“The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence—and the violent take it by force.”[1] Without knowing the context of these words, who would you assume the “violent” to refer to? Are they anyone you want to emulate?
Yet these words, straight from the lips of Jesus, describe the “greatest man born of a woman”[2] and cousin of Jesus: John the Baptizer. “Yet,” the Lord continued, “the one least in heaven is greater than [John].”[3] He begins to draw some lines. “From the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven has suffered violence,”—as if to say John was born and made sure Heaven noticed him, then with a wink Jesus extends an invitation to anyone actually listening—“and the violent take it by force.”[4]
But what does it mean to lay sanctified siege to the Kingdom of Heaven?
Let’s hit pause on John here and turn to a parable Jesus taught His disciples that illuminates this for us a bit. Luke records in chapter 18 of his record of Jesus’ ministry:
“In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them? I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”[5]
This is not the first time Jesus used a contrast with the “best of our worst,” so to speak, with the nature and character of God. He did it in the Sermon on the Mount: “Which of you, if your son asks you for bread, would give him a stone? If you then, being evil, know how to give your children good gifts, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?”[6] Yet His parable about the anonymous, proverbial widow pushes against our apathy: Will you carry your cry across the finish line? Or will you bail before I come with the fullness of your justice?
Much like the “how long?!” of the martyrs before the throne begging Him to avenge righteous blood,[7] or the neighbor and friend in need of midnight bread,[8] this destitute widow will not relent until the judge—even as wicked as he is—gives her justice against her adversary. Hear me: no matter your gender, no matter your marital status, you are the widow. You are the destitute citizen in need of a righteous judge. You are the character in compromised circumstances. Yours are the lips bearing the cry, and—if you’ll employ them—yours are the hands beating on the door in the middle of the night, even if you are not welcome. Yet do we see our status? Moreover, do we starve for justice like this widow? Do we believe that He will satisfy the starving?[9] And, ultimately, do we believe the Son of Man is coming on the clouds in power and glory[10] to judge the quick and the dead?[11] Will we sustain our prayers until He does?
Let us return to the Baptizer, the unmarried man in his early thirties who drew the attention of the nation and its rulers to the banks of the river Jordan—this man who was so convinced the Lord would make good on His word to come to His people that he found himself in the thick of the story. “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’”[12] What made John known in Heaven was not only that he diligently cultivated a life of profound prayer and fasting—though that’s certainly noteworthy, akin to the exiled eunuch in Babylon not only known but “greatly loved.”[13] Jesus identified elements of John’s character, discipline, and commitment to his life vision as He expounded in Matthew eleven:
As [John’s disciples] went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?[14] What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I see My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’”[15]
These words resound in my mind, my heart, my gut: What did you go out into the wilderness to see? John was captivating, but he was no circus spectacle. The man stood apart from the nation for his backbone, his unflinching and unwavering commitment to the eternal plans and purposes of God. He could not be bought. He did not deviate. He played no political games, and he was no man’s puppet. He simply declared what he heard—even knowing that obedience would promote him, and then behead him. But he also knew he’d lay the groundwork for the Lord’s ministry, and what else would anyone want to leverage their life for? Truly, “He must increase, but I must decrease”[16] is not a cheap conviction wrought by comfort. It costs the death of a bloodthirsty ego, carnal from birth.
Jesus then turned to the crowd; I wonder if His heart was touching the grief He knew would come, would push Him to a secluded place when John’s release from prison came in the form of a guillotine.[17] Everything was barreling towards His own execution in Jerusalem. His sparse indictment followed:
But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to their playmates, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.”[18]
Meaning: We did everything we could to get your attention, and you did not respond appropriately to any way we communicated the message. You were too busy playing in the streets. Pay attention. Indeed, everything now is barreling towards Jesus’ return to Jerusalem. The Son of Man is coming on the clouds in power and glory, and when He does, multitudes will be caught off-guard, playing business as usual, not responding to the prophet’s voice—just like they did when Noah closed the door of the ark.[19]
We return, then, to the divine violence, the sanctified siege laid against the Kingdom. Your Maker is not so far He cannot see you, cannot hear you;[20] indeed, He is found by those who seek Him.[21] Yet holy things are never cheap, and never laid bare before the snouts of despising swine.[22] “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out.”[23] Will you seek Him in shadowed streets and cling to Him when you finally find Him?[24] The Baptist’s legacy is not the national revival his prophetic ministry sparked—it’s that he went all-in on Jesus with his allegiances, his obedience, his affections, and called everyone around him to the same. He surrendered the clay of his life into his Potter’s hands,[25] trusted His decisions, and kept his life above the fray of political turmoil, cultural disintegration, social fallout, and “did not love his life, even unto death.”[26]
May we, in these critical days, do the same. May we dance to the flute, and mourn to the dirge. Wisdom is justified by what she gives birth to over time,[27] and we have some decisions to make.
Stephanie Quick (@quicklikesand) is a writer/producer serving with FAI. She lives in the Golan Heights and cohosts The Better Beautiful podcast with Jeff Henderson. Browse her free music, films, and books in the FAI App and at stephaniequick.org.
[1] My paraphrase of Matthew 11:12; see also Luke 16:16
[2] Matthew 11:11a
[3] Matthew 11:11b
[4] Matthew 11:12
[5] Luke 18:1-8, ESV
[6] Matthew 7:11
[7] See Revelation 6:10 and “The Fellowship of the Fifth Seal” from Ballads of the Revelation, FAI STUDIOS 2020
[8] Luke 11:5-13
[9] Matthew 5:6
[10] Daniel 7:13-14
[11] 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5
[12] Isaiah 40:3
[13] Daniel 9:21-23; See also “For You are Greatly Loved,” https://www.faipublishing.org/articles/greatly-loved
[14] See “Reeds in the Wind & What’s Left After the Shaking,” https://www.faipublishing.org/articles/reeds-in-the-wind
[15] Matthew 11:7-10
[16] John 3:30
[17] Matthew 14:1-13
[18] Matthew 11:16-17
[19] Matthew 24:37; Luke 17:26
[20] Genesis 16:13; Proverbs 15:3; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Isaiah 59:1; See also “The God who Sees: Affliction, Faith, and Promises,” https://www.faipublishing.org/articles/the-god-who-sees
[21] Deuteronomy 4:29; Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9; Acts 17:24-28
[22] Matthew 7:6
[23] Proverbs 25:2
[24] Song of Solomon 3:4
[25] See Isaiah 29:16; 64:8; Jeremiah 18:6; Romans 9:20-21
[26] Revelation 12:11
[27] Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:35
