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Daily Devotions

Matthew

Matthew 
Day 
Day 169

The Kingdom of Heaven

Text: Matthew 11 : 1 - 19

As much as Jesus had to explain the significance of John the Baptiser, we conclude that the multitude did not know how to appreciate him. Even when Jesus performed His many mighty signs and wonders few understood the significance of who He was! Would they be able to understand what He meant when He made this statement?

“But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven
is greater than he!”
Matthew 11:11f

Again we return to the idea of “greatness”. Let us once again take time to ponder the following thoughts concerning Jesus’ idea of greatness.

1. The Attribution of greatness

We may make three general statements about the subject of attributing greatness.

a) Self-Attribute

A person may attribute to himself greatness. He may form a high opinion of himself.

b) Attribute from Fellowmen

People may attribute greatness to those they admire. If there were people who fulfilled certain criteria determined by society, these may have the attribute of greatness attached to them.

c) Greatness as Jesus attributed it

Jesus, being who He was, possesses the prerogative to attribute greatness to people He deemed worthy.

2. Greatness with reference to the Kingdom of God

It is interesting to note how Jesus related the idea of greatness to the kingdom of heaven. How does this work?

a) It was great just to be able to enter into the kingdom of heaven

Jesus had spoken to the multitudes time and again. How many times had He invited and encouraged them to enter into the kingdom of God. Yet so many still stood outside God’s great kingdom! All who entered in may be called “great” indeed.

i) Great because their names are written in heaven.

ii) Great because they have been redeemed from their sins.

iii) Great because they belong to the kingdom of heaven with all its blessings.

iv) Great because they had found a faith that led to salvation.

b) We must allow for profundity

Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish great and greater. We cannot determine our own greatness. We can only humbly submit ourselves to the Lord for His judgment. In God’s kingdom, there will be no jealousy when the honours are given. If Jesus were to award honour to one person above another, there would not be any hard feelings among the citizens of heaven. We must allow for profundity. There will be levels of thought that will go beyond us. There is no question about the fact that Jesus made a deeply profound statement here. We can only stand in awe as we ponder the following thoughts.

i) Jesus was encouraging the hearers to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

ii) The people who would respond positively would be called “great”.

iii) The emphasis is not on comparison at all.

iv) The focus is to encourage everyone to appreciate the invitation to become part of the kingdom of heaven. The glory of Heaven itself would lend its own sense of greatness to all who would accept this invitation to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

THE FOOLISH ATTEMPTS OF UNREGENERATE MEN

Not everybody had this profound understanding and appreciation of the significance of entering into the kingdom of God. There were some who foolishly believed that they could take heaven by storm.

“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

1. Mistaken concepts of the Kingdom of Heaven

The fact that Jesus had to expound on the subject of the Kingdom of Heaven would suggest that there were many mistaken or wrong concepts concerning this doctrine. One of the wrong ideas was to think that the kingdom of heaven can be established “by force”.

Many thought of the kingdom of God as something physical and earthly. If therefore they could be in positions of power in religious matters, then they “possessed” the kingdom of heaven. There were a number of Jewish sects who were engaged in different religious activities in Israel in the days of Jesus. The Herodians sect believed in combining religion and politics. The Sadducees engaged in profiteering from the worshippers who came to the Temple for worship. Their efforts may be described painfully by the phrase Jesus employed – “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence”.

2. The correct understanding of the Kingdom of God

The only way to enter into the kingdom of God was to be born from above, to be born again (Cf. John 3 where Jesus engaged Nicodemus in a conversation involving the kingdom of heaven). He who is born again through faith in Jesus would be called the children of God. Each and every true child of God would be specially honoured and loved as if he were of the same status as John the Baptiser and more.