Today's Scripture Readings �@�@�@ (Page numbers of the Blue Bible)
FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 66:10-14 (p.533)
SECOND LESSON: Galatians 6:1-10 (p.826)
GOSPEL LESSON: Luke 10:1-12 (p.734)

What is the Kingdom of God like? What are we praying for in the Lord's Prayer when we say "Thy kingdom come"? Today's Bible readings are about the Kingdom of God. In the Gospel reading Jesus tells 72 of his disciples to go to every town and say "The kingdom of God is near you" (Luke 10:11). In Galatians Chapter 6, St. Paul urges the congregation to bear the fruit of the spirit in their life together in the kingdom. And the Isaiah 66 passage is a beautiful picture of the future Jerusalem, the heavenly capital of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus sent out 72 people to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom. In the Bible, 72 is the number of nations in the world. So Jesus is giving a sign that the Kingdom of God is for all the "kingdoms" of this world. And for that mission, even more workers will be needed, so Jesus tells us also, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." And so we pray for our seminaries and church schools, and we pray that young people will hear the call and decide to become pastors and teachers and missionaries and workers in the church. And we pray for all the lay people who speak the Word of God or who invite friends to church when they do not feel confident to speak the Gospel themselves. We must pray because there are wolves out there! Some people hate the Gospel. There may be poverty, but Jesus tells his disciples that they will be offered hospitality. And if there is no hospitality, do not get angry or upset. Just dust off your shoes and move on.

We do this because it is the Gospel of peace. Jesus gave the missionaries only two speeches. "Peace to this house" and "The Kingdom of God is near you" (vs.5,9). This peace comes when the sick are healed and when the Gospel of God's love is proclaimed.

Today's Old Testament reading from Isaiah is interesting. We pray to God the Father, but Jerusalem is like a mother to the children of God. She nurses her children. She protects them and carries them on her arm. She comforts her children when they are worried or hurt. She plays with the children, they are "dandled on her knees" (66:12). We usually do not think about God playing with us, but why not? One of the fruit of the spirit is "joy." St. Paul tells us to "Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say, rejoice" (Phil.4:4). So the Kingdom of God is love and the happiness of that love.

And so here we have a description of the Kingdom of God: protection, nourishment, comfort, and play. Okinawa Lutheran Church is not Jerusalem, but it is the Kingdom of God in this place; we are a group of citizens of the Kingdom of God. And so, the characteristics of God's Kingdom should be seen right here in our midst. Here we should see the love and happiness of that love. There should be protection, nourishment, comfort, and play. And so we put those things in our church's yearly activity plan: worship, Bible study, and fellowship.

And do not forget. Jesus was crowned as King when he was on the cross. The sign above his head read, "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews." And as our King, he took upon himself the sins of his people. As our King he forgave us. As our resurrected Lord, he gives us eternal life in his Kingdom. And so with joy we pray, "Thy Kingdom come, amen."

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