Luke 17:20-37
“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.’ Then he said to the disciples, ‘The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Do not go, do not set off in pursuit.’” (Luke 17:20-23)

“…in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.” (Other translations say, “within you” or “in your midst.” All are valid and unique in their own ways and one can rightly spend a good deal of time meditating upon the nuances of each).

There may be no more radical statement that Jesus makes than this. (And that’s saying A LOT because Jesus is always making radical statements like “forgive them seven times seven” or “be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect”). Even still, to proclaim that the Kingdom of God – the long-awaited for full and total reign of God over the entire creation; the culmination of Israel’s history into its destiny; the fulfillment of time – to say that this is “among you” is a radical thing indeed. It’s comparable to “the end is nigh,” but more optimistic. It’s a joyful pronouncement that also leaves us feeling uneasy and vulnerable.

To have the kingdom of God among us means that reality has shifted. It means that dread may be replaced by hope, death by life, injustice by justice, pain and suffering by healing, sorrow with joy, sin with grace, violence with peace, trepidation with celebration, segregation with integrated fellowship, struggle with flourishing, debt with inheritance, orphanage with adoption, alienation with embrace.

All these pairs are given to help us better espy where this kingdom is and is not. And that’s important work because Jesus no sooner finishes His bold proclamation of the kingdom being “among us” than He turns around and cautions the disciples – cautions you – not to go chasing after lesser/false kingdoms. If the kingdom is already “among you,” then we need not grope about for it. Instead, we must attend carefully to where it does appear and critically with where it does not. And so those above binaries are useful in helping us make that distinction.

So, where do you find the following?

• Dread
• Death
• Injustice
• Pain and suffering
• Sorrow
• Sin
• Violence
• Trepidation
• Segregation
• Struggle
• Debt
• Orphanage
• Alienation

If you find, see, or experience any of these, then you’ve discovered parts of the world that are outside the work and will of God. You have found places that need your prayer, your service, your holy confrontation. The Church should be awake and aware of these realities, quick to proclaim that these things do not rule in our world and need to cease and desist post haste. The Church should call a spade, a spade and deny influence, authority, or support to anything or anyone that perpetuates anything less than the kingdom that is among us.

In a similar way, where do you find the following?

• Hope
• Life
• Justice
• Healing
• Joy
• Grace
• Peace
• Celebration
• Integrated fellowship
• Flourishing
• Inheritance
• Adoption
• Embrace

To find any of these elements at work in the world is to prove that the kingdom is “among you.” It is why we needn’t chase after reports of this kingdom being here, there, or anywhere. It’s because Jesus has promised to put these things at work in the world, in our lives, “among you.” To espy any of these virtues is to catch a glimpse of the kingdom of God.

This list can also serve as a guide for our lives and actions. We can be motivated to pursue these things – no matter how small in quantity or quality – with our whole hearts, minds, bodies, and souls because we can trust that these are part of the kingdom of God. This list can be your daily, spiritual “to do list,” if you like. Find one way to see one of these things be present in the world. Is it something as small as buying fair trade coffee because you know that is part of justice? Good! Is it tutoring a kid in need because that leads to flourishing? Excellent! Is it forgiving someone who has angered you just to put a little more grace in the world? Awe-inspiring.

We have the authority, power, and privilege of living with the kingdom of God among us. So, well, let’s live like that. Amen.