Was the kingdom of God within them? The blessed
Lord said plainly that it was. He said not, "The kingdom of God is
within some people's hearts;" or, "The kingdom of God is within the
hearts of believers;" or, "The kingdom of God might be within you if
you liked." But He said that the kingdom of God was then and there
within the hearts of those wicked and unbelieving Pharisees.
Now, how could that be? In the same way that some time before that,
as St. Luke tells us, the power of the Lord was present to heal those
same Pharisees; and they were for the time amazed, and glorified God,
and were filled with fear at His mighty works; but not healed. Their
souls were not cured of their sin and folly by any means; for we find
in the very next chapter, that because Jesus cured a palsied man on
the Sabbath-day they were filled with madness, and consulted together
how to kill Him.
For, my friends, as it was with them, so it is with us. God's
kingdom is within every one of us; but it may make us worse, as well
as make us better. It may fill us with righteousness, and peace, and
joy in the Holy Spirit; or it may fill us, as it filled the
Pharisees, with madness, and hatred of religion and of goodness; as
it is written, that the gospel may be a savour of death unto death to
us, as well as a savour of life unto life.
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