Luke 17:21

17:21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is 1  in your midst.” 2 

Luke 18:16

18:16 But Jesus called for the children, 3  saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God 4  belongs to such as these. 5 

1 tn This is a present tense in the Greek text. In contrast to waiting and looking for the kingdom, it is now available.

2 tn This is a far better translation than “in you.” Jesus would never tell the hostile Pharisees that the kingdom was inside them. The reference is to Jesus present in their midst. He brings the kingdom. Another possible translation would be “in your grasp.” For further discussion and options, see D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 2:1414-19.

3 tn Grk “summoned them”; the referent (the children) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

4 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

5 sn The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant.