Bp Miller’s Musings: July 22, 2026

Many people understand the Great Commission— “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, …”—as a command to christianize the world. This one verse at the conclusion of Matthew’s gospel, coupled with imperial ambitions of “Christian” nations has led to great abuses, including the 15th century Doctrine of Discovery, by which the church gave Christian European nations the right to claim, colonize, and govern any newly “discovered” lands and the non-Christian people who inhabited them. This doctrine undergirded the colonization of the American continents, pushing out or subjugating indigenous inhabitants and forcibly converting many to Christianity.

The current spread of Christian nationalism is an inheritance from the medieval doctrine, linking the gospel mission with aspirations for political power. Many church leaders have spoken out against this ideology, even going so far as to call it a heresy.

The parables Jesus tells in Matthew 13 (31-33, 44-52) give us a much different picture of the kingdom of heaven than that of Christian nationalism or the Doctrine of Discovery. A small seed becomes a large plant; a small amount of yeast in a batch of flour causes the whole loaf to rise. These parables show us that the kingdom’s power is not in ruling over many but as a small presence creating changes from within.

In a similar way, the parables of the treasure in a field and the pearl of great value note that the kingdom does not appear overtly with power and awe, but it is found, sometimes by accident, in small things. These parables also seem to indicate that not just anyone will recognize the kingdom when they find it. This may be because God’s power is made manifest in weakness and God’s wisdom in foolishness. After all, who would sell everything form one little pearl, even one of great value?

Mark Allen Powell, in his commentary on Matthew (Interpretation Bible Commentary, 2023), notes that this Gospel locates the kingdom primarily in the powerless who seek love, justice, mercy, and faithfulness (p. 322) rather than in religious and political powers. Those who wish to be included in the kingdom of heaven must identify with those who have the least power: the meek, the poor in spirit, those who hunger and thirst for justice. The most vulnerable and powerless among us are those we are told to emulate (“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Mt 18:3).

Scripture is filled with promises that God will undo the arrogant and raise up the humble. Whenever we find ourselves falling into the lure of power we should fear for our souls, for God will cast the mighty from their thrones. Our hope, however, is that in doing so, God will teach us humility so that we too will finally enter the kingdom of heaven.