Written by Paul Lane
The Word
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” [Or within you, or within your grasp]
22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.[ Some manuscripts omit in his day] 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Luke 17:20-27 (ESV)
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might,[ Or finds to do with your might, do it] for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 (ESV)
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28 (ESV)
Reflection
What did Jesus mean when He says, “…the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” Or “…the kingdom of God is within you.” Or “…the kingdom of God is within your grasp.” There are a few ways to translate the Greek, but according to Biship N. T. Wright, this is a Greek idiom. Jesus is trying to communicate that God’s kingdom is right in front of you, so you need to reach out and get involved with it. The kingdom does not just come to you because you are great at sitting around and watching for it. It is God’s intention that you participate in His work.
I often tell people that math does not actually exist in our world, it exists in its own world. But because we are elevated beings we can participate in a math world with our intellect and our ability to reason. There are many such worlds that surround us, and they all point to a greater world that God intends for us to partake.
At the beginning of Genesis, we find God’s original intention with man and woman, to work the garden in God’s presence. And then with Noah and Abraham, we find God’s covenant of grace, which is intended to minister to our fall into sin. But in this passage, we find Jesus brings about the new covenant, which is not only the work of salvation, but also the work of restoration of man to God’s original design. Jesus’ work on the cross saves us and is intended to return us to God’s Kingdom.
Application
What should we think of this passage? Does this mean that I have to do more, give more, be a better Christian? Honestly, yes, probably. Which of us could say that we’ve done enough for the kingdom of God? But that’s not quite the message.
God has given each of us a certain amount of time on this earth. What are we doing with it? Once you realize that Jesus work of salvation is effective for redeeming your life, what do you want to do with it? Do you want to live a life that was worth saving, or will you go on about your business as before?
I know this sounds like a message of works, but that’s also not the intent. It is an encouragement to put away distraction and an invitation to participate in something greater than what you can see with your eyes. It is right in front of you. Reach out, and come on in.
Prayer
Father in heaven, thank You for sending Your son Jesus to redeem me and to return You to Your kingdom. Lead me in the paths of right thinking and right doing that You have planned for me. Show me Your graces, Your kingdom, and Your glory, that I might be renewed to right thinking. Renew my mind, heart, and soul. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
City Life Starter 
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