A challenge to any of us who think they have it all figured out
By Dean Collins
Next time you think you have it figured out, you might want to remember what Jesus said in Luke 17. The Pharisees had some strong opinions about God, his Messiah, and the coming kingdom of God. They were very well educated in the Old Testament law and in the prophets. Based on their interpretation of the Old Testament Scriptures, they were confident that when the Messiah came he would end Roman oppression and that they would have a significant role in God’s kingdom.
Jesus was a problem for the Pharisees because the things he said simply did not fit in the box of their understanding. The descriptions of the kingdom of God that came from Jesus did not line up with their preconceived understanding. Toward the end of Jesus’ ministry, he was specifically asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come. Here is his answer:
“The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
Getting it wrong
Hopefully, every day you are reading Scripture just as I am. As we read, we certainly want to do our best to interpret the Scriptures as accurately as we can. We do that by reading passages in the context of the broader narrative of a chapter, a book, and the whole Bible. We also look at the texts through the lenses of historical and geographical context when the Scripture was written. The more you read the Bible, the more you begin to notice and understand these things. Of course, there are many resources such as commentaries, theology books, Bible-study guides, and online tools that help us.
Even as we work to interpret Scripture accurately, we must resist the temptation to think we have it or the Spirit who inspired it figured out. The Pharisees were pretty sure they had God’s words figured out. And they were wrong.
Wherever he reigns
When Jesus said the kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, that would have been something hard for those listening to imagine. Jesus pushed on the listeners’ understanding even more when he said we wouldn’t be able to point to a place or system and say, “Look, here it is! Or There it is.” What he said was that the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. Jesus was physically standing in the middle of many when he spoke these words.
The kingdom of God, then, is wherever God is reigning. When we declare Jesus as our Lord we are saying that we submit to his authority in our lives. As we give Jesus full access to heart, soul, and mind, then our behavior, our thoughts, and our stuff are all available to him to use to spread his kingdom through us. And the more each of us surrenders our ground to Jesus, the more his kingdom spreads.
When Jesus returns in glory, he will renew and restore all things. His kingdom will be everywhere. Until then we must resist trying to build our own little kingdoms as if we have it all figured out. The more we surrender our lives to King Jesus, the more quickly his kingdom advances. Instead of making sure current culture behaves the way we think it should, our goal should be to allow God to work in us so our behavior and attitude aligns with what Jesus said and did while on earth. As King Jesus reigns in our hearts and minds, the world will discover the power and truth of Easter. Jesus is alive and his kingdom is advancing even now!
Lord, we confess that we often fall to the temptation of thinking we have you figured out. Forgive us. We surrender our thoughts, our interpretations, and our stubborn wills to you. In humility we ask that your reign, your kingdom, come in us as it is in Heaven. Our desire is for others to see Jesus in us so that they would one day come to know you and allow you to transform their hearts and minds the way you are transforming us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Luke 17:20-21 ESV
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
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