Scripture: Luke 17:20-21
Pharisees asked Jesus when God’s kingdom was coming. He replied, “God’s kingdom isn’t coming with signs that are easily noticed. Nor will people say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ Don’t you see? God’s kingdom is already among you.”
Thought for the Day: There are so many passages of scripture that a person might claim as important for defining and understanding the central message of Jesus. Many of us would turn to the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus’ command to love God and love neighbor, the crucifixion or maybe John 3:16. In my opinion, each of these is very revealing. But these words from Luke’s Gospel are not on many people’s list of essential scriptures. Yet maybe they should be. We need to let these words soak in and challenge our understanding of where and when the Kingdom of God is to be experienced. Christianity has, in many places, become very other-worldly. Jesus’ ministry – his life, death and resurrection – it was all about redeeming and reclaiming this world. The kingdom of God is found wherever love is made real, wherever God’s relentless and reckless love is being shared. Now I believe, as Paul teaches, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God, including death. So even in death, I am unable to be divorced from that love. So in death, I will know God’s love fully and thus know God’s kingdom. With that said, we are not to wait for death to be our introduction to the kingdom of God. It happens now, assuming we receive and unleash this unconditional love upon the world.
Prayer: Let it be now! Let it be with me! Let it be so! Your kingdom, Loving God, is already among us. It is here in simple acts of love, mercy and kindness. Let Jesus be our mentor and model in the work of Kingdom revelation. Amen.
