The Watched Pot; Luke 17-19

May the mumbling commence!

A watched pot never boils.  That is the saying anyways.  Though a watched pot of water will eventually boil, it will seem like forever if you watch it.  First, the small bubbles start to form – one here and one there.  Then the bubbles start to come in bursts.  The bubbles get bigger and bigger until finally the water begins to do a rolling boil.

Yet this will happen only if you turn the correct burner on.  I learned this valuable lesson numerous times on our stovetop.  The heat source – be it fire or electric current – is what causes the water to boil.  The temperature of the water rises and rises, until it gets to the point where the water begins to steam – turn into gas.

Boiling is actually a cooling process.  Did you get that?  Boiling is actually a cooling process.  Isn’t water remarkable?

If we study, we can learn the signs of water coming to a boil.  Humanity has learned to see the signs of a number of things.  I marvel at the way we can predict hurricanes and tornadoes.  Even so, we are nothing but idiot savants.  We miss the obvious – especially in the spiritual realm.

How about this question: When will the Kingdom of God come?  It is a question that the Pharisees asked Jesus.  Read the recorded response of Jesus from Luke chapter seventeen:

Later, he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he gave them this reply:

"The kingdom of God never comes by watching for it. Men cannot say, 'Look, here it is', or 'there it is', for the kingdom of God is inside you." (Verses 20-21)

The kingdom of God is inside you.  Why are we waiting for the kingdom?  It is here.  It is in our DNA.  We may not see it because it takes a different form – like water.  It may be ice when we are looking for water.  Or it may be water when we are looking for steam.

I think the present kingdom is most like steam.  It is hard to see with our eyes.  But, when we come into contact with it, it is hard to miss.  Ever had a steam burn?  There is not burn quite like it.  I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

It is better to flow with the steam than to flow against it.  Let us use all our God-given senses together so that we may discern how the Holy Spirit is moving the kingdom of God in this world.  Let us join with this movement and celebrate. 

If we don’t search for the Spirit’s movements, we will likely end up with a bad burn.  And that burn will come from looking for the Spirit in all the wrong places.  The kingdom of God begins in the hearts of the church, Christ’s body.  Then it grows from there.  Then, the church will be able to better discern the Spirit’s movement beyond the borders of the church.

Let us look inside and introspect so that we can see the world in a new light – the light of Jesus.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out