Scripture: Luke 17:20-21
Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”
Thought for the Day: Apocalyptic literature, hopeful words spoken amidst crisis, stretches back some 200 years before Jesus. As the Holy Land became occupied by foreign troops, Apocalyptic writings began to emerge as a source of hope. These texts attempted to interpret recent history through colorful metaphors, and then they concluded by pronouncing God’s intention in the near future. The final hope frequently offered in these texts was an angelic army who would defeat the enemies of God’s people. Whether it be Daniel in the Old Testament or Revelation in the New Testament, these texts were never intended to present a map of our current – 21st century – situation. They were written for a very specific moment in time, and Jesus appears to be aware of such texts and their expectations. To those beliefs, Jesus responds with a radical reversal of traditional Apocalyptic literature. He places the transformational events, not at some point in the future, but in the now. The kingdom of God is found within every generation, and using Jesus as the example, it is each generation’s job to make real for the world this new kingdom. We are the agents of God, and it is the ways of grace, mercy and forgiveness that will reveal what already exists…yet remains hidden to so many.
Prayer: Lord, I will accept the responsibility of participating in your Kingdom disclosure, not on some future day that others are attempting to determine, but right now. Amen.
