The Kingdom of God

ByJim Stephens

Scripture: Luke 17:20-37

20 One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. 21 You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.” 22 Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it. 23 People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes. (Luke 17:20-24 NLT)

When the Pharisees asked when the kingdom will come, Jesus replied that it is not coming with “visible signs to be observed”. It’s normal for us to want to know the answers to the “when, where, how, and why” questions and we tend to put way too much energy and time into trying to figure out how end-time prophecies will be fulfilled and whether the “true believers” will be snatched away in secret at some point.

Jesus said you won’t find the Kingdom of God “over here” or “over there”, because it’s already among you! Verse 21 above is shown in my New Living Translation both as “The Kingdom of God is within you” and “The Kingdom of God is among you”. I think both of those thoughts are legitimate and important.

The Kingdom of God is Within You: The Kingdom of God isn’t geographical or political. The Kingdom of God is in your heart and in my heart and every time we yield our self-will to the will of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God is expressed.

The Kingdom of God is Among You: The Kingdom of God finds expression when two or more Christ-followers join together in faith and love to begin to form community in Christ. Whether two people or many, the community of Christ-followers who live in love and mutual submission and welcome others into the caring family of faith becomes a “Kingdom Outpost” in any time or place.

Prayer:

Father, May your kingdom come and your will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. May I yield the kingdom of my heart to your kingship, not because I should, or from fear of punishment, but because my heart is changing to be like yours. May my eyes see others as your eyes see them. May I see Jesus in my brothers and sisters. May we see Jesus in the poor, the sick, the disadvantaged, the homeless, the stranger, and the prisoner. May we stretch out helping hands from our hearts of compassion. For your Kingdom’s Sake. Amen.