Chapter 14

Jesus proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand [in him]; repent and believe the Good News.” If we see all of God in the person of Jesus, then we see all of God’s kingdom in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus came as the embodiment of the kingdom, and Jesus will come again to establish the kingdom in all of its glory at the end of the age. Jesus calls his followers to invest in and live for that kingdom. As you read these texts from the Gospel of Luke ask yourself, “What do I learn about the kingdom? What does it mean to belong to the kingdom and to live for the kingdom? How will it change the way I view life?” You will confront radical claims in this section of the Bible. But you will also hear radical promises, too.

Luke 9:51-62; Luke 10:25-42; Luke 11:1-26; Luke 14:1-24; Luke 15; Luke 16:19-31

One phrase in the Lord’s Prayer is especially relevant for our focus on the kingdom. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Use this one phrase as you pray at the beginning and end of each day. Then ponder situations you face: at home, among friends, at work, at school, in your neighborhood, at meetings, while shopping. Think about how your day will probably unfold, and then pray this phrase in response. What does it mean to ask God’s kingdom to come into your life circumstances? What is God’s will for those circumstances, and what is God’s will for you in those circumstances? If you knew God’s kingdom was truly coming, how would it change the way you live each day? How can you become a kingdom person, and thus a member of a resistance movement that awaits the coming kingdom?

What did you learn about the kingdom in the chapter, the Bible study, and the spiritual exercise? Christian citizenship is in the kingdom of God, and thus no earthly party, institution, or ideology. What does it mean to live for the kingdom? How would such a commitment change the way you live?

Matthew 6:33-34