The Hidden Reign of God
Text: Luke 10:1-20
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A key element in the literary genre of tragedy is the infamous missing piece of critical information. In Romeo and Juliet, both characters are missing some very crucial information that leads to a very unhappy ending for the couple. The ancient Greeks mastered this storytelling device a millennia before in stories like Oedipus Rex, where poor Oedipus is missing some absolutely vital information, or in Medea, where no one understands what her plan for revenge is until it’s too late to do anything about it.
There is a critical bit of information hidden in our Gospel reading today. Whether people have joy or woe, salvation or tragedy, is all dependent on when that critical information reaches them and how they receive it. Jesus sent out 72 messengers, disciples, to go ahead of Him to all the towns He was about to visit. He instructed them, “Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” The kingdom of God has drawn near to both types of people: those who are exalted to heaven and those who are brought down to Hades. So then, we have to ask, what is the kingdom of God?
The concept of the kingdom of God can be tricky for us because it’s been weighed down with so many false concepts. It’s not any geopolitical realm on this planet. It’s not a Christian nation or the modern state of Israel. It’s not having the right people wielding influence in the halls of power. It certainly isn’t any fallen mortal human running things the way we want them to. In fact, the kingdom of God does not look or sound like anything that we would recognize as a political entity.
The kingdom of God is simply this: God’s gracious rule over your life. A kingdom is defined by the fact that it is ruled by a king. This kingdom is ruled by God. But He does not rule as any mortal leader does. He rules in grace and forgiveness. Other kings call upon their vassals and citizens to fight on their behalf; this King fights for us. Other rulers demand taxes and tributes; this King gives of Himself so completely that He gives His own Son for the sake of His citizens. Other kings have borders and boundaries for their realms; this King has a realm beyond sight so that no one can say, “Look, here it is!” or “There!” Other kings wield revenge against those who have wronged them; this King forgives and restores those who have sinned against Him. The kingdom of God is like nothing else in this world. It is God’s reign of mercy, peace, forgiveness, and grace over the lives of His people.
The kingdom of God is God’s reign. That means that all the other little would-be kings and gods in your life lose their little thrones when His kingdom arrives. The powers of hell, the devil, the sins you wish you didn’t do and the sins you enjoy doing, all are dethroned. Even the effects of sin and corruption in this broken world, things like sickness or disease, weakened natures, death—all of these are cast down from the high positions they’ve had ruling over a fallen humanity, as we saw when the 72 went out proclaiming the kingdom of God arriving everywhere Jesus was going. The little kings we’ve spent so much time serving, like money and possessions, are also cast out of the kingdom of God as the ambassadors of His kingdom travel with no moneybags or knapsacks, sharing meals and homes with those who have provided out of charity and hospitality. Every little would-be ruler of your life is banished when the true King arrives in His kingdom, when He reigns in your life.
The kingdom of God is a hidden thing, as proclaimed in the parables of Jesus again and again. It’s a seed planted in the ground, out of sight. It’s the invisible yeast blended into a lump of bread dough. It’s a treasure buried in a field, underground and hidden. The kingdom of God is hidden from the eyes, from scales and measures, from the world’s assessments and counting. That means that it’s something that belongs to faith and faith alone. Only faith will know that God is reigning. Only faith will see the Lord ruling over the lives of the people He loves enough to have died for.
That’s why Jesus brings His reign, His kingdom, through preaching. That’s what He sent the 72 to do. They were to go before Him to all the towns He was about to go, and they were to preach what He Himself was about to preach in all those places: the kingdom of God has arrived in the flesh and blood of Jesus, in the Word He sends out as the Word made flesh. His kingdom, His reign, comes through His Word. We can see it happen that way throughout the gospels. Jesus speaks and the old rulers of disease and leprosy, of uncleanness and bodies shattered by the fallenness of this world are healed. Jesus speaks and demons, those vicious and brutal overlords, are banished back to the hell they came from. Jesus speaks and even the previously undefeated king, Death, has its crown knocked off its pale brow. The kingdom of God comes through the Word of Jesus, and so He authorizes the 72—and then, after His ascension, the Apostles—to do what He does: to preach the Word that brings the kingdom. And it’s still that Word that brings the kingdom of God to the lives of His people. Jesus still authorizes preachers to turn back the reign of our greatest enemy, sin and the forces of hell, with the Word of forgiveness. You heard it this morning as the kingdom of God raised its banner over you: I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God has come near to you now. And this kingdom, this reign, is received by faith.
Our Catechism sums this up well. When we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we’re praying that God’s kingdom would come to us, for we know that it certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we desire His good and gracious rule over us too. Then the Catechism asks, “How does God’s kingdom come?” It comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity. It’s about Christ coming into our lives and driving out all that would harm us or demand our fear, love, and trust above Him.
The kingdom of God is not for our glory or power or favor or appeal or applause. Yes, Jesus’ reign, His kingdom casts out those things we know are dangerous and harmful to our bodies and souls, but His kingdom is not about glory or shows of might. Rejoice not that the spirits are subject to you, but that your names are written in heaven. It’s about faith. It’s about grace. It’s about the life that God has won for you on the cross and shares with you in His kingdom. In the name of Jesus, our gracious King. Amen.
