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§44 The Coming of the Kingdom (Luke 17:20–37)

Unlike Matthew (24:3–25:46) and Mark (13:3–37), Luke scatters his materials concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, the last days, and the return of Jesus as Son of Man in at least five different locations (13:34–35; 17:20–37; 19:41–45; 21:7–36; 23:28–31). The passage presently under consideration (17:20–37) is paralleled at many points in Matthew (10:39; 16:21; 24:17, 18, 23, 26–28, 37, 39–41) and in Mark (8:31; 13:15–16, 21).

17:20–21 / The first part of this section is that part which actually relates directly to the kingdom of God. What follows in vv. 22–37 may more appropriately be regarded as material concerned with the return of the “Son of Man” and should be viewed, as Fitzmyer (p. 1158) has contended, as “something different” from the kingdom material in vv. 20–21. Nevertheless, because the evangelist has lumped the materials together, they are here treated as a unified discourse that has something to contribute to the general theme of the kingdom of God.

Elsewhere in Luke we have been told that the kingdom of God is something that can be seen and will be seen by some of Jesus’ contemporaries (9:27). When Jesus sent out the Seventy he instructed them to proclaim that the kingdom of God has come near (10:9, 11), and similarly in 11:20 demonic exorcisms are seen as proof that the “kingdom of God has come to you.” Therefore, when Jesus is asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, it is clear that their conception of the kingdom does not correlate well with what has already been stated above. Undoubtedly underlying their question was the popular belief about the kingdom, i.e., the hope for a political redeemer through whom God would bless and exalt Israel above the nations. Jesus’ immediate answer implies that he does not share this view (as could already be gathered by the statements mentioned above). The kingdom of God does not come with … observation (v. 20b). Initially this statement appears to contradict the statement found in 9:27. But that is not so. Whereas the context in 9:27 anticipates the visible manifestation of the kingdom’s power, as seen in Jesus’ transfiguration and consultation with the heavenly visitors (9:28–35), here a different word is used (lit. “The kingdom of God does not come with observation”), and the context suggests that what will not be observed is a geographical, political kingdom, not the kingdom’s power. Such an observable kingdom is not coming, at least not soon. Thus, Jesus states in v. 21 that no one will be able to say with authority, “Here it is,” or “There it is.” The kingdom of God is not a political, geographical entity; it is a power within (or among) Jesus’ disciples (see note below). The last part of v. 21 refers to Jesus’ presence upon the earth and the power of God that is available to people because of that presence.

17:22–37 / The following verses were probably uttered on a different occasion and are here addressed to the disciples, but because of the close relationship between the appearance of the kingdom and the appearance of the Son of Man (Jesus), these materials are brought together by Luke. (The similar expressions found in vv. 21 and 23 may have served as linking phrases.)

Whereas the kingdom of God is within (or possibly among) people, which suggests a present reality, there yet remains a futuristic dimension. According to Acts 1:6–7, the kingdom has not yet come in its fulness but is still awaited. What brings about the kingdom in its fulness will be the return of Jesus, the Son of Man (Acts 1:11). It is with this return that vv. 22–37 are concerned.

This section may be divided roughly into three parts: (1) the delay of the Son of Man (vv. 22–25), (2) the suddenness and unexpectedness of the return of the Son of Man (vv. 26–30), and (3) instructions in vigilance (vv. 31–37). Fitzmyer (p. 1167) summarizes the section as follows: “Jesus first tells the disciples that the Son of Man will not come as soon as they wish (v. 22), instructs them about the way in which he will not come (v. 23) as well as the way in which he will (v. 24), but also tells them about what will happen first (v. 25), about the condition in which human beings will be when he does come (vv. 26–30), and about the discriminating judgment which will be exercised on human beings ‘on that day’ or ‘on that night’ (vv. 31–35).”

Jesus teaches his disciples in vv. 22–25 that the time is coming when they will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, that is, his second coming. But they will not see it. There will be a delay. Jesus will not return for a long time. In the meantime the disciples are to be vigilant, waiting with expectation, but not fooled by those who say, “There he is!” or “Here he is!” (Compare the similar warnings in vv. 20–21 about false predictions concerning the appearance of the kingdom itself.) There will be false prophets (even false Christs; 21:8) who announce the appearance of a savior. But the disciples are not to go running off after them (see note below). The reason for this prohibition is that the appearance of the Son of Man will be sudden and unannounced. Those who are heralded and announced are imposters; but Christ will appear as the lightning flashes across the sky. Interrupting the flow of the idea, Jesus reminds his disciples that this day of glorious revelation must be preceded by suffering and rejection (see 9:22) by this generation. For the people who reject and crucify him are very much like those who will be living on the earth when he returns.

In vv. 26–30 these people are compared to the people in the days of Noah, people who did not heed the warning of the coming judgment (Genesis 6–7). For these people life went on as usual (v. 27). Jesus also compares them to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Lot, people who neither recognized their sin nor expected God’s judgment right up to the moment when fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all (v. 29; see Gen. 19:24). These unprepared peoples, those in the days of Noah and Lot, perished when the day of judgment came upon them. From these comparisons it becomes quite evident that the coming of the Son of Man is to be understood not only as sudden and unexpected, but as bringing judgment with it.

In light of these dangers, Jesus in vv. 31–36 instructs his disciples how to prepare for this time of upheaval. The first point that Jesus makes is that at the moment of crisis one must be prepared. There will be no time to make provision. Exactly why there is a prohibition against going into one’s house is not clear. (Would it be any safer outside?) The saying is probably meant to be taken figuratively in the sense of the need to be mentally and spiritually prepared. In the Lucan context true spirituality involves a correct attitude toward possessions. One who rushes back to a house to get personal belongings is not ready to meet the Lord. That one is like Lot’s wife, who looked back longingly for the things that she had left behind in Sodom, and in so doing she lost her life (Gen. 19:26). Therefore, Jesus says, whoever tries to keep his life (by his own selfish means) will lose it, and whosoever loses his life (in service for Christ) will preserve it. The second point that Jesus makes is “the separation between closely related people” (Marshall, p. 667), an idea that is probably related to the saying on family division (Luke 12:49–53). The pair of examples (see note below) in vv. 34–35 is not explained. The fate of those taken or left behind is not explained in the passage. Those “taken” may be those rescued by the coming of the Son of Man, while those “left” would be those left for judgment and destruction. But then the opposite could be the sense: some taken for judgment, others left alive (Fitzmyer [p. 1172] prefers the latter; Marshall [p. 668] the former). In whichever way the illustrations are understood the point is clear: some will be ready, some will not be.

The section closes with an ominous saying in v. 37. Literarily question of the disciples (Where, Lord?) elicits Jesus’ saying as an answer. But what “where” has to do with the preceding sayings is uncertain (for a survey of suggestions see Marshall, p. 669). In any case, the purpose of the question is to introduce Jesus’ answer. The point of the saying seems to be that the appearance of the Son of Man “will be as unmistakable in its revelation as carrion is to the bird of prey” (Fitzmyer, p. 1168; see note below).