Luke 10:11 “The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.”
Why was it so important that they make this statement concerning the kingdom of God? Once rejected surely it would matter little what they tried to say to a town like this. Yet, Jesus makes a point of this statement and wants them to be sure to make it.
This has implications for us even today. The Jews were looking for Jesus to come and set up His physical kingdom on earth. He did not do that at the time of His first coming, but He will do so upon His return to earth the second time. But, we too sometimes want to get the cart before the horse. Many Christians act as if they must save this world politically, socially, morally and so forth. We may work to benefit our world in these ways. But the mission of the gospel is to save human souls, not transform society into a Christian utopia. Surely, conversion WILL lead to progress in all of these areas, but it is the conversion of souls, not the world system that is ultimately in view.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gospel! We want to be Your servants, and make this world a better place to live. But, we will strive to keep the focus where it belongs. Your Son is the kingdom! It all belongs to Him. And He will set up what He wants when the time has come. May we be faithful to preach and teach Your Word in the meantime. We love You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.