By Praveen Bandula csc –
Readings: Phlm 1: 7-20; Lk 17: 20-25
‘Though they have eyes they cannot see’. Today’s gospel reading reminds of this saying of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, our eyes are blinded with our pride and ignorance. I am sure Jesus would have wondered in a similar way at the so-called spiritual leaders of the Jewish community, the Pharisees, who asked him, ‘when is the kingdom of God coming?’ If they had opened their mind and heart to God’s spirit, they would not have asked this question.
In the very beginning of Jesus’s ministry, he had proclaimed that ‘the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news’. The entire ministry of Jesus was to establish in the kingdom of God. His teachings and parables centred around the kingdom of God. He brought the kingdom of God amidst them. The concept of kingdom of God was entirely different for the Pharisees who believed it to be a place for eating, drinking, and making merry. But Jesus is speaking about peace, love, and joy in the presence of God.
Jesus tried to remind them that he is the son of God when he said, ‘the kingdom of God is among you.’ It is an invitation for us too, to realize where and what the kingdom of God is for us. A person who is open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit would realize that the kingdom of God already has come into his life. The scripture says we are the temple of the Lord, which means God dwells in us. Let us pray to God to keep us away from unwarranted pride, remove our ignorance, and grant us the wisdom to feel his presence with us. Then surely, we will recognize that we are already part of the kingdom of God.