Tinkering in the Scripture - Pt 4

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, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Luke 17:20-21 ESV). It began with creation itself; it continued through the calling of Abram from the Ur of Chaldees; and it will finish with the final coming of Jesus. The kingdom of God is coming! Tinker with me just a bit more… what does that mean to us today? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor hanged by the Nazis, wrote that “when Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” He understood that the life of a follower of Jesus may not look victorious in the world’s eyes. More likely it will look like a weary man struggling to drag his cross, past mocking crowds, through the streets of Jerusalem. Jesus has already won the key victory in God’s struggle to redeem his broken world. But there remain battles for us to fight in the power of Jesus’ Spirit, until all will be made new. We must fight in the same way Jesus did, by bringing God’s love and hope to places of pain and strife. We must share in the suffering of our families, friends, and societies as we pray and work for their healing. Through it all, we join Paul in declaring, “I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of the church” (cf. Colossians 1:24). The kingdom of God is all around, but it’s not easy to see. You have to know how to look for it. Worldly kingdoms are easily observed. They make their presence known with lavish palaces, state banquets, powerful militaries, and carefully defined borders. But in the kingdom of God, the King dwells not in a palace but in each of his followers. Kingdom banquets are humble and solemn affairs of remembrance and anticipation, serving only bread and wine. The kingdom of God is armed with faith-filled prayer, not bombs and missiles. Its borders are ever expanding, one person, one family, one community at a time-but never by force. When a person forgives the hurts and abuses forced on them from sources out of their control, the kingdom of God is at hand. When an organization reaches into other places to build and develop ministries that set others free from their poverty and hurt, the kingdom of God is at hand. When people move out of themselves and their desires to help others, the kingdom of God is at hand. All of these things are signs to both the powerful and the lowly that God is King indeed, and that he is at work making all things new! These things are not easily “observed.” In fact, they are seldom even told. They happen all around us by the actions of unnamed and unheralded people who have been called into the kingdom of God. That’s the carrying of the cross of Christ. Who will you touch today? How will you carry the kingdom to others today?