Skip to main content

Inflammatory Word: Jesus’ listeners fail to hear

Matthew 5

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

One emotionally charged word, kingdom, makes images dance in the minds of Jesus’ audience: bright banners, glittering armies, the gold and ivory of Solomon’s day, the nation of Israel restored to glory. Yet Jesus often uses this word that quickens the Jewish pulse, starting with his very first message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17).

Winds of change are blowing through Israel as Jesus speaks. Guerrilla fighters called Zealots hang on the edges of the crowds, awaiting the signal. Armed and well organized, they are spoiling for a fight against oppressive Rome. The signal for revolt, however, never comes. To their dismay, it gradually becomes clear that Jesus is not talking about a political or military kingdom.

The expectations raised by Jesus’ statements lead to confusion and, ultimately, to angry rejection. Initial excitement over Jesus’ miracles sours into disappointment when he fails to restore the long-awaited kingdom. As it turns out, the word kingdom means one thing to the crowd and quite another to Jesus.

Two Kinds of History

Jesus indicates that two kinds of history are going on simultaneously. We live in a visible world of families and people and cities and nations—“the kingdom of this world.” But Jesus calls for people to commit their lives to an invisible kingdom, the “kingdom of heaven,” a kingdom more important and more valuable than anything in the visible world. It is like the finest pearl in the world, he says—worth selling everything you have to invest in it.

Success in the kingdom of heaven involves a complete reversal of values, as seen in this major address, the Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus says, and also those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and the persecuted—“for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Status in this world does not guarantee status in the kingdom of heaven.

Life Questions

Are you focused on achieving success in the kingdom of this world or in the kingdom of heaven?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Danger in Being a Christian: It began as a Jewish sect; fierce persecution only helped it spread

Acts 8 Acts 8:1 On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. In some countries, a person who becomes a Christian forfeits a good education and job. And in a few countries, a person who converts risks his or her life. One church historian estimates that more Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than in all preceding centuries put together. Yet, strangely, more often than not, intense persecution of Christians leads to a spurt of growth in the church. An ancient saying expresses this phenomenon: “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.” The First Big Advance For a while, the new faith enjoyed popular favor. But very soon it involved grave risk. In the book of Acts, the persecution that produced the first Christian martyr, Stephen, ironically brought about the advance of Christianity outside its Jewish base. Forced out of stormy Jerusalem, the scatterin...
Post a Comment
Read more

In His Eyes

July 23, 2012 Mary Southerland Today's Truth I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be ( Psalm 139:14-15 , NIV). Friend to Friend It was my first day of teaching second grade. While standing at the classroom door, greeting parents and children, I felt a tug on my skirt. I looked down into the beautiful blue eyes of Sammy, one of my new students.  His mother, who was standing beside Sammy, looked at me and said, "I guess you've heard about Sammy.  Good luck!" As she walked away, Sammy said, "She's right. I'm dumb and mean and can't read or write."  Lisa was a tall, blonde and beautiful young woman with zero self-confidence. Lisa was...
Post a Comment
Read more

La amistad: Ayuda para la santidad

Leer | JUAN 15.12-15 20 de julio de 2012 Cuando Dios creó todo, solo una cosa no tuvo su aprobación. Miró a Adán, quien era el único ser en su clase, y dijo: “No es bueno que el hombre esté solo” (Gn 2.18). El Señor creó a las personas para que tuvieran compañerismo emocional, mental y físico, de modo que pudieran compartir su ser más íntimo unas con otras. Jesús explicó esto a sus discípulos, diciéndoles que debían amarse unos a otros tal como Él los había amado. En una amistad que honra a Dios, dos personas se edifican mutuamente y se animan una a otra a tener un carácter como el de Cristo. Sin embargo, muchas no logran entablar y mantener relaciones que estimulen su fe (Pr 27.17). Lo que hacen es hablar trivialidades propias de simples conocidos: el clima y los asuntos mundiales. Lamentablemente, también los creyentes rehúyen la conversación profunda en cuanto al pecado, la conducta transparente y la vida de acuerdo con los parámetros bíblicos, que servirían para enriquecer ...
Post a Comment
Read more