Jesus says, John is both “the greatest” and yet “the least” (7:28). The message is: Yes, this is the kingdom, but it is also not entirely the kingdom. Yes, it is here, but not totally here. It is there, but not entirely there. The kingdom will never be a private ego possession of anyone. None of us is worthy, and in fact, worthiness is not even the issue. Only trust. No one can say, “I have it.” It is always an invitation, just enough to draw us deeper. Just enough of God to make us want more of God, but God is always in the driver’s seat. “You have not chosen me, I am always choosing you” ( John 15:16). But, thank God, Luke ends that very passage by saying, “The kingdom of God is in your midst” (17:21). The Gospel reveals that life is always a mixed bag, but a good mixed bag. The kingdom “does not admit of [full] observation” here. Only in eternity are all shadows resolved. Here we live in faith and trust in the in-between.
—from the book Preparing for Christmas: Daily Meditations for Advent
by Richard Rohr
