Q4. Forecefully Pressing into the Kingdom

[wifee]

Jesus stresses the necessity of actively, boldly, seeking the kingdom, sometimes we are not willing to do whatever it takes to follow Jesus. Jesus is asking for everything that we have

[Jen]

Q4. (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16) Admittedly, this is a hard passage to interpret. However, if you take the

[RLL]

Q4. (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16) Admittedly, this is a hard passage to interpret. However, if you take the

[Craig]

Q4. (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16) Admittedly, this is a hard passage to interpret. However, if you take the

[Pearl]

Q4. (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16) Admittedly, this is a hard passage to interpret. However, if you take the

[Commissioned]

Q4. (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16) Admittedly, this is a hard passage to interpret. However, if you take the

[wizzie55]

JESUS IS TELLING US THAT WE NEED TO GET ARE LIFE IN ORDER ,IF WE WANT TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OD GOD

[kcjim]

Q4. (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16) Admittedly, this is a hard passage to interpret. However, if you take the forceful or violent people as seekers who are doing whatever it takes to press into the Kingdom, then what is Jesus teaching us here about the nature of the Kingdom?

I really enjoyed reading the eriudite responses to this passage that cited Micah. But I tend to see Jesus' message as simpler: Before John, you could satisfy God by following the law and reading and heeding the prophets. Now you need to do more.

Jesus is the incarnation of "the Kingdom of God/Heaven," and therefore the passage says that violence is being done both TO the Kingdom and BY the Kingdom.

John is martyred and Jesus will be shortly and his followers are being and will be persecuted.

If you look at John's message in Matthew 3, it IS a violent message, and the Messiah is going to "burn the chaff." In Luke this passage is followed by the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, which concludes: "If they do not hear Moses {who brought the law} and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead." Given all this, I'd say that Jesus is affirming John's message that it is judgement time.

[andyho1]

Q4. (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16) Admittedly, this is a hard passage to interpret. However, if you take the

[mrenquist]

Jesus is teaching us here about the nature of the Kingdom that we must completely confess our sins, seek redemption and follow him above all wordly things. The kingdom must be sought after with total commitment to seek Gods blessings and recieve his grace freely.

[Raph]

Q4. (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16) Admittedly, this is a hard passage to interpret. However, if you take the "forceful" or "violent" people as seekers who are doing whatever it takes to press into the Kingdom, then what is Jesus teaching us here about the nature of the Kingdom?

Jesus is teaching us that, the Kingdom of God is there for those seek, look for it. In order for us to enter the Kingdom we must actively, aggressively, and forcibly seek entrance; thus it is not all smooth entrance.

[Eager Bver]

Q4. (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16) Admittedly, this is a hard passage to interpret. However, if you take the

[blezed]

Q4. (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16) Admittedly, this is a hard passage to interpret. However, if you take the

[Gerbrand van Schalkwyk]

(Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16) Admittedly, this is a hard passage to interpret. However, if you take the �forceful� or �violent� people as seekers who are doing whatever it takes to press into the Kingdom, then what is Jesus teaching us here about the nature of the Kingdom?

The nature of the Kingdom is so great and unbelievable that we must be willing to do anything righteous to enter it. Also i believe that we will receive different rewards or responsibilities in heaven. If you just accept Christ as your Saviour, but you are not an active force for Christ, you rewards and responsibilities will not be much. But if you are hard working, actively pushing your boundries all the time you will forcefully enter God's kingdom deeper and deeper all the time, pennetrate the Kingdom more and more and experiance more and more His love and mercy

[pickledilly]

The message of John the Baptist began the supreme change in the revelation of God’s kingdom. It was no longer a matter of pure and simple obedience to rituals and a set of commandments, but now a matter of a repentant heart that leads one to obey because of love. The traditional Jewish understanding of the kingdom of God was upended by Jesus, and there was much rejection and opposition to this change. It is no longer a concept of an automatic gentle, placid entry into this kingdom because of one’s heritage, and in that sense it is now a “violent” one as “gatecrashers” take claim of what has been given to us by faith.

I think that we’re foolishly naïve if we think the things of the kingdom and character of Christ are going to just burst forth in us on their own. The Spirit plants all of that in a believer, but it certainly requires agreement, co-operation, and effort to realize growth and maturity. We must maintain the repentant attifude of zero-tolerance for sin in order to truly grasp the righteousness, peace, joy, and truth of God's kingdom. There is nothing of this world, the natural man, or the enemy satan that desires or encourages kingdom life. Indeed, they exert active opposition to everything God has promised!

Laying hold of good and right things is never easy. This requires a committed passionate decision, a piercing intense focus, a steely determination, an acute disciplined strategy, a bold willing self-denial, and an active steady advance. And as a spiritual battle, it requires resolute faith, diligent discernment of sin, and prompt humble repentance. Paul referred to believers as “soldiers of Christ Jesus”, encouraged us to “fight the good fight”, and described our “weapons of warfare”. To me, this is the general concept of vigorously and fiercely pressing into the kingdom.

[Carial]

There has always been opposition toward the Kingdom of Heaven. Many lives has been lost and persecution has been very forceful. The Lord God told the serpent, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Gen 3:15 (KJV). Satan opposed the work of God, and he will do everything he can to stop God plan. God had made it possible for us to enter His Kingdom, but because of satan and his mission, he tries to stop mankind for entering in. It is up to us to withstand and press into the Kingdom.

We must realize we have a real enemy. One who opposes everything of God. He is doing all he can to make the Kingdom of God void. We must be like the men and women of old and realize we have no life without Christ and if we loose our lives for Christ sake it still is gain.

Christ said in this world we will have persecution, but be of good cheer for He has overcome the world.

In spite of trouble the men and women of old faced they stood and continue to spread the Gospel.

[jacquie7]

When I think about the scripture and question, I think about the suffering and other things believers have to give up and endure while continuing to press our way forward into the Kingdom without fainting or giving up. None of which is easy to do. In other words, we have to be radical and violent because there is an adversary/enemy doing any and everything he can (to include using people) to keep us from God. Though the battle is not ours, we still have to put on the whole armor of God (Eph 6:10-17) because the weapons we fight with are not carnal but mighty through God in the pulling down of strongholds (2 Cor 10:4). Believers must be serious about their decision to follow Jesus and remain vigilant in keeping faith in God, without wavering on that decision. If we fall down, we have to get back up, and continue to keep Jesus first, while living in a world where there is trouble on every side.

[brycle]

Much of modern day religion presents a notion of the Kingdom as if it were a vapour that we simply absorb by osmosis.  Whereas, Jesus is making it clear that possessing or entering the Kingdom requires great force of our will and determination.  It also shows that possessions of the Kingdom are so desirable that people become aggressive or violent in their pursuit to attain what it has to offer.   

[tgandy]

I believe that Jesus meant entering God's Kingdom takes a lot of courage, strong faith, determination and endurance because of all who do not believe.  Because of the pulling and tugging of others who do not believe standing firm requires a lot of conviction, trust and faith.  It can be done! 

[Ernie's Son]

Luke 18:22 "Now when Jesus hear these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come, and follow me."

 

This "ruler" came to Jesus wanting to know how he could obtain "eternal life?"  Christ tells him what to do, yet he lacked this one thing.  That one thing was to sell all that he had, give it to the poor, and follow Him (Christ).  He just wouldn't do it.  To him, his wealth was worth more than the Kingdom and his soul.  To Christ, the worth of the Kingdom was so great that He asked this ruler to sell all and follow Him.  The ruler just wouldn't "press" into the kingdom!

 

Mat. 13:44 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. (45)  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: (46)  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

 

In these two Parables, we find the Kingdom had such worth that both sold all they had to "press" into the Kingdom.

 

In Mark 2:1-12, we find what four men did to get the "palsied man" into the presence of Christ: they tore up the roof.  To me, they "took the Kingdom by force."

 

Mark 8:2 "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: (3) And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far."

 

Here we find that a multitude went without food for three days to be around the Kingdom.  In a way, they were "pressing" into the Kingdom.

 

All through the Gospels, we find incidents where people were "taking the Kingdom by force."

 

In Mark 10:47 Bartimaeus "began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me."  

 

He was bound and determined that he would get in touch with Jesus that day; whatever it took.  If he had to "take the Kingdom by force," he would.  It worked!

 

The nature and the worth of the Kingdom is such that we cannot let it slip through our fingers.  We must "press" or "take the Kingdom by force."

 

 

[MosesSole]

Q4. (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16) Admittedly, this is a hard passage to interpret. However, if you take the "forceful" or "violent" people as seekers who are doing whatever it takes to press into the Kingdom, then what is Jesus teaching us here about the nature of the Kingdom?  I'm quite surprised by this fact. I never knew that there was violence, and a coup d'etat happening in Heaven. I also don't under why Jesus is encouraging people to force their way into the Kingdom. Isn't this telling us that how we are in life is ultimately not going to affect where we end up in afterlife, if we can just force ourselves into Heaven?