Tapping into the Kingdom: Luke 17:20-37

Shortly after Jesus healed some lepers, the gospel of Luke includes a two-verse interaction Jesus has with some Pharisees who appear to have a legitimate question that isn’t a trap. If you have spent any time reading the gospels, you will quickly understand how rare of a situation this is. With only a handful of exceptions, whenever Jesus interacts with religious leaders, we see Jesus masterfully evade a trap they had set for Him, and if we aren’t careful, we could conclude that 100% of the religious leaders disliked Jesus, which would be untrue.

While I am willing to accept an argument that would suggest the question in this passage contains a trap, within the details Luke’s gospel includes, whatever the trap might have been is not clearly visible to me.

With that said, let’s look at this interaction Jesus had with these Pharisees and see if we can uncover something significant we can use in our own lives from how Jesus responded to this surprisingly genuine question He is asked. Our passage is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 17, and we will read it using the New International Reader’s version of the Bible. Starting in verse 20, Luke tells us that:

²⁰ Once the Pharisees asked Jesus when God’s kingdom would come. He replied, “The coming of God’s kingdom is not something you can see. ²¹ People will not say, ‘Here it is.’ Or, ‘There it is.’ That’s because God’s kingdom is among you.”

In this short, two-verse passage, we see a simple question and a simple answer. In some ways, I wish Jesus had elaborated more in the response He gave, but perhaps, Jesus kept this answer short knowing that one of the biggest themes in His entire preaching ministry was sharing details about the kingdom of God.

However, one big idea that I see present in this question and answer combination is a redefinition of what God’s kingdom actually is. For most people thinking about the concept of God having a kingdom, the closest idea we can picture is something that would be similar to an earthly kingdom or an earthly government. I suspect that the Pharisees understood God’s kingdom in a similar way. I picture those in the first-century Jewish culture eagerly expecting the Messiah to appear, ushering in God’s kingdom by overthrowing Rome’s kingdom and giving their nation independence.

With this likely assumption in place, it would not surprise me at all if Jesus’ answer confused these religious leaders. Instead of framing God’s kingdom as something that would be coming in the future, Jesus frames God’s kingdom as already being present and “among” them.

However, it is interesting when we contrast Jesus’ words here with other places in the gospel that focus on the kingdom of God.

Looking at the beginning of most gospels, we see John the Baptizer, who was Jesus’ forerunner in ministry proclaim that the kingdom of God is coming. Also, Jesus beings His preaching ministry with the same message that God’s kingdom is coming. Also, when Jesus sends His disciples out in pairs to preach partway through His ministry, He tells them to preach that the kingdom of God is coming.

It would appear as though Jesus shifts His focus when giving this answer to the Pharisees. Instead of focusing on the “coming” nature of God’s kingdom, Jesus draws the focus onto the already present nature of God’s kingdom, even though those present might not have been able to see it.

When reading this passage, I am challenged by the question: If the Pharisees missed seeing God’s kingdom that Jesus said was among them, am I missing seeing God’s kingdom that is present today?

This is a powerful question, and when wrestling with an answer, I am pushed to think deeper than I might normally think. From the biggest perspective we can imagine, God rules the universe, and technically speaking, everything is “His kingdom”. Because of this, the kingdom of God that Jesus refers to must be about something different, or perhaps a different aspect of God’s kingdom that isn’t just His ownership of the universe. Since God owns the universe, which includes us, His kingdom is always present, but that also would then mean that it technically could not then also be coming.

Perhaps a key phrase to helping us understand what Jesus is teaching is the phrase “among you”. At the end of Jesus’ reply in verse 21, Jesus says: “God’s kingdom is among you.” Jesus had been present with the disciples for a few years at this point, and Jesus might be referencing a deeper truth in His answer.

In His response, Jesus might be saying something like, “God’s kingdom is wherever God is.” Since Jesus, a member of the Godhead, was among them, God’s kingdom could then be said to be among them – even if they didn’t accept or recognize Him.

When God is present, lives are transformed, hearts melt, and people return to God. Well, I should probably say that not all lives are affected in this way. When God is present, some hearts are hardened and when that happens, those people openly reject God instead of accepting Him.

As I am talking here with you, I wonder if God’s kingdom is wherever the Holy Spirit is moving or present. I hope this is the case, otherwise when Jesus returned to Heaven, God’s kingdom left with Him. God’s Spirit is not something we can see directly. Just like the wind, we cannot see it, but we are able to feel it and see its effects.

When God’s Spirit is moving in people’s lives, we see the effects I shared earlier: some people’s lives are transformed while other lives are hardened. Perhaps the polarizing of culture is due to the Holy Spirit drawing closer to this world. We could also wonder together if God is “turning up the heat”, prompting some hearts to melt towards Him and other hearts to harden against Him.

As earth’s history moves forward, the closer Jesus’ return gets, the more urgent will be the need for revival, and the closer the Holy Spirit comes, the stronger the life transformation or life hardening will become.

When we picture God’s kingdom as wherever God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are, then God’s kingdom is always among us, and it is always within our grasp being at most just a prayer away. Just because Jesus returned to heaven does not mean that God’s kingdom has left. Jesus promised that when He leaves, He would send the Holy Spirit from the Father who would come and empower His followers. This began with the disciples, and it continues with His followers today.

Some people misunderstand Jesus’ words to mean that the Holy Spirit was not present while Jesus was on earth, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Holy Spirit was definitely present, but He was working in a different way when Jesus was alive on earth than He would be following Jesus returning to heaven. When Jesus returned to heaven, the disciples could then more fully receive the Holy Spirit’s power as they were Jesus’ representatives who were still alive. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they were commissioned to spread God’s kingdom throughout the world.

As followers of Jesus, we are to carry out the commission that Jesus started long ago, leaning into the Holy Spirit while spreading the great news of Jesus to the world. Where the Holy Spirit is, God’s kingdom is, and that means that His kingdom is among us – wherever we are when we are allied and pointing people to Jesus!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life. Seek God and His kingdom in your daily life by asking Him to send His Holy Spirit to live in your mind and heart and intentionally orient your life towards sharing Jesus with those you meet. While some might think this challenge might be too awkward or extreme, feel free to choose the best method for sharing Jesus and God’s love that you know of for each situation God places you in. Trust that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide you to the best way to share Jesus to those He brings into your life.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself in order to keep your connection with God strong. Study the Bible to discover just how much God loves you and what He wants to reward you with when we give ourselves for His kingdom, and trust that when we dedicate our lives to God, we receive infinitely more than we could ever give up.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!