Scripture: Luke 17:20-21
Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Thought for the Day: When kingdoms had been so tied to fortresses, castles, palaces and temples, it appears that Jesus is once again turning things upside down. In Christianity, we place God’s kingdom in the afterlife or the world to come; we place it in some heavenly realm beyond this one. Where people had thought of kingdoms in terms of brick and mortar, religion had taught that it existed in some faraway reality where angels lived. Yet here Jesus declares that the kingdom of God is in our midst. As I right this, I am sitting in a waiting area at a tire place, looking at FM1960. There is a Whataburger across the street and a big billboard inviting me to trade in my car. I’m looking hard, but I can’t say the kingdom of God is very visible. Maybe it’s because our tendency is to look to physical things instead of the actions of human beings. When Jesus suggested the kingdom of God was in their midst, I wonder if he was pointing at himself. Not so much the physical person, but his life, teaching and sacrificial love.
Prayer: Make my life a witness to your kingdom of grace and mercy, O Heavenly Father. Allow for your Spirit to work through me so that my life might declare that you’re in the midst of the world. Amen.
SEE YOU IN WORSHIP
THIS MORNING
