NOTES for Luk 17:20-25
An account of what the Kingdom of God looks like and how it acts is understandable to anyone if, strangely enough, one does not speak about the Kingdom. When we seek emotional comfort for ourselves, other people's remedies seldom help. If we feel very bad, we will of course grasp at the words, “you will feel good there.” But the situation will not improve until we change within. Once our inner state improves, problems that yesterday caused anguish and sorrow no longer seem so hopeless today. Everything becomes easy for us. It is true that moments of illumination seldom last long and never last a lifetime.
The Kingdom's effect on our life is immeasurably stronger, because the Kingdom is eternal and God's presence within us is constant. Elsewhere Jesus described this same fact in the words: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls; for My yoke is good and My burden is light.” We fear the Cross; we fear submitting ourselves to God's will; we fear being with Him. If we admit the Kingdom into ourselves, the Cross, the Will, the yoke—all of this will remain. Only we will look upon it all not with fear but with joy.