Luke

Kingdom of God

Throughout this book Jesus speaks to the people about the kingdom of God, making it clear who exactly are the inheritors of it as well as what it looks like. After the Transfiguration Jesus’ ministry takes on a new direction as his attention is now fixed on the cross and the work of salvation that he will accomplish for the people. As his attention is now intently focused on his purpose for coming his teachings to the people are keenly structured around this idea of the kingdom of God. All of his teachings before he arrives into Jerusalem focus on the coming of he kingdom; how he is king over it, who will be allowed in and who will be left out, and what is of value in the kingdom.

The message Theophilus gets from this recurring theme is that Jesus has brought the kingdom of God to the earth now, that the kingdom is the presence of Christ… the reality of him being the Messiah to all peoples. The other thing Theophilus would see very clearly is that those who reject Jesus are rejecting the kingdom of God, they are choosing for themselves their condemnation by denying him as Lord. The kingdom also requires total loyalty, for those who wish to hang on to possessions and to the joys of the world are unfit for the kingdom because by doing so they fail to see what God values. Humility and a desire for God’s gifts and treasures in heaven is what brings life and freedom that people would enter into the kingdom of God. This would strike Theophilus at his core, as his treasures have long been of the world and Jesus is calling him into his kingdom, the implications of course being that he cannot serve both the world and God’s kingdom. Theophilus is forced to make a choice, as he sees Jesus and that his kingdom is eternal and his promises are for things greater than the things of earth. Theophilus must now reckon whether he wants the kingdom of God or desires to live according to his own will.

To us reading this today we know the end of the story, that Jesus has purchased freedom and life for us through the cross. We have been given the kingdom if we would but believe upon Christ and lay down the things of the world to be humble and love others, forsaking treasures on earth for heavenly things of God. The problem is that this is for us a difficult thing too. The culture around us makes this temporal earthly kingdom seem so inviting, the world has enticed our vision away from God and our flesh loves the things of the earth. Do we dare to take Jesus at his word and trust in his promises of the kingdom, do we let go of the things that we see in the here and now as bringing happiness. We must lay ourselves down at Jesus’ feet surrendering our desires, hoping in the promise of better things in the kingdom of God. This is where these things reach us as believers today, do we dare to have faith that Jesus’ words are true, that this is reality. If what Jesus says is true we have full confidence that laying things down and seeking his blessing will bring us things much greater than we could have ever hoped for, the kingdom of God will be ours, what a blessed thing.