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| http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/JBPhillips.htm |
BACKGROUND
169. Jesus heals ten men with leprosy: Luke 17:11-19
Jesus has just been at Ephraim (21 on the map). Now, He is headed back to Jerusalem between Samaria and Galilee.
The story of the ten lepers has two important lessons for us. First, the lepers had enough faith to believe that Jesus would heal them before they got to the priests to be ceremonially cleansed. They walked by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
The second lesson we learn in this story is to remember to be thankful for all Jesus does for us! To add an exclamation point to this story, the one leper was a despised Samaritan (talk about being doubly despised). The Samaritan understood that Jesus was the Messiah, but the Jews did not.
170. Jesus teaches about the coming of the Kingdom of God: Luke 17:20-37
"The kingdom of God is in your midst" (Luke 17:21). "In your midst" is a better translation of the original Greek word than the NIV's translation of "within you." Jesus was saying that the kingdom of God was staring them right in the face because He was right there in front of them as the King of the kingdom. The expression can even read "within your possession or within your reach" (The Bible Knowledge Commentary). Yet, many could not see that He was the Messiah King!
Privately, he told his disciples more about the Kingdom. He said it would be obvious when it came (Matthew 24:27, 30), but He must suffer before it would be able to fully come.
The more important question is not when it would come, but will you be ready when it does? The people during the times of Noah and Lot were too busy living in sin, ignorant of God, and attached to material things to see that judgment was near.
Jesus wanted His followers to be ready for the coming of the kingdom. They could do this by not saving their lives. They were saving it by being attached to the world. They could lose it by freeing their lives from the world's fetters (and treasures) so they can be attached to God when Jesus returns in judgment (Revelation 19:11-20:6).
Many commentators believe that the people "taken" in Luke 17:34-36 are those taken in judgment (Matthew 24:36-41). The ones "left" are those who will enter the Kingdom. If you take this view, Jesus is saying in Luke 17:37 that the "eagles/vultures gather at a corpse, so the lost will be gathered for judgment" (The Bible Exposition Commentary). A minority of commentators believe it is the other way around. Regardless of which way it is, whether left or taken away to God's kingdom, we need to be prepared!
Most of all we need to live in God's kingdom right here and now by submitting the rule and reign of our true King! It is both the kingdom that is now and not yet.
REFLECTION
There was a big hoopla in 1988 when Edgar C. Whisenant (September 25, 1932 – May 16, 2001), former NASA engineer and Bible student, predicted the Rapture would occur in 1988. He thought it would come September 11-13 of that year during the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah). It did not happen, but in the process, one of my girlfriends was very upset because she did not want it to happen before she got married.
Seriously? Her comment made me laugh. Obviously, His return did not come, and she got married on schedule. It was a false prophecy by a false prophet, but would getting married really be more important than Jesus' return? I think not.
This passage makes me think that I want to be so untied from the things of this world that bind me (Including marriage: I love you, George, but Jesus and kingdom trump even you, but you would agree, and that is why I married you.) that I am ready when He comes!
Jesus was exhorting His followers to be ready regardless of when it comes. And there is also an aspect of this passage that says the kingdom of God has arrived and is in our midst when we follow the King who already came at His first coming. The reality of the kingdom of God is right here and right now because we are followers of the King!
APPLICATION
Are you ready? What does that look like based on all that we have studied about the teachings and commands of Jesus?
PRAYER
We want to be ready for You. Teach us what it means to be ready. Amen.
I am still good friends with that person who made the comment about getting married before the rapture. :) She just moved back into the area. She is a gem.
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