'From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.' (Matthew 11:12)
The kingdom Jesus proclaimed advanced in and through confrontation. There was confrontation with religious leaders, political leaders and unbelieving people. There was confrontation with diseases and death. There was confrontation with the economic orthodoxy of the day that said the poor deserved their circumstances. Jesus, and John the Baptiser before him, had ample opportunity to back away from, or water down into more palatable form the message they proclaimed.
The kingdom of God is advanced by forceful intent by people committed to its proclamation no matter the cost. The kingdom of God is no namby-pamby, watered down, lowest common denominator Utopian ideal. It is reality at its most fundamental. Such reality will always confront the unreality of our world.
Prayer
Lord, too easily you can be dismissed as 'gentle Jesus, meek and mild' - when you are anything but. may the conviction you and John shared burn deep within my heart and in some small but significant way be evident in my life.
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