When our kids were little, sometimes I would issue the decree: “Clean up your rooms!” Seemed pretty clear to me, but this somehow could kick off various random interpretations of what I really said, like:

1. What does Dad mean exactly? I have no idea what he expects.
2. I already picked up my clothes. Probably that’s what he meant.
3. He was just talking to my siblings. I take care of my own room.

So, it means nothing, it means anything or it’s just not relevant to me. It doesn’t really matter which one—because if the message isn’t clear, I don’t have to do what Dad says.

The core message of Jesus is to proclaim the Kingdom of God.

• “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God… because that is why I was sent.” – Luke 4:43
• Proclaim this message: “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” – Mk 10:7
• He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God – Lk 9:2
• Tell them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” – Lk 10:9
• This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world – Mt 24:14

I checked Wikipedia to see how people describe the Kingdom of God and found three pages echoing the same confusion: it means nothing, it means anything, or it’s not relevant.

1. Kingship and the kingdom of God “Jesus speaks frequently of God’s kingdom. However within the New Testament, nowhere does Jesus appear to clearly define the concept.”
2. Kingdom of God (Christianity) “has been used to mean Christian lifestyle, a method of world evangelization, the rediscovery of charismatic gifts and many other things. Others relate it not to our present or future earthly situation but to the world to come.”
3. Kingdom theology “distinguishes between the current world ruled by Satan, the one we live in, and the world ruled by God, his kingdom.”

How can “we” (the authors of Wikipedia, the historical Christian community, or even the outside world) be so confused about the main point? I can understand how people might not agree with the message, but how can we collectively not even know what it is? What happened?

I think we recognize this story, from long before my kids suddenly didn’t know what it meant to clean up. Ever since God started speaking, the enemy has been sowing confusion—and we keep falling into the same trap.

• Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say…?“ – Gen 3:1