PerspectiveSample

Here & Now

When Jesus talks about the Kingdom, He is often referencing the "nearness" of the Kingdom.

“The Kingdom of God is in your midst.” Luke 17:21

“The Kingdom of God has come near.” Mark 1:15

“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17

So what does it mean when Jesus says, “My Kingdom is not of this world,” in John 18:36? If the Kingdom is near, but it is not of this world, then where is it?

Jesus is speaking of a subversive Kingdom against the backdrop of the kingdom currently in power at that time. The Roman Empire was a kingdom of the world. It was greedy, unjust, violent, and coercive. The Kingdom Jesus spoke of was about radical generosity, justice, peace, and inclusion.

The Kingdom of God isn’t of the world because it isn’t anything resembling kingdoms of this world. And its location is near, not far. Another translation for Luke 17:21 is, “The kingdom of God is within you.” It isn't distant, it’s present. Here and now.

Kingdoms of the world reduce people to labels. The voices of the world, those in power, the gatekeepers of definitions try to tell us who we are, how we should think, and who we should be against. Those voices limit our understanding of the kingdom Jesus spoke of.

Eugene Peterson puts it this way: “Anytime we move from personal names to abstract labels or graphs or statistics, we are less in touch with reality and diminished in our capacity to deal with what is best and at the center of life.” The Kingdom of God transcends labels and borders. It’s personal and it’s communal. The Kingdom of God is closer than we think.

God, help us to be Your kingdom workers where we are today. Give us Your vision to see Your kingdom realized in and around us. For Your glory. Amen.