Previously in pt.2………,
And from the days of John the Baptist until now,
The Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence,
Though this translation claims that the Kingdom of heaven has been forcefully progressing since John the Baptist, we must still comprehend the issue of violent men attacking it, which appears to be negative on the surface. These parts start to puzzle us in terms of interpretation, most likely due to a mistranslation of the words or a text that appears ambiguous in interpretation.
But, to assist us to comprehend, we’ll look at the original Greek text: The Greek verb here could mean “force a way violently,” which raises the question of whether the kingdom of God is under “violent force” physically and spiritually, or whether the sinner is giving it what it takes to enter the kingdom of heaven. When we compare this to Luke 16:16 (The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it). This indicates that the kingdom of heaven can be attained by spiritually strong men who have come to appreciate the kingdom’s value and benefits; attacking it means attacking it with full strength (the scriptures) and excitement.
Continued from pt.2…,
and the violent take it by force,
It argues that “the violent take it by force” because “. The violent are those who has passion for the things of Christ; those that has impetuous zeal, those who grasp the kingdom of heaven, its peace, and forgiveness of sin.
We can see from this scripture that the powerful or violent ones attacking or seizing the kingdom of heaven are not the kingdom’s opponents. They are individuals who are eager to give it what it takes to enter into the kingdom for they know that a price awaits them. They’re rushing in with ferocious passion and extreme exertion. We can conclude that “the violent that are taking it by force” are those who know God and desire to learn more about him.
“For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:13-15
To put it another way, Jesus is implying that entering the Kingdom of Heaven necessitates deliberate, planned, and determined activity. The two remarks recorded in Luke and Matthew are not contradictory; they look at Jesus’ teaching differently. When we combine both Matthew’s and Luke’s texts, we see that we have a lot to sacrifice in other to attain the kingdom of God.
There are forces of evil fighting against God’s word and mission in this world, and the gate of hell waging war against the children of God and His church. However, God gives strength to those that are striving to attain His kingdom. Many people are being set free from Satan’s grip as they grasp the good news of Jesus Christ.
In the same chapter, Jesus continues to pronounce woes on the cities where he had spent most of his time, because they show no interest in the kingdom of God and were not violent about it. Then he invites anyone who needs assistance and consolation to take up his yoke and burden, to be desperate and intentional (with religious violence) about seeing the kingdom come into being in their lives.
The entire chapter is a single message from Jesus to the people, and by extension, the rest of the world: Seek the kingdom of God.
WAKE UP CALL
“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”
Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?
Refrain
And when the battle’s over
We shall wear a crown!
Yes, we shall wear a crown!
Yes, we shall wear a crown!
And when the battle’s over
We shall wear a crown
In the new Jerusalem
Wear a crown (wear a crown)
Wear a crown (wear a crown)
Wear a bright and shining crown;
And when the battle’s over
We shall wear a crown
In the new Jerusalem.