violence in the kingdom

George Ladd wrote of R. Schnackenburg's take on Mt 11.11-13 that "the kingdom of heaven has been coming violently. God's rule makes its way with great force and keen enthusiasts lay hold on it, i.e., want to share in it. The mission of Jesus has set up a powerful movement. The power of God is at work mightily among human beings. It requires an equally powerful reaction. This set Jesus' teaching apart from rabbinic teaching. The rabbis taught that people should take on them the yoke of the Kingdom and accept the Law as the norm of God's will. Jesus taught that this was not enough. On the contrary, God was acting mightily in his own mission; and because the dynamic power of the Kingdom has invaded the world, people are to respond with a radical reaction. Jesus sometimes described this reaction with violent acts (Mk 9.43, 47; Lk 14.26; Mt 10.34). The presence of the Kingdom demands a radical reaction."

This is how Luke can write, "... the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it."

Technorati Tags: Kingdom of God