“Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘there it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” – Luke 17:20-21
And this…
Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.” – Luke 13:18-19
A good friend of mine said to me a couple of years ago after learning I had retired from full-time parish ministry… “Here’s the thing about being retired. When you meet people at the grocery store that you didn’t really like when you were their pastor… you don’t have to say hello to them.” And then he continued… “and it’s the same for them… if they didn’t like you when you were their pastor… they don’t have to say hello to you either.” Pretty human. Pretty true. Yet, life in the kingdom of God requires better. The kingdom of God expects better. The kingdom of God anticipates better… knows better… insists on better… promises better and delivers better as life in the kingdom of God seeks the better way… because loving someone else with respect, kindness and with a certain amount of graciousness is always the preferred and perfect way… even if we don’t like them… or they us! Call it a sign of holiness in the midst of a world that seems broken beyond recognition… a holiness the world is a better place for.
What is the kingdom of God like? Jesus provided many images… like a man who went out to sow seed or like a hidden treasure, or like a pearl of great value, or a net thrown into the water which brought in all kinds of fish… speaking in pictures… images of people… wealthy, poor and even in between suggesting that his kingdom was not of this world and that it was eternal and like a king who threw a party… and no one wanted to come… yet the king sent his messengers into the streets to compel others to come… because that banquet was so much better than any other banquet anyone else could host or attend… a kingdom then… both consistent AND persistent!
So, what’s God’s kingdom like? In the kingdom of God… like when you give… you don’t lose… it comes back to you pressed down… shaken together… and running over… better than any martini ever served! In God’s kingdom… peace and prosperity live deeply in your spirit, mind and body… despite what’s happening around you. If the economy crashes, God’s kingdom is still strong. If the housing market goes down, God’s kingdom is still strong. If oil prices rise, the kingdom of God remains strong. Faith matters and in matters of faith we always live into and dive into the things we believe to be important… even if those things take us down a path assuring our own doom.
And this… the kingdom of God is God’s way of doing things… different from our own selfish and neglectful ways… as the kingdom of God is like a 12 year old boy who inherited millions of dollars having everything and anything a boy could want… and was told of another 12-year-old boy who was born in a garbage dump in Southeast Asia and spent every day of his life in that dump searching for thrown away items his father would take to town to sell in order to feed the family. And after hearing there were many more children who were living in such a way and having no hope for those circumstances to ever change on their own… the 12-year-old boy with millions of dollars began to build schools… all over the world shining Christ’s light and the kingdom of God that was in him… like the mustard seed which became the tree providing shelter and shade and safety for all … even for folks like you and me!
