Thursday, May 15, 2008

Heaven Forcefully?

Every now and then, a verse in the Bible will confound many.

Enter Matthew 11:12. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it.

Take it in its larger context. Then search different translations and find different meanings entirely. Was the kingdom of heaven under siege by evil men? (recall in Matthew 23:13 “But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! 3 For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.)

Or were the "violent [who] take it forcefully" zealous Christians (as I believe John Chrysostom teaches)? Other translations suggest that the kingdom of heaven progresses forcefully into the world. And a passage in Luke offers a different perspective. The bottom line: no one knows for sure AND every version or flavor of the explanation of this has good meditation.

I don't offer answers though many learned scholars of history do. Rather, I only wish to make the point. I am pleased to see a verse which challenges us all to ponder, and which offers no apparent spoonfeeding for an answer. Even now, even today, I wonder if there are verses which can only be expounded and revealed by the One who inspired them. (...only my humble consideration)