Here these words of Jesus about the kingdom from Luke 10: 8 ?When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ?The kingdom of God is near you.? 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ?Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.? 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town..
1. Once again, as in Luke 9:11, kingdom is connected to the power of God at work to heal folks of physical diseases. This theme derives from the OT and from expectations that the kingdom of God, when it arrived, would end all suffering and disease … etc.. So, kingdom is naturally connected to healing.
2. Kingdom is not only something Jesus proclaims, embodies, and enacts for others, it is something he has given to his followers who also proclaim, embody and enact that kingdom.
3. Kingdom proclamation is both the announcement of redemptive relations and of warning of judgment … if the people don’t turn, they will see bad days.
4. The kingdom of God “is near” most likely refers to Jesus’ expectation, along the lines of Mark 9:1 and Matt 10:23, that something big-time will happen very, very soon. (I believe this comment refers to 70AD.) In other words, the work of God’s special redemption is so imminent things are already being seen “as if” it is already here.