On Line Bible Study - For the Week May 2-8, 2011
Lesson 491
Luke 17: 20 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, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
This text seems particularly appropriate for us given the most recent prognostication regarding the return of Jesus. The Pharisees and Jesus have interacted on numerous occasions. They have witnessed his power and heard his teaching. There is irony in their wondering about the coming of the kingdom of God - they can't get much closer to the kingdom of God than the healing, grace, generosity and power of Christ. And yet, they continue to search for what is right under their nose.
(For some of the questions the Pharisees raise about Jesus or put directly to him, see Luke 5:21, 30. Luke 6:2, 7. Luke 7:39. Luke 11:38, etc.)
Darrell Bock ponders the tone of the question. It may sound innocent enough; however, the Pharisees were always looking for a way to trap Jesus. Is this another such episode? Had Jesus answered with some specific date and time, we can be sure the Pharisees would ridicule him, much the same way people ridicule more contemporary predictions of the Second Coming.
Consider what Jesus teaches us here - there aren't bleacher seats from which we can observe the kingdom of God. You can't actually point to it. You experience it!
The tragedy of the Pharisee's question is less about what they want to know and more about what they don't experience. The trap they hope to set is the trap they are in. "Observation" - did they think a strict observance of the law would usher in the kingdom? The kingdom does not come to us because we deserve it, but because God has given it.
The kingdom of God is in our midst. Let's receive it gratefully, and live it joyfully!
(For some of the questions the Pharisees raise about Jesus or put directly to him, see Luke 5:21, 30. Luke 6:2, 7. Luke 7:39. Luke 11:38, etc.)
Darrell Bock ponders the tone of the question. It may sound innocent enough; however, the Pharisees were always looking for a way to trap Jesus. Is this another such episode? Had Jesus answered with some specific date and time, we can be sure the Pharisees would ridicule him, much the same way people ridicule more contemporary predictions of the Second Coming.
Consider what Jesus teaches us here - there aren't bleacher seats from which we can observe the kingdom of God. You can't actually point to it. You experience it!
The tragedy of the Pharisee's question is less about what they want to know and more about what they don't experience. The trap they hope to set is the trap they are in. "Observation" - did they think a strict observance of the law would usher in the kingdom? The kingdom does not come to us because we deserve it, but because God has given it.
The kingdom of God is in our midst. Let's receive it gratefully, and live it joyfully!
posted by Mark D at 1:15 PM
1 Comments:
Well said, I often think of this concept when praying the Lord's Prayer ..."thy kingdom come" and think of and share the "advent" kingdom from Isaiah of the "lion lying with the lamb". Will I ever see it on earth, probably not; yet, might as well dream big!
Post a Comment
<< Home