Friday, October 12, 2012

The Kingdom of God is Near

Luke 10:1-11 (ESV)
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. [2] And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. [3] Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. [4] Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. [5] Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' [6] And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. [7] And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. [8] Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. [9] Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' [10] But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, [11] 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.'

The kingdom of God has come near. It is a strange saying. People get strange notions about what this means. Chiefly, the fault is they think is strictly earthly terms. The kingdom of God is not so tangible. The kingdom of God is not about castles, or parliaments. It is about the peace that reigns between you and God in the forgiveness of sins. It comes near everytime the word of God is proclaimed, it reaches us when we are given faith by the work of the Holy Spirit. But if we reject forgiveness there is nothing to be done for us.

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