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Yesterday, we read that as Jesus went to Jerusalem, 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."
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 housetop, 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 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 aid to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."
- Luke 17:20-37
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 the kingdom of God is a spiritual reality that is present both within the Christian believer and within the community of the Church. The phrase within you can be translated also as "among you" or "in your midst."
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." The tone shifts here as Jesus speaks privately to His disciples, speaking about the time after His Passion, death on the Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension. They will long to see Him, but they are not to believe anyone who tells them to go here or go there -- that He's someplace they don't know about. When He does return, and this is His promise here -- it will be such that everybody knows it. It will be unmistakable. But first must come His Passion, His rejection, and suffering, the Cross.
"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 tells us that this is a warning not to be preoccupied with worldly matters -- and it applies both to individual believers and to parishes.
"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 housetop, 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 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 notes here that Christ speaks of His second coming as including a sudden revelation of judgment. It says, "One will be taken to heaven and the other left for eternal condemnation. The separation of the saints from the wicked will occur on 'the day when the Son of Man is revealed' and not, as some speculate today, at an event that occurs before His return."
And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He aid to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together." My study bible explains that the body here refers to Christ, and the eagles are the angels and the saints.
It seems to me that Jesus is introducing a rather radical concept here, that of the Kingdom as a mystical reality present in our midst. It is both within us as individuals and among us as community. A prayer of the Eastern Church describes the Holy Spirit as the One who is "everywhere present and filling all things." It's a reality that encompasses everything, and yet is not perceived by everyone, and not everyone chooses to participate in it or be a part of it. As John's prologue tells it: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness didn't comprehend it." This is a present reality; it's His promise to us. Until that time comes when everybody knows everything, when everything is suddenly revealed amidst our daily lives, this is the present reality we live. It's like a great dimension, a full circle, that exists within our own worldly reality, but we must have "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" to perceive it. Somewhere it's our own choice for faith deep inside of us, in a very mysterious place, where the love of God calls us in the heart and we respond with love. What Christ promises is not a radically changed world here; instead, He chooses images from every day life for that time of His return. He portrays a picture here in Luke's Gospel, of "life as usual," and no warning at all for the time when His return and revelation to all occurs. I suppose that the teaching, "Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" can apply to us at all times, and is a general word of caution and warning to all of us. "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" is a teaching He's given elsewhere, a word we are to live by, an understanding that we "sacrifice" the worldly where it intersects and interferes with our lives in this mystical Kingdom. In that way, we each bear a cross, just as He did in His example to us. The word here is clear: that whatever we do with our lives, we must keep this mystical Kingdom paramount in our minds, not just for this last day described here, but for every day. It is our reality, and it is the eventual reality for everyone depending upon whether one chooses to enter it and embrace it or not. Faith is the key here; it's like a kind of passport. Can we live and dwell within this mystical reality, or is it so far away from us that this is impossible to us? The door is open, we have the key and it is faith. He is the door Himself. Ultimately, we become a part of His mystical Body, where the eagles are gathered.
