Interesting Information

In this meditation, we are receiving some inspiring and interesting information, which will inspire us, to be ever more resolved to listen and heed our Master, Jesus Christ. He is the One true Guiding Star, as He speaks and continues to speak, again and again, through His ever faithful and ever present, wise and trusted Counsel.

We are listening to these words of Jesus to His disciples. People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. Luke 17: 23. 

Jesus has just been asked by Pharisees about the coming of the Kingdom of God. Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed. Luke 17: 20. Note clearly! The stimulus for Jesus’ teaching, admonishing, warning and cautioning, has come through a question posed to Him about God’s Kingdom and its coming.

What I have found quite interesting and somewhat curious, is that the question, in that place and at that time, does not come from a disciple of His. We are told only, that the Pharisees have asked Jesus this imposing question. However, we know that it is very rare to have Pharisees ask Jesus any such a ‘big’ question, without some ulterior motive. On most, if not all the occasions, they pose questions to Jesus, with their high, scholastic learning, their one motive is to show Jesus up as an imposter, a fake, when it comes to the religious law. However, Jesus is never ever fazed by any of them and their crafty, devious questioning.  Today is no different, for Jesus is Omniscient.  

Note markedly, our Master’s response. In it, He clearly indicated that the very question posed to Him was actually a non-question, because the Kingdom of God was not anything to be observed by them or any other people. Rabbi Jesus went on to edify them and all the listening ears around, about His Father’s Kingdom, by saying that the Kingdom of God is in people, people who are in their midst.

I must confess that this brought me to a time of pondering, for, like many of you, I know this Scripture text very well, and you and I quote Jesus’ saying that, the Kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17: 21 KJV. However, the NIV before me, states this. The kingdom of God is in your midst. Luke 17: 21. I stopped and simply refused to hear the words about the kingdom of God being in our midst. All I kept saying was that the kingdom of God is within people. Then, our Lord gently brought me to my senses, as He, in a matter-of-fact way, said this to me. If you are in the midst of a group of people and there is guile in you, in your heart, be assured that guile is in the midst of that crowd. I needed to hear no more. The kingdom of God is in our midst, as long as Jesus is in our midst.

I need to pause here and offer open praise and thanks to our Lord. Do you not feel constrained in the same way also? God is still Immanuel! God is still with us! God is in our midst! Here are two Scripture verses, which seal us in this fact that indeed, God can be and is in the midst of His people. 

Joel 2: 27 KJV. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else; and my people shall never be ashamed.

Zephaniah 3: 17 KJV. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Is not the Word of the LORD our strong tower? Is this not the shining, transforming, accenting, radiating light of Jesus, the Bright Morning Star?  Morning Star? Praise God for Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Three in One and One in Three.

We carry on tomorrow.