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Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus
said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be
observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There
it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” Luke
17:20–21
Why did the Pharisees ask Jesus this question? Why did they want to
know when the Kingdom of God would come? To answer this question,
we must first look at the full context of the various
communications between Jesus and the Pharisees. When we do this and
see the many ways that the Pharisees attempted to trap Jesus in
speech and the times in which our Lord firmly rebuked the
Pharisees, it seems clear that the Pharisees did not ask Jesus this
question in innocence and openness. Instead, they once again were
trying to trap Him. They posed a question by which they gave the
appearance of believing Jesus’ teachings that the Kingdom of God
was coming, but they asked not in faith but in mockery and in an
attempt to trip Jesus up in His answer.
Jesus’ answer is mysterious. It leaves little room for the
Pharisees to use Jesus’ speech against Him. Perhaps the Pharisees
were hoping that Jesus would say that the Kingdom was coming soon,
or next month, or within the year. But Jesus’ answer leaves them
with confusion in the face of this mystery that “the Kingdom of God
is among you.”
Much of what Jesus says can only be fully understood through faith.
He often speaks in veiled language intentionally, because the only
way to lift the veil to perceive the meaning of His teachings is to
rely upon the inspired gift of faith. Faith is like a key to unlock
the secrets of the mysteries of God. Faith becomes a lens through
which every parable, every figure of speech, and every mystery
taught by our Lord is understood. But without this inspired gift of
faith, Jesus’ teachings remain mysterious and
incomprehensible.
When you ponder these words that “the Kingdom of God is among you,”
what do you understand? Are you able to use the gift of faith to
unlock the meaning of this sacred teaching? Interestingly, reading
Jesus’ words, spoken in a veiled way, offer us the opportunity to
test our own faith. If we read these words and are left in
confusion, then this is a clear sign that we need to pray for and
be open to the gift of faith. But if we do read Jesus’ mysterious
teachings and the light of understanding is given to us, then this
is a clear reason to rejoice, since this comprehension is only
possible through the gift of faith.
Reflect, today, upon this sacred teaching of our Lord: “The Kingdom
of God is among you.” Meditate on those words and pray for insight
and understanding. Jesus’ words are true. His Kingdom truly is
everywhere, all around us and within us. It is alive and well. Do
you see it? Do you perceive it? Do you see your role in building
it? Use these questions as a test of your own level of faith and
know that God wants to reveal to you these mysteries that are only
able to be comprehended by His grace.
My mysterious Lord, Your Kingdom is everywhere, all around us
and within us. I do believe. Give me the eyes of faith so that I
may continually perceive Your hand at work. May I always be
attentive to all that You wish to reveal to me and open to the deep
meaning of the mysteries You do reveal. Increase my faith, dear
Lord, so that I may know You and join in the upbuilding of Your
glorious Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured image above: Christ among the Pharisees by Jacob
Jordaens, via Wikimedia Commons
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