It Is Not Observable

Scripture: When he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; no one will say, ‘See here!’ or ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Luke 17:20-21

Observation: In response to questions about the coming "kingdom", Jesus tells those asking - the Pharisees - this response ... that the kingdom is not observable, but rather is just something in your midst (and some translations say "within you"). He further clarifies this to the disciples that in the future they should not go chasing after stories of his second coming, for that is not how it will work.

In retrospect, it seems clear that Jesus is referring to the kingdom of God as the era when the Holy Spirit - God's own spirit - is active in the world. The Holy Spirit is not seen with one's eyes, but the impact and affect within people (in their midst) is experienced and known. In this way, the kingdom is very real to us who have both witnessed and understood the work of the Holy Spirit, and therefore the active participation of the Lord, in our lives and in our world. We see people healed both body and soul. We see hearts and minds changed by divine revelation. We see the paths of entire nations altered, and we see nature itself bring both hardship and relief to millions. We don't have to chase after all these things to understand they are the work of the Lord, and that they do not indicate that Jesus' second coming has occurred.

Application: I say often how I can observe the work the Lord all around me, though as Jesus points out ... I have never seen Jesus, I have never seen the Holy Spirit, and I have never seen the Lord. I do see the results of spirit-driven acts, spirit-guided faith, and spirit-inspired words, all the time. And I do see the glory of the loving creator who invented the world and all life upon it.

God sitting on a throne, with Jesus at his right hand, ruling the world as his kingdom ... that is not observable. The Holy Spirit influencing all good actions in the world, fighting against evil, exercising the very strength and wisdom of the world's creator, unified by faith in Jesus as Messiah and savior of the world ... this is very observable every day, and almost everywhere.

Prayer: Lord, may I see and experience you today, not because I am chasing after the concepts of 'finding' Jesus or evidence of his return, but because I simply see the work of the Holy Spirit everywhere. And may that same spirit be found in me. Amen.