What is the Kingdom of God? Is it here now, or is it yet to come? If yet to come, where is it going to be? There are many debates about these questions today, just as there were in the times of Jesus.
There were various groups with differing opinions about the Kingdom of God in the first century, just like today. For example, the Pharisees thought about the kingdom of God as a physical kingdom that would come if the people of Israel would follow God’s law. If they could get enough people to meticulously observe the laws of God, He would then intervene by sending a king who would rid them of the Roman occupation, and lead Israel as a sovereign nation. God would rule the world through Israel. The problem, as they saw it, was that there were not enough law-abiding Jews.
The Zealots believed the way the Kingdom would come through the rallying of Jews who 
were bold and decisive enough to organize an armed resistance. They would take their country back from the Romans, and then God would rule the world through Israel.
A third group of people thought that the Kingdom of God would come with visible signs. These were the “signs of the times” people, of which there are plenty today as well. They observed comets, astronomical phenomena, dissected Biblical prophecy and, I suspect, provided free entertainment for many, just like they do today.
All of these groups assumed that the Kingdom had to have a particular location. The location was “here,” and the “here,” of course, was Israel.
Jesus, responding to this controversy, goes for the jugular. In Luke 17:20 He says: “The coming of the Kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the Kingdom of God is in your midst.” The reason why it was “in their midst” was because Jesus was in their midst. The Kingdom is not fully observable with the natural eye; nor defined by a location. It is here, and now; His name is Jesus.
The Kingdom of God is everything, everywhere, everyone, every time where and when Jesus is king. The boundaries of this kingdom do not lie in any geographic place but in the hearts of true believers.
When I was 26 years old, in Moscow, Russia, the kingdom came to me through people who were different from anyone I had ever met before. These strange people, exuded joy, refused to repay evil with evil, and loved for no good reason (or so I thought). They were genuinely interested in my life, my past, my struggles and my fears. They crossed the boundaries of normal, social behavior, where people politely stay on the surface but don’t really care. The kingdom was at my doorstep, knocking, loving, and advancing into my heart.
I resisted at first, being very skeptical of all organized religion. I doubted, having grown up all over the world and seen so much human madness. I hesitated, knowing the changes I would have to make in my lifestyle. I was ashamed, being acutely aware of my sin, being the selfish, arrogant and wicked man I was. Then I found out that these people used to be all of that too, but Jesus died on the cross in their place and for their sins to give them not only forgiveness but his very Spirit and eternal life as a new creation.
I will never forget the moment I made my decision to follow Jesus. Andy Fleming, a friend who was helping me study the Bible, saw it without me telling him. “It seems to me you have already made your decision”, he said. Was it written all over my face? Apparently 
yes. “I can’t believe I am becoming a Christian. This is silly!” I thought to myself , but instead of voicing that, I said “Do I have a choice?”. Andy paused, and then shook his head. He was right. How could I not follow, love and serve this Jesus? I couldn’t hide my excitement. I desperately wanted to be part of this Kingdom, this invisible world where Jesus reigns supreme.
As Christians, our purpose is to manifest the Kingdom of God to the world around us. Being Jesus to whoever we are with effectively brings the kingdom to them “right here, right now.” We need to be Jesus to someone who is lost, or addicted, to a person who betrays and slanders. We have to be the Kingdom to our gay neighbor, the elderly lady down the block who needs someone to talk to and the African orphan across the world who might not make it without our help. We really can be the Kingdom to our boring co-worker, the obviously promiscuous person in the gym, the homeless guy who stinks, the intimidating boss and the Muslim guy who doesn’t seem like he would be into Jesus. Bring the Kingdom to the doorstep of their heart, and watch Jesus knock, love and advance.
What’s amazing is that the Kingdom of God in many ways is small, inconspicuous and humble. Jesus compares it to a mustard seed. However, the Kingdom does not stay small; it grows and spreads like wildfire. A small woman, known as Mother Teresa, who became famous for her humble service to the poor in Calcutta, used to say, “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.” Her message of love did spread like wildfire, impacting generations of Christians and non-Christians alike.
The Kingdom is always right here and right now, and unlike the Pharisees, the Zealots and “sign of the times” people, we need to always be aware that its source is from “another place.” In John 18:36 –37, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
God is the source of this Kingdom we carry in our hearts. May we, who are “on the side of truth,” while we go about our business, knowing that The Kingdom is “in our midst”, listen attentively in the noise of this world for the loving voice of our King.
Things for you to discuss with a friend:
I. In what ways does knowing that the kingdom of God is “in our midst” help you?
II. Can you think of any preconceived ideas, stereotypes, fears that stand in the way of your “kingdom living”?
III. What “little things with great love” are out there for you to manifest the kingdom of God through?
Things for you to do:
1. Create an environment where you can experience Jesus “in your midst”. Re-assess your relationship with God and people, your prayer life and Bible study on a regular basis to experience Jesus’ presence fully.
2. When there is a person, situation or environment where you don’t naturally engage, pray to overcome your preconceived ideas and stereotypes that keep you from manifesting the Kingdom of God to the world.
posted by Jerry Maday
Additional Materials:
Scriptures:
Mt 21:31-43; Mk 1:14-15;Mk 4:11-34;Mk 9:1; Mk 9:45-50;Mk10:13-31;Lk 13:20;Jn 3:5-8; Ac 1:3
Stuff to read:
The Reign of God by Jim McGuiggan