FORCING OUR WAY INTO GOD’S KINGDOM
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, said, since John the Baptist, “the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it” (Luke 16:16). Jesus, who is God in the form of flesh (Philippians 2:6-8), provides an example to his believers of their need to be baptized by the washing of water by the Word and Spirit, for their entering into the kingdom of God (Ephesians 5:26; John3:5). In sending his Son into the world, God the Father has enabled those who believe in his Son to be “delivered…from the domain of darkness and transferred…to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13; John 3:16-18).
A SINFUL WOMAN FORCES HER WAY TO JESUS
A woman with many sins (who had been taken captive by the devil to do his will—2 Timothy 2:26) “crashed” a dinner party where she heard Jesus was, to seek the Lord’s love and forgiveness for her sins. We observe this in LUKE 7:36-50:
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
A BLIND MAN PRESSES HIS WAY TO JESUS
A blind man presses his way to Jesus for healing of body and spirit. This is seen in MARK 10:46-52:
Jesus and his disciples went to Jericho. And as they were leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting beside the road.
47 When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” 48 Many people told the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him over!”
They called out to the blind man and said, “Don’t be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you.” 50 The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus.
51 Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man answered, “Master, I want to see!”
52 Jesus told him, “You may go. Your eyes are healed because of your faith.”
Right away the man could see, and he went down the road with Jesus.
FORCING OUR WAY INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). When we are born again by repenting and believing in the Son of God (Acts 2:38); we have engaged in a battle with spiritual forces. These deceptive powers also use people (some perhaps unaware) as their agents (2 Corinthians 11:13-14).
The biblical Word of God enlightens us: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).
Our enemy, the devil, who is god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), uses many people and things of this world in attempts to hinder us from believing in and following the Lord Jesus Christ as the scriptures say: “For many deceivers have gone out into the world” (2 John 1:7). And “All that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16).
In our struggle against the devil, the Word of God instructs us in Ephesians 6:13-18: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ encourages us saying: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). And he is able “to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 1:24).
