From Empire to Faithful Community
Scripture Readings
Luke 17:20–21
Matthew 20:25–28
John 18:36
Opening Reflections
As we continue walking His Word together, we arrive this week at a word many of us have heard our entire lives—but may never have truly questioned:
Kingdom.
We pray for it.
We sing about it.
We are told to seek it first.
And yet, for many Christians today, the word kingdom has become deeply confusing—even dangerous—because it is often imagined in the same way kingdoms have always been imagined in human history: as power, territory, dominance, and rule.
But when we listen carefully to Jesus, something surprising happens.
He keeps refusing that definition.
“The Kingdom Is Not Coming in Ways That Can Be Observed”
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is asked directly when the Kingdom of God will come. This is a political question. It assumes visible change, social takeover, perhaps even regime shift.
Jesus’ answer is deeply unsettling to anyone seeking control:
“The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed… For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”
Not over you.
Not enforced upon you.
Not installed by authority.
Among you.
This tells us something essential: Jesus is not describing a political system. He is describing a way of being together.
Why Jesus Uses Kingdom Language at All
To understand Jesus’ teaching, we must remember the world he lived in.
The people listening to Jesus lived under empire. Kingdoms were not metaphors—they were daily realities. Authority flowed downward. Obedience was demanded. Power was centralized.
Jesus speaks into this world using familiar language—but he empties it of its usual meaning.
He borrows the word kingdom because it is what people understand, then quietly reshapes it into something unrecognizable to empire.
This is not endorsement
It is subversion
“It Shall Not Be So Among You”
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus draws a clear boundary between his way and the world’s way:
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them… It will not be so among you.”
This may be one of the most overlooked political statements in Scripture.
Jesus does not say, “One day you will rule better.”
He does not say, “Wait your turn.”
He does not promise Christian dominance.
He says: This is not our model.
In the Kingdom Jesus describes:
- Authority serves rather than controls
- Leadership lowers itself
- Greatness is measured by care, not command
If the Kingdom looks like domination, Jesus says, we have misunderstood it.
“My Kingdom Is Not of This World”
When Jesus stands before Pilate, he is again given an opportunity to claim political authority. He declines.
“My kingdom is not of this world.”
This does not mean the Kingdom has no impact on the world. It means it does not operate according to the world’s systems of power.
Jesus refuses to rule through force—even when injustice surrounds him. He does not seize authority to correct morality. He does not use violence to impose righteousness.
Instead, he embodies a different kind of power: truth lived consistently, even at great cost.
From Kingdom to Faithful Community
When we hear the word kingdom today, we must ask ourselves honestly:
What do we imagine? Is it:
- A nation?
- A government?
- A moral order enforced by law?
- A hierarchy with God at the top and others beneath?
Or could it be something far more demanding—and far less controllable?
Jesus’ Kingdom looks like:
- Communities shaped by love
- Relationships governed by mercy
- Ethics practiced without coercion
- Faith lived visibly but never forced
This kind of Kingdom cannot be legislated.
It cannot be conquered.
It cannot be imposed.
It can only be practiced.
Why This Matters Now
Throughout history, Christians have repeatedly attempted to turn Jesus’ vision into empire—believing that if faith could gain enough power, the world would be saved.
And yet, Jesus never models this approach.
Instead, he forms disciples—not rulers.
He builds communities—not states.
He changes lives—not laws.
Whenever Christianity seeks dominance, it drifts from discipleship. Whenever it confuses moral conviction with political control, it loses credibility.
The Kingdom of God does not arrive through force.
It appears wherever people choose to walk in Christ’s way.
Our Commitment as a Community
As those walking His Word, we commit to:
- Resisting the temptation to equate faith with power
- Questioning uses of “kingdom language” that justify control
- Practicing discipleship that reflects Christ’s humility
- Building faithful community rather than seeking dominance
- Trusting that God’s way does not require coercion
We believe the Kingdom Jesus preached is not something we seize—but something we live into, together.
Closing Reflection
As we move into the week ahead, we invite you to reflect on this question:
When we imagine the Kingdom of God, do we picture control—or transformation?
May we have the courage to let Jesus redefine the words we thought we understood.
Amen.
As we continue walking His Word together, this week’s Scripture in Practice offers space to practice what we have heard—reading Scripture with Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom at the center. Rather than seeking control or certainty, we learn to recognize the Kingdom as something lived among us.
Walking His Way 