Luke 17:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,

NIV: Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, 'The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed,

NASB: Now He was questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, and He answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God is not coming with signs that can be observed;

CSB: When he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable;

NLT: One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, 'When will the Kingdom of God come?' Jesus replied, 'The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs.

KJV: And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

NKJV: Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation;

"Jesus' Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27) is a group of stories that identify who Jesus is and teach the disciples about the kingdom of God. It's not certain that Jesus' interaction with the Pharisees (Luke 17:20–21) directly follows His healing of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11–19) or if Luke, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, placed it here for effect. His writing, in this section, is grouped more by topic than by time order.

The effect is great, however. Early in the chapter, Jesus told the disciples that they only needed a tiny bit of faith to accomplish great works (Luke 17:5–6). Just prior to this interaction, Jesus told ten lepers to show themselves to the priest. They responded immediately and found their leprosy healed as they went. Now, the Pharisees are incapable of seeing that the kingdom of God has come.

Their narrow-mindedness continues in a startling fashion. Within the political spectrum of Jewish sects, the Pharisees are strong nationalists. They aren't as extreme as the Zealots, but unlike the Sadducees they want the Romans gone and Israel returned to the Jews. Their expected version of Messiah is a strong military leader. They expect another King David, who will raise an army and drive out the Romans. They just don't see that in Jesus.

They don't understand that as the Messiah, Jesus will fulfill the Old Testament prophecies gradually. In this, His first coming, "He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench" (Isaiah 42:2–3). He will give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, wholeness to the lame, and speech to the mute (Isaiah 35:5–6). He will also heal the lepers, making them physically whole and ceremonially pure so they can worship God in the temple.

And, still, the Pharisees don't see. They don't "observe" that Jesus' healing ministry is empowered by the Holy Spirit and designed to affirm His words come from God (John 5:36; 10:38). They don't see that the Son of God has invaded the world of sin and "the kingdom of God is in [their] midst" (Luke 17:21).

Luke 17:20–21 is an introduction to Jesus' end times discourse as given to His disciples. The Pharisees ask about the kingdom of God. They want independence from Rome, but they don't think a carpenter from Nazareth can make it happen. Jesus tries to make them see—once again—that God's kingdom has arrived. It is present in His teaching and miracles. Following, Jesus explains to His disciples how to recognize the coming "days of the Son of Man" (Luke 17:22–37; Daniel 7:13–14).

In his gospel, Luke has often arranged events by theme rather than by strict time order. That seems likely here with a series of teachings about living as Christ followers and ambassadors of God. Christians ought to be careful not to poison the faith of others. Faith is powerful. God's servants should not demand extravagant treatment in return. After healing ten lepers—only one of whom offers thanks—Jesus discusses the state of the world at His future second coming.

Luke 17 continues Jesus' teaching about how to live as citizens and ambassadors of the kingdom of God. Luke 15 describes God's love for the lost. Chapter 16 teaches earthly blessings are far inferior to heavenly rewards. Here, He exhorts His followers to lead well, serve humbly, give thanks, and watch for His second coming. In Luke 18, Jesus gives a series of comparisons to show how we are to approach God—as He approaches Jerusalem and the cross.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.