The Violent

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and THE VIOLENT take it by force. (Matthew 11:12)

Normally the Scripture encourages believers to be humble, meek, merciful, kind, patient and compassionate—‘soft’ traits you would expect from those aspiring to Christlikeness. In this unique verse, however, true disciples of the LORD Jesus are tagged with an attitude that seems quite the opposite.

Other versions help unveil the mystery. God’s Word translation says, “From the time of John the Baptizer until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful people have been seizing it.” The Amplified Version renders, “from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize—a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion].”

Evidently, this passage is describing two kinds of violence: one is bad, the other good. First, satanic powers began violently opposing the entrance of God’s kingdom in this world from the time it was announced. Its main herald, John the Baptist, was often heard crying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Satanic powers were stirred to violently attack this God-sent “messenger” in a frantic effort to prevent the “message” from coming to pass. They succeeded by motivating Herod to imprison John and Herodias to request his head brought to her on a platter. But no amount of violence could ever prevent God’s purposes from coming to pass.

Why is that? Because a different type of people, God-loving and God-seeking, received John’s message and went after it with the “most ardent zeal and intense exertion.” They radically forsook all to follow the Messiah. They ‘violently’ took hold of truth principles that radically changed their lives and set them in opposition to both the accepted political and religious order of the day. They were not fierce or brutal; instead, they fought deception and sin with a ‘violent’ kind of tenacious love and unquenchable thirst for God. In so doing, they seized an invisible kingdom with a passion that made them history makers and world changers. God, do it again!

Meditation verses:

You pushed me violently, that I might fall, but the LORD helped me.  (Psalms 118:13)

My soul follows hard after You; Your right hand upholds me. (Psalms 63:8)  

"The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” (Luke 16:16)