Thursday, January 10, 2008
Psalm 106:1-18; Matthew 11:1-19"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been coming violently, and the violent take it by force."
(Matthew 11:12)
This had always been a rather obscure verse to me, until I read the background and understanding that the scholars from the Jerusalem School for Synoptic Research give it. They see this as "an oblique reference to Micah 2:13":
"He who opens the breach goes up before them,
they break through and pass the gate,
going out by it.
Their king passes on before them,
the LORD at their head."
The image here is of the makeshift stone corral wall that keeps sheep in at night. The "breaker," or "he who opens up the breach," is the one who removes or knocks down the temporary holding gate / wall.
I think Jesus' idea is that John was the breaker and then He is the king, the LORD, who is leading the sheep out as they break forth (though it could be that Jesus is also a breaker, or the breaker). Certainly that John is the breaker fits in with Jesus' rebuke and defense of his baptizing cousin who was suffering violence in proclaiming the kingdom, as would Jesus himself.
For us, we must follow. We are not to stay caged up, penned in, in our night-time prisons. We are to confidently, strongly, deliberately, obediently, and joyfully follow the LORD our king who is leading us - as well as heed the preaching of the Baptist. God's kingdom indeed is on the move, it's an expanding, dynamic enterprise. And while it is for the meek, the poor in spirit, those persecuted for righteousness, for those willing to be like little children, for sheep who will follow, it is not for those who just want to sleep through the day in their self-imposed corrals.
they break through and pass the gate,
going out by it.
Their king passes on before them,
the LORD at their head."
The image here is of the makeshift stone corral wall that keeps sheep in at night. The "breaker," or "he who opens up the breach," is the one who removes or knocks down the temporary holding gate / wall.
I think Jesus' idea is that John was the breaker and then He is the king, the LORD, who is leading the sheep out as they break forth (though it could be that Jesus is also a breaker, or the breaker). Certainly that John is the breaker fits in with Jesus' rebuke and defense of his baptizing cousin who was suffering violence in proclaiming the kingdom, as would Jesus himself.
For us, we must follow. We are not to stay caged up, penned in, in our night-time prisons. We are to confidently, strongly, deliberately, obediently, and joyfully follow the LORD our king who is leading us - as well as heed the preaching of the Baptist. God's kingdom indeed is on the move, it's an expanding, dynamic enterprise. And while it is for the meek, the poor in spirit, those persecuted for righteousness, for those willing to be like little children, for sheep who will follow, it is not for those who just want to sleep through the day in their self-imposed corrals.
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