Is God’s kingdom in church? (1)

Being asked by the Pharisees when the God’s kingdom would come, he answered them, “(A) God’s kingdom is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look and see, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ because, look and see, God’s kingdom is among you.” And he said to the disciples, “(B) 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. And they will say to you, ‘Look and see, there!’ or ‘Look and see, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. (C) Because 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. And, most importantly, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. (D) Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 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. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. (E) On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. (F) I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” Luke 17: 20-37

The Christians Together in Jersey website reports around 50 churches in Jersey. Is it in those churches that God’s kingdom is to found? For the right answer look with me at the incident (in bold above) recorded by Luke, a physician, in his well-researched first-century biography of Jesus. First, look at the Jesus’ AD 30 words marked with an (A) above. Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, members of a religious and political group. That Group was largely responsible, a short while later, for procuring Jesus’ death. “God’s kingdom is not coming in ways that can be observed - God’s kingdom is among you.” How so? It seems that the only way to interpret Jesus’ words is to understand that Jesus, the Son of Man, was himself the kingdom of God and that he was among them – among his opponents – at that time.
.	‘The only kingdom which will prevail in this world is the kingdom which is not of this world.’ (Anon.)
Second, look at the Jesus’ AD 30 words marked with a (B) above. Jesus was speaking to his own disciples. He was warning them that, when he was no longer on earth, and when they were wanting to see again a time similar to that when Jesus was there among them, folk would be saying ‘Look and see, there!’ or ‘Look and see, here!’ Jesus gave a good reason why these people would be liars. He definitely wouldn’t be at the place to which people were pointing or from which they were calling. Why wouldn’t he be in any of those places? See the words marked with a (C) above. “Because 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. And, most importantly, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” It looks as though Jesus is saying that, after he has suffered many things and been rejected, he, the Son of Man, in his day, will be so visible that he will be like lightning. Jersey experienced lightning in the middle of the night a few weeks ago. It was wonderful to be able to see everything around home very clearly when the lightning was “on” - pitch black when it was “off”. Was Jesus saying that, after he left this world and when the days of the Son of Man would have arrived, he would be as plain as lightning in the darkness of this world? Is he clearly the light because he suffers and dies for others whereas those others are all causing suffering, even causing death?
.	'When the sun is up the moon seems to have no light.’ (George Estey, Christian, c.1603)
Look now at (D) in bold above - a description of Noah’s day and Lot’s day – but also of Jersey this very year. “So will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” When the Son of Man is revealed to a person eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building today, God’s kingdom has come to that person. That person has seen the true glory of Jesus – he is the suffering servant in a world of acquisitive happiness-seeking bosses. God’s kingdom is Jesus – Jesus within – fellowship with the rejected Son of Man, now, today. That’s lightning which all can see – but few, these days, actually want to find. On (E) and (F) above, see next week.

Richard Syvret

Email this newsletter to a friend
*All mandatory fields must be filled in
Friend`s name
Friend`s email address *
Your name
Your email address *
Message

Send comment
*All mandatory fields must be filled in
Your name *
Your email address *
Your comment *