“J.R.” — Will you define to me Matt. 11:12— “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force”?
The expression is found in that chapter in Matthew which specially declares the rejection of the Blessed Lord in His mission to Israel; “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” The sermon on the mount (Matt. 5-7) followed the display of the powers of the kingdom as seen in Him, and detailed in a few striking verses at the close of chap. 4, verses 23-25. The fame of Jesus had spread throughout all the land. This “sermon,” as it has been called, enunciated the character of the kingdom, so different from what the carnal multitude expected and sought for; it supposes His rejection, and His followers a spectacle to the world, and governed by heavenly principles, and that they should look for a heavenly reward. Chapter 10 then details the mission of the “twelve” to Israel and its rejection: they would go forth as lambs in the midst of wolves. Then follows chapter 11 in which is found the passage in question. The kingdom of heaven had “suffered violence” from the days of John Baptist; he had preached it (chap. 3:2, &c.), and had been cast into prison (chap. 4:12). Nationally, then, from that moment the kingdom had been refused; thenceforth as it was only received individually, the individual had to struggle against everything in order to enter it; he thus became in point of fact, “the violent.” He had to undergo the disruption of national, religious, and family ties. If he loved father or mother more than Jesus, he was not worthy of Him. Instead, then, of an entry into the kingdom, established under divine auspices, which brought the person blessed into the blessing with gentle steps, and apart from difficulties or hindrances to be overcome, it “suffered violence,” to use the Lord’s words, and “the violent” (as He terms those who entered it) “take it by force,” i.e., they were obliged to force their way through every barrier, and count all things but loss that the goal might thus, at any cost, be won.
“W. L.” wishes to know the place that Zaccheus took when he stood and said “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken anything from any man, by false accusation, I restore him four-fold” (Luke 19;8).
He recounted the practice of his life, hitherto in secret it might be, with God. Perhaps the taunts of the multitude as to the Lord’s having “gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner” drew forth this half sort of vindication of his master, while it exposed the practices of an earnest heart who, being in a false position, sought to ease a sensitive conscience by doing as he just had said. Of the truth of his statement as to himself there could have been no doubt; nor was it questioned by those who were ready to accuse the Lord and him, and amongst whom his life was spent and known. Peace with God, or salvation, were not known to him: these efforts in secret had not answered the claims of an unpurged conscience with God. “Salvation” only came to his house that day as Jesus entered it and became known to His host. The Lord, too, took no notice of these works, and expressly said to all there that “This day is salvation come to this house.” It should be known and possessed first ere such things would be owned as acceptable to God.
“N.” —My impression is that these words “wilderness” and “desert,” as you notice as being frequently used together in Scripture, have but a shade of difference, and seem to be the variation of thought in the Hebrew language, which gives such strength and force to the poetic strains of the prophets who uttered them. There is no doubt a difference between the words; “wilderness” conveying the thought of untracked solitudes, parched with want of water— “They wandered in a wilderness where there is no way;” “desert” conveying rather barrenness and drought, where the verdure of the earth is unknown— “He will make the desert and the solitary place blossom as the rose,” &c. Rivers in the desert would be given, to give drink to His people, His chosen.