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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 within you."
Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do not go after them or follow them. For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man. They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he who is on the housetops, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left." And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."
- Luke 17:20-37
In yesterday's reading, Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" So when He saw them, He said to them, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well."
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 within you." My study bible says that "with observation implies by external or tangible means measurable by man." It adds that "the kingdom of God is an invisible, spiritual reality present within the Christian believer. . . . To eyes that see, the mystery of the Kingdom is a radiant spiritual glory throughout creation." Jesus' focus here is on the spiritual reality of the Kingdom; He has often preached, quoting Isaiah, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" meaning that we need spiritual hearing (and sight) to perceive what is in His teaching and parables. So it is with this Kingdom. Elsewhere, Jesus teaches that "where two or three are gathered in My name, I am in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).
Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do not go after them or follow them. For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day." My study bible teaches, "Prior to Christ's Second Coming, Christians should not be misled by deceptive calls or signs. The glorious return of Christ will be as evident as lightning." This is a clear promise, one of the few we have, about His Second Coming. A lightning flash "out of one part under heaven" to the other part is clear and unmistakable. His promise, in contrast to those who claim a particular location is where He is found, is that He will be obvious to all.
"But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation." This generation is a term that can mean the present generation, but also those of the present age of the world. Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem, toward His Passion, death, and Resurrection.
"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man. They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." My study bible notes, "These verses are a warning to be prepared. The coming of Christ will be like a fire of judgment on many who are preoccupied with daily pursuits, but are oblivious of the things of God." Christ cites episodes from Scripture with which the Pharisees are familiar, of events of Judgment. The vivid point made is that none were aware of what was imminently to happen. Jesus has referred elsewhere in parables to those who are busy making plans for what they will do in life, and yet fail to plan for this event.
"In that day, he who is on the housetops, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." My study bible says that "the absolute value of God's Kingdom requires urgent preparedness and decisive action to preserve one's life eternally." In light of the verses that end today's passage, we have a kind of perspective on these verses here. When that Day comes, we are asked to "remember Lot's wife" and put away our cares of the world and "not turn back." "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" is also preached elsewhere in the Gospels, an important understanding of what it is to take up one's cross, and this is a lifetime pursuit. But in context here, it takes on a vivid kind of urgency for His return.
"I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left." My study bible teaches here: "The coming of Christ will entail a sudden, unexpected separation of destinies for friends and coworkers alike, depending on their preparedness for the Kingdom."
And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together." Other translations suggest different meanings for "body" and "eagles." My study bible says that "this proverb used by Jesus signifies that His glorious return will come as inevitably and clearly as birds of prey can be seen from afar gathering around a carcass." It suggests that those who are taken are taken to a place of judgment and death. But I would beg to differ not with the point but with the meaning of the language used here. To my mind the Greek is very clear in its use of the words for "body" and "eagles." In Patristic writings, and frequently found in spiritual teachings in the Eastern Church, the soul which pursues God's light is likened to an eagle or another bird of prey: looking directly at the light's rays and not turning away, it flies upward toward the fullness of salvation and restoration. Nothing can keep this eagle from the goal if the eye of its soul is focused on the light; in Gregory of Nyssa's metaphor, the force of the air alone from the movement of its wings scatters anything that might hold the eagle back or entangle it. So, with this metaphor in mind, the "eagles" gather to form the Body of Christ, and this is the "where" of assembly. We are all called to keep our mind focused on the true light of the soul, and its ultimate goal, to be with the "true light from true light."
Jesus' teaching today in Luke's Gospel makes a very vivid encounter palpable at His Second Coming. It's interesting that some of the statements here, such as "whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" are also found elsewhere in the Gospels in other contexts. Even in Luke's Gospel, in chapter 9, Jesus says, "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." In that context, He's speaking to the disciples when Peter first confessed He was the Christ, and Jesus also mentions the Day when He "will come in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God." Similar sayings are also found in Matthew's Gospel. Each focuses on discipleship and what it is to be one of His true followers, taking up his cross daily as did Christ. In Luke's reading for today, the focus is on the urgency and unpredictability of that Day, how easily we fall into the concerns of daily life and not of the soul, of the pursuit of this spiritual Kingdom that is within us, and among us. So where is this Body? Where is it that the eagles are gathered? For this understanding, we can only turn to His teachings, and accept with so many other teachers of the faith that to keep our spiritual eyes focused on the light is the way to participate in that glory, in daily life, and for the life of the age to come. Let us be thankful that He is truly within us, and in our midst, so that we look forward to the dawning of the true Light for everyone.
