Luke 17, Part Two

"The kingdom of God is within you" (vs. 20=37)--This is a difficult passage for reasons that I shall duly note. There are two main themes in it, and they are related--the kingdom and judgment. The Pharisees wanted to know when the kingdom would come (v. 20); in proper Jewish fashion, they were expecting a physical, earthly realm. Jesus informs them--and us--that the kingdom is not physical, it cannot be seen, it is within us (v. 21). The kingdom and the church are the same (Col. 1:13), but the kingdom is not synonymous with a church building, or necessarily all the people who appear inside it. Only God truly knows the heart, i.e., that which is "within" us, and thus only He can truly tell us who is part of His body. Physical existence in a physical kingdom can be identified; spiritual actuality cannot. Such is what makes premillennialism with its hope for an earthly kingdom improper and erroneous. Those who believe that doctrine have never truly understood the spiritual nature of God's true reign. It was the mistake of the Jews in the first century as well, and, as noted, the source of the question Jesus is asked here.

The Lord then turns His attention to His disciples for the rest of the discussion, which is the difficult part of this section. In verse 22, He intimates that there will come days when they will desire, in vain, the opportunities they now had of returning to God. He is speaking in general terms here; His disciples will follow Him and enjoy the blessings of a relationship with God, but too many Jews (and others) will not. Nearly all of the language Jesus uses in the remainder of this chapter (vs. 22-37) is the same as what He speaks in Matthew 24. The problem comes from the fact that some of Matthew 24 concerns the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., and some of it with the Second Coming, and there is some of both in Luke 17:23-37. So is Jesus discussing the destruction of Jerusalem here, or His Second Coming? It's virtually impossible to tell. A general judgment might be in view--at some point, it will be too late to enter God's kingdom. In summary, He tells us not to be deceived by false Christs (v. 23); His judgments come swiftly, surely, and most men are usually unaware of them (v. 24). Before any final judgment takes place (either temporally upon the Jews or spiritually upon all men), the Lord will be crucified (v. 25). Most people, as noted, will be unaware of any coming judgment; they will be going about their daily activities, unconcerned about their spiritual welfare, just like in the days of Noah and Lot (vs. 26-29). Similar language in Matthew 24 applies to the Second Coming (Matt. 24:37-39). The reference to Lot is not found in Matthew 24 but makes the same point. "The day when the Son of Man is revealed" (v. 30) will be just like those days. Verse 31 is the really confusing verse because in Matthew 24, the same statement is found in reference to the coming destruction of Jerusalem (Matt. 24:17-18). If Luke 17:31 refers to the Second Coming of Christ, there isn't going to be time to gather our goods or come in from the field; this would only be true if an imminent escape from earthly peril were necessary. So, as I mentioned, in this section Jesus borrows thoughts from both the coming destruction of Jerusalem and His Second Coming. Whatever the exact meaning, verse 33 perhaps is the most important concept: "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." When judgment comes, we must ready and prepare for it in this life. Some will be saved, some lost (vs. 34-35). "Where will this happen?" the apostles asked (v. 37). The Lord's answer is taken again from the destruction of Jerusalem reference (Matt. 24:28), but in this instance can be generically applied: wherever there is sin, there will be punishment.

The kingdom of God--the church, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the sheep, whatever figure one wishes to use to describe the Lord's people--is not a visible thing. Where does the kingdom exist? Wherever there are faithful Christians. And the Lord warns us, in no uncertain terms, that judgment is coming. "Remember Lot’s wife" (v. 32). Don't look back and long for world. Keep moving forward in escaping the terrible judgment that will befall those who seek to save their lives for the pleasures of this world. Whatever else this passage teaches, it certainly teaches these great lessons.