Lookahead: What had the prophets proclaimed prior to John the Baptist?  Bad news, with a teeny smattering of good melded in.  They typically prophesied that, because the people were so rebellious, a reckoning was coming.  However, there was always a glimmer of hope for the remnant—and for eventual deliverance of all.  Had that changed?  Well, both Jesus and John were focusing on the Good News—that deliverance/salvation were at hand—to the exclusion of the judgment option.  And this signaled that the re-emergence of the Davidic Kingdom was just around the corner. 

We’ve been discussing how the wilderness Israelites missed a big opportunity to enter the Kingdom. Now we’re going to dig a little deeper and try to understand the alternative case, i.e., what is the process for entering the Kingdom of Heaven for someone who badly wants in?

Yesterday I watched a Taiwanese movie named Kano.  It is the story of a baseball team in a town called Kagi, in Formosa, in 1931. The team had two distinguishing features: first of all, it was a multiethnic team comprised of Chinese, Japanese, and island natives (Taiwanese); and they had never won a baseball game. The town’s dignitaries finally prevailed upon the local accountant to coach the team.  The accountant was a talented baseball player who had competed and then coached at the national championship level.  The coach took this team, that was basically a hodgepodge of demoralized teenagers, and turned them into a finely honed warrior team that dominated the annual championships, called Koshien (that took place in the Koshien Stadium in the Koshien district of Nishinomiya City in Japan).  From the very first day, the coach had this team of seeming misfits doing their running drills through town yelling “Koshien; 1, 2, 3 Koshien; Shout it out, Koshien, etc.” Their training was all about getting good enough to get to this “place.” When they finally made it to Koshien, they advanced to the final round, but lost in the last (nail biter) inning.  The ironic thing was that they were still heroes in the coach’s eyes because they had made it to Koshien.  The team even put Koshien soil in a bottle and brought it back as a trophy.  Bottom line, they put all their drive into getting to a place.  Is that what we need to do to get into the Kingdom of Heaven?    

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.  Matthew 11:12,13

I believe that we might be able to round out this scripture by comparing it to the other instance of its usage in Luke 16:16,17 –

The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

Looking at the biblical context in which this verse was spoken, we will see that it differs from Matthew’s.  So Jesus may have added further revelation.  Plus we know that Matthew’s occurrence happened well before Luke’s.

Matthew’s context: the disciples of John the Baptist had approached Jesus with his question about whether He was the Messiah.  After He had encouraged them and they had left, He began to characterize  John the Baptist as the chief of all prophets.  Then He provided some valuable timeline info:  From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.  Matt 11:12,13  (All underlines mine.) This establishes that there was a discrete time shift when God’s chosen prophet began to proclaim the Good News and preach about the immediacy of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Luke’s context:  Jesus had just preached on the hypocrisy of the religious establishment and their inner greed/outward observance of the law and then he made the timeline remark—The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. Jesus concluded that the religious folk were still accountable for keeping every facet of the law although they are trying to gain entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven by their enthusiasm/spirit of entitlement.

What had the prophets proclaimed prior to John the Baptist?  Bad news, with a teeny smattering of good melded in.  They typically prophesied that, because the people were so rebellious, a reckoning was coming.  However, there was always a glimmer of hope for the remnant—and for eventual deliverance of all.  Had that changed?  Well, both Jesus and John were focusing on the Good News—that deliverance/salvation were at hand—to the exclusion of the judgment option.  And this signaled that the re-emergence of the Davidic Kingdom was just around the corner. 

In Luke 16:16, Jesus said that everyone wanted to enter the Kingdom, but He was directing His remarks toward the legalistic Jews, implying that “everyone” was actually the religious establishment.  Plus, He said that, although they wanted in, it wasn’t going to happen.  They were still accountable for keeping every part of the law…as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;  Romans 2:12  But who was Jesus referring to in Matthew 11 when He said, “the violent lay claim to (the Kingdom)?” 

“The violent” is a noun, which is derived from the biazo Greek verb.  The same biazo word can mean everything from: to use violence, to use force, to appropriate by effort and earnestness, or to seek zealously.  The curious thing is that “biazo” is not only used in Matthew, it is used in Luke “everyone ‘biazo’s’ into it.” For some reason the translators chose “utilize violence” in Matthew, but “seek zealously” in Luke.  Why?  Perhaps they wanted to reflect a different level of intensity.  In Luke 16, Jesus rules the religious establishment out as Kingdom candidates, therefore, He might be talking about another people group in Matthew.  And, whoever “they” are, the translators said they are violent.  Maybe “desperate for God” or “won’t be denied” might be more fitting.  Not only are they violent, they are successful—“the violent snatch it.” 

Although two dozen+ translations were consistent in this approach, the Passion Translation was very revealing (perhaps because it’s all about passion) 🙂 

From the moment John stepped onto the scene until now, the realm of heaven’s kingdom is bursting forth and passionate people have taken hold of its power!  Matthew 11:12

Now when this wonderful news of God’s kingdom realm is preached, people’s hearts burn with extreme passion to press in and receive it. Luke 16:16

Regardless of the translation differences, I think we can safely establish that (1) we don’t get into the Kingdom by trying to religiously follow all the rules, because this is a good  indication that we don’t know God.  The more we know Him, the more our passion for the Kingdom is going to grow.  (2) If we are busy doing godly things, and not in His sincere service, this may point to a pride element, i.e., we think that we can do it all.  This pride gets us…nada.  (3) If we are like the religious establishment during Jesus’ earthwalk, and believe that we are the only legitimate heirs of the Kingdom, our spirit of entitlement is going to get us…nada+. (4) To the Kano Team, Koshien was essentially an idol that the entire team hungered for, eventually with every fiber of their being.  If someone is similarly seeking the Kingdom of Heaven with this heart/mind set (instead of seeking the King), I don’t believe that they will get in.

So enough already about how we won’t get in.  How do we get in?  To be continued…