The kingdom of God is here
by Maria Rudolph
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Jesus replied, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation nor will people say, ‘Here it is’, or ‘There it is’, because the kingdom of God is within you’ (Luke 17:20,21).
Read Luke 17:20-37
There has been a real surge of self-proclaimed modern-day Christian prophets since the internet has made TikTok and short videos on YouTube popular and easily accessible. The recent solar eclipse in the USA, for example, sparked a multitude of these kinds of people trying to pinpoint the return of Christ and the coming of God’s kingdom. But as we know from Ecclesiastes 1:9, there is nothing new under the sun. Some people who have studied theology for years and are actively teaching the faith to others are misguiding people today, and this already went on in the days of Jesus. The only way we can tell apart false and true teachers is to stick to Jesus and to his teaching. Even when the words of Jesus do not necessarily fit into our theology or our understanding of God. Be prepared and open to being surprised by Jesus over and over as you read God’s word.
Jesus said: ‘The kingdom of God is within you.’ What a mind-blowing concept this was for all who had gathered to listen to him then. How could the kingdom of God be WITHIN someone? Did Jesus mean that the holy presence of God himself could enter sinful men, women and children, in order to be present there? Back then, everyone knew the presence of God resided in the Holy of Holies at the Temple, kept separated from unclean filthy humans by a curtain and only to be accessed by a priest once a year, who had many atoning sacrifices made for his own cleansing prior to entering. Jesus implied that all of this was changing. God became Immanuel, God with us. God came and dwelled among us and within us. Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’. You have received the Holy Spirit at your baptism. You carry the kingdom of God within you. The decaying human vessel of our body carries the infinite divinity of God within. At the death of Jesus on the cross, the temple curtain in front of the Holy of Holies tore in two from top to bottom. It is too much even for us to take in. And yet it is true. That’s what we believe as Christians. When we pray in the Lord’s Prayer for God’s kingdom to come, we recognise that the kingdom has already come in and through each one of us Christians, and yet we know that it will only be here in its fullness at the return of Christ. We don’t need false prophets to tell us when that day might come. Jesus himself tells us that we won’t know the day or the hour (Matthew 25:13). All we need is to follow him and to look to him for all things, and the kingdom of God is here in us daily.
How can today look different to you if you think about yourself carrying the kingdom of God with you wherever you go?
Loving God, help me fix my eyes on Jesus and on your word. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Thank you that I carry God’s kingdom within me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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