Where is the kingdom of God?

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Gospel: Luke 17: 20-25

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

Then he said to his disciples,
“The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“The kingdom of God is among you,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel.

What does it mean to have God’s kingdom “among” us?

Some scholars translate Christ’s words not as, God’s kingdom is among us; rather, God’s kingdom is within us.

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Think about it.

“The kingdom of God is within you.”

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It is first born inside our soul in baptism, then it slowly builds and flows out into the world through our words and actions. 

All it takes is a kind deed, a simple prayer, an apology, or a hug to someone who needs it.

These little things build God’s kingdom of peace gesture by gesture. 

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“The kingdom of God is within you,” the Lord says. 

Now make it flow out into the world today.

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Image credits: (1) Reverb Nation, Chosen (2) Cornerstone Church Long Beach, Sermon Series (3) Quote Fancy