Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he said in reply, “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, 21 and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.”
22 Then he said to his disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23 There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, there he is,’ [or] ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. 24 For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be [in his day]. 25 But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.
The Pharisees ask when God’s reign will arrive. Jesus answers that it will not come in a way people can track or stage; no one can point to a location and say, “Here it is.” The reign of God is already present “among you” because the King himself is in their midst. Where Jesus acts with God’s authority—calling sinners, healing, forgiving, and teaching—the kingdom is at work (vv. 20-21).
Jesus then turns to his disciples. A time will come when they will long to see even one of the days of the Son of Man—days when his presence was obvious and consoling—but they will not see it. That longing can make people vulnerable to sensational claims and spiritual shortcuts (v. 22).
Some will say, “Look, there he is,” or, “Look, here he is.” Jesus forbids chasing after such announcements. The true revelation of the Son of Man will not be local, hidden, or dependent on a rumor mill (v. 23).
He gives an image: lightning that flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. His day will be unmistakable and public, not private or secret; no special knowledge or private guidance will be required; God’s action will be evident to all (v. 24).
Yet before that unmistakable day, Jesus teaches the necessary order of salvation: suffering and rejection come first. The Son of Man must be rejected by “this generation” and suffer greatly. Glory will follow the cross. That pattern—cross, then resurrection; obedience, then exaltation—governs the life of Christ and shapes the life of every disciple (v. 25; cf. Is. 53; Phil. 2:6-11).
Jesus tells us not to hunt for a place or a timetable. The kingdom has begun in him and continues wherever he is trusted and obeyed. The final day will be clear to all. Until then, disciples live between “already” and “not yet”: we follow the crucified and risen Lord, resist spiritual fads, and persevere in faithful hope.
Lord Jesus, keep us close to you. Anchor our hearts in your reign already at work, and give us steady hope for the day when you will be revealed in glory. Amen.
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- Bernard Orchard et al., A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (1953).
- Faculty of the University of Navarre, The Navarre Bible: Luke (Four Courts/Scepter).
- José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al., eds., The Paulist Biblical Commentary (2018).
- Raymond E. Brown et al., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990).
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