stop observing, start embracing

If it was a snake
it would have bit you!

Ever heard that one?
Those are the moments
when I'm not feeling so sharp.

Like standing in the kitchen
looking for my glasses
so that I can read the rest
of the recipe.

I look, and look...
lifting this, peeking under that.
Where did I Ieave them?
My search may even
lead me into another room
only to be told,
Mom, their on your head!

Uh, yeah.
Very glad it's not a snake.

Sometimes I get most embarrassed
by the things that should be
the most obvious...
those things right in front of my face.

Fortunately, they are often
only small things, and
not noticed by so many people
that it wrecks me.

I can usually laugh it off.

Not so, for our poor Pharisee friends.
These men...
I admit sometimes
make me so mad I could spit.

Then other times, I realize they are
so lost in their own pride
that I actually relate to them.
They often reflect
the self-righteous me
that trips over itself,
longing to be known and noticed.

They simply insisted on
keeping life in the neat little rows
that they drew for themselves...
as do I.

But sadly, that intense rigidity
caused them to miss the bigger picture.

Look here, at this
conversation with Jesus...
Now when He was asked
by the Pharisees
when the kingdom of God would come,
He answered them and said,
“The kingdom of God
does not come with observation;
nor will they say,
‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’

For indeed, the kingdom of God is
in the midst of you.
Luke 17:20-21

In order to be a Pharisee
one must have dedicated their life
to the study of the scriptures
and religious documents.

They held very fast to rules
and met regularly to discuss
and make judgements over
how these were implemented.

So they knew the prophecies
of the coming Messiah.
Unfortunately, since He didn't
meet the expectations
they had created,
they didn't accept Jesus as the One.

For they expected one to come along
seeking to spend more time
discussing the scriptures with them,
rather than dining with tax collectors
and sinners alike.

And too, they believed, like many Jews,
that the Messiah would come in a more
powerful form to take the government
by storm and be king, freeing them
from Roman oppression.

But Jesus was none of the above.
Not here on earth.

So they couldn't figure Him out.
Who was this man?
How did He perform these miracles,
and why did He seek
to so perturb them by doing so
on the Sabbath?

So as He stood in their midst,
why not just ask bluntly?
Enough of the games.
Enough of the vague talk
telling stories they don't understand.

They were not entertained
by these imaginations such that
He talked about.

The Kingdom of God...
like a mustard seed,
like yeast for bread,
like a wedding feast,
like ten virgins with lamps,
like a owner of a vineyard,
like a fishing net being cast,
like a hidden treasure in a field,
like a merchant seeking pearls.

Why shouldn't they just ask,
if He was truly the Messiah...
WHEN the kingdom of God would come.

So Jesus began to explain...
He answered them and said,
“The kingdom of God
does not come with observation

Now this word, observation
does not simply mean
to notice and perceive.

Rather, it means to watch insidiously.
Or to spy with intent to entrap;
to deceitfully observe as though
seemingly harmless, when actually
having grave intent planned.

Jesus, it seemed, was onto them.
For many times in the gospels
we read that He knew their thoughts.

And why not be as blunt with them
as they had been with Him.
This kingdom they found mysterious
would most likely remain so
if this was the intent of their heart.

So He continued...
For indeed, the kingdom of God is
​in the midst of you.

This statement
was an easy one for Jesus.
As the kingdom was among them
because the King was right there
in the middle of them.

If it were a snake,
it would have bit them.

You see, the kingdom of God
begins when we let Jesus, the King,
become the ruler of our heart.

That is the foundation of the kingdom.
Now Jesus' eternal desire is that
His kingdom have a perfect order things.
But we are yet to live in a perfect world.

So until He returns, we are to continue
building the foundation
by spreading the gospel,
increasing the size of the kingdom,
including as many citizens as we can.

If I will live my life
humbled of myrself, and given over
to let Him rule in my heart, mind,
and emotions, then I can actually
enjoy the wait until He returns.

We all can!
And we won't have to be demanding
about WHEN the kingdom is to come.
For no one knows...
as the lightning flashes and
lights up the sky from
one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day
Luke 17:24

And what an amazing sight
that will be to enjoy!

Every eye seeing,
every ear hearing,
as He WILL return sure as glory!

But until then, let us strive
to learn more about he kingdom of God
and how we can partake
in all the benefits
He has for us as citizens!

Word of God
train me today...
To not be so focused
on controlling my life,
that I cannot see
the glory of Your kingdom.

To embrace the kingdom of God
planted as a seed within in my heart,
​and share with others
the joy that such salvation brings.
#allthesethingsadded