon voices. This chorus in harmony must by its
qualitative nature always resound the wholeness that only God gives, in
order to be uncommon apart from the common that the surrounding contexts
of the world give. Nothing less and no substitutes ever constitute the
qualitative identity and function of God’s people, who voice their
everyday life in the harmony composed solely in the image and likeness
of the wholeness of God.
For a neighborhood to bring variant voices together for its chorus to be
in harmony takes work. This work involves less about quantity and more
so about quality—that is to say, the quality necessary to be in tune
with the voice of God. This necessitates (1) voicing our hearts in the
qualitative image of God, and (2) involving our persons in relationships
on the heart level in the relational likeness of God—not just part of
God but the whole of God.
In other words, harmony among God’s people requires the heart of each
person beyond their vocal chords to be vulnerably involved in their
relationships between them in order to be joined together in the
uncommon peace of wholeness. Uncommon peace is the only wholeness in
God’s definitive blessing enacted on God’s people (Nu 6:25) and given by
Jesus to his followers (Jn 14:27). Therefore, solely from the
irreducible foundation on this nonnegotiable basis does the
kingdom of God rise as the chorus of uncommon voices in harmony both
with God and each other. Thus, any and all neighborhoods of God’s
people should not confuse their melody with this harmony, as well as
must not substitute any reverberating melody of their chorus for the
chorus in harmony distinguished only by the wholeness of God.
How do you explain the current playlists used by many neighborhoods of
God’s people that are out of tune within the frequency for the wholeness
of God’s voice? And what is heard in the surrounding contexts of the
world from these voices?
Listening to
the Correct Frequency of God’s Voice
The parable of the kingdom sounds a chord that warns God’s people
to listen and pay attention to God’s voice in order to make clearly
audible its frequency, and thereby unmistakably distinguish God’s voice
from the voices speaking for God. The latter simulate the sound of
God’s voice, but they do not and cannot echo God’s voice in the correct
frequency. The sound from these substitute voices may have a melody
appealing to others who don’t truly listen and fully pay attention to
what’s transmitted. The consequence is that, in spite of an amplifying
chorus in those neighborhoods, the kingdom of God never rises in
their midst—only simulations or illusions of a kingdom.
Finding the correct frequency is always problematic to distinguish from
other voices speaking for God, which prevails in many neighborhoods.
Because whenever we don’t listen carefully to the quality of God’s
voice—not merely hear the quantity of words—and pay full attention to
the communication God shares in direct relationship with God’s people
(cf. Dt 30:20; Mk 4:24; Lk 8:18), then any references about God that are
heard usually speak for God rather than God speaking.
The parable makes explicit that God’s voice is always expressed, heard,
and received only in the harmonious frequency transmitted by the
qualitative and the relational. Furthermore, the parable conveys the
truth that we are accountable for the sound that comes from our voice;
and that to bear the identity as God’s people, we are accountable to
voice the correct frequency consonant with God’s.
No matter the quantity of references that can be voiced about God, even
with good intentions, or regardless of how much such voices can
reverberate on behalf of God, the melody from these voices remain out of
tune with the correct frequency of God’s voice. Consider the following
neighborhoods formed after their Master physically relocated; their
identity was rooted in him but they functioned subtly in various ways
dissonant with the harmony of his voice. The parable makes evident that
these neighborhoods were not really rooted in the Master they claimed to
follow. Sadly, the melody voiced by these neighborhoods represented the
majority of neighborhoods at that time; and it became indicative of a
majority identified with the Master ever since—variously out of tune
with the words voiced directly from his mouth.
One of these neighborhoods to consider emerged with a reverberating
melody that captivated those who heard its sound. This neighborhood
kept expanding in members and gained a wide reputation popular for being
so lively—an example of an appealing sound becoming a mega-chorus. In
spite of the excitement its melody generated, this neighborhood later
was subjected to the Master’s critique: “Wake up! You need to turn
around from your ways because I have not found them to be whole
by God’s perspective. Your melody represents in reality only a
fragmentary condition that is not in tune with the correct frequency of
the harmony communicated in God’s voice for the identity and function of
God’s neighborhood in wholeness (cf. Rev 3:1-3).
The next neighborhood to consider voiced a melody pleasing to the
surrounding context, which its affectionate faith served with goodwill.
And the quantity of their good-faith actions kept increasing as they
further engaged the surrounding context, even to the extent of
compromising their values. As a result, this neighborhood formed a
hybrid identity and function, which created dissonance in its melody
that subtly caused it to be out of tune with God’s voice. Being out of
harmony with God wasn’t apparent to them because outwardly they seemed
to be in tune. Thus, the Master urgently gave them feedback to alert
them of the truth resounding from God: “Let all my neighborhoods clearly
know and fully understand that I am the one who searches your hearts and
minds in order to deeply assess what you voice from inner out, not
merely from outer in; and on this deeply significant basis I will
respond to how you function accordingly” (cf. Rev 2:19,23).
Another neighborhood of this majority appeared to be in contrast to the
two above. They knew that the common context surrounding them was
basically contrary to their uncommon identity and function. Hence, they
became a theological voice that vigorously opposed the common context in
order to maintain their theological purity. In spite of receiving
strong pushback from that context, they rigorously persevered and
endured hardships for the Master’s name and didn’t become weary in the
ongoing battle. Nevertheless, the Master clearly declared directly to
them: “I have this critical issue to voice against you, which is
irreducible and nonnegotiable for your identity and function as my
neighborhood. You have forsaken your first love by abandoning your
ongoing intimate involvement with me in reciprocal relationship
together. Therefore, you must turn around and die to your dissonance in
our relationship, so that we will be once again in the harmony of our
relationship together in wholeness” (cf. Rev 2:1-6).
Previous to the above neighborhoods, there was news of neighborhoods
that assumed they were part of the Master’s kingdom. Why? Because they
voiced the melody of prophesying in his name, as well as driving out
demons and performing many miracles—all to the sound of his name.
However, the Master told them in a resounding voice, “I never knew you,”
and thereby dismissed them from his presence (cf. Mt 7:22-23).
Only the sound from the Master’s mouth voices the true frequency that
will constitute his neighborhoods in the harmony of covenant
relationship together. Even after he physically relocated, his voice is
always palpable for his followers to respond to. For this reason and
purpose, the Master made axiomatic for his kingdom:
Listen
closely to the quality of the Master’s voice, and pay complete attention
to his communication shared directly in relationship with you!
Therefore, do not be misinformed or misled. His words are voiced only
in relational language to communicate explicitly the nonnegotiable
relational terms irreducibly constituting his kingdom harmony.
®
Chapter 3
© 2025 T. Dave Matsuo
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