By Tin-chee (TC) Lo; June 14, 2022
The English writer and theologian G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) once bashfully insisted that he learned more from observing a nursery than he did in studying philosophy. Fighting over a toy, we might see two different scenarios: the cynical kid, who would rather try to destroy the toy than let another kid get it, would exercise a forceful effort to achieve his goal; another more docile kid might say, I’m not going to argue with you, I’ll try to earn some money to buy myself one, which is also another kind of forceful effort. Similar situations are not uncommon in society or in workplaces. This story inspired me to understand the following two Bible verses.
「The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John (the Baptist). Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.」 (Luke 16:16)
「From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 」(Matthew 11:12)
The Bible consistently teaches that a person’s entry into the kingdom of God depends entirely on God’s electing grace, not on human effort. Do we still need our own “forceful effort” to advance into the kingdom of God? This “forceful effort” is not just a hard work of perseverance, but also a “sure footed” effort, because Matthew says, “forceful men lay hold of it.” Its tone does seem to be full of arrogant certainty, reminding me of Nietzsche’s “Will to Power,” doesn’t it? In view of this, these two verses become the “hard sayings” of the Bible.
“Forceful effort” mentioned in the above verses is a strong word in Greek (biazetai), which refers to “violent force.” If you believe that running the full marathon is your lofty goal, you’ll muster enthusiasm, go through brutal workouts, and even endure the excruciating pains of ruthless perseverance.
The blessings of heaven far outweigh the satisfaction a marathon can provide. The Bible compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden beneath the earth. When people find it, they rejoice and sell what they have and buy that field (cf. Matthew 13:44). This is a “forceful effort” regardless of the cost. Satan knows he can’t get this kingdom treasure, and is like a thief who does everything in his power to steal, kill, and destroy, working forcefully to make sure that others can’t have it (John 10:10).
Here we see two distinct and forceful efforts. One is an effort to desire God’s blessing, and the other is a forceful effort exerted by the devil (through family objection, suffering, sickness, vanity of the world, etc.) to prevent people from entering the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is not a neutral territory, but a spiritual battlefield. However, there is a class of ignorant and absurd people in the world who are invited to participate in the Prince’s heavenly banquet, but they all refuse in unison, because they despise the preciousness of the heavenly invitation, and as a result provokes the King’s wrath (Luke 14:16-18). For these people, even the demons despise them.
Why are these two verses relate to John the Baptist? The theme of kingdom is prevalent in the Old Testament, and David foreshadowed the future eternal sovereign king, Jesus Christ. The last Old Testament prophet (note), John the Baptist, “gospelized” this incomparable kingdom in a new way, even proclaiming that the kingdom has already come.
The discovery of this “treasure of supreme good” produces various reactions as described above. Those chosen by God have their spiritual eyes opened to see the treasure and its value. They use all their “forceful effort” to enter into this blessed hope. However, their strong desire is not because of the will of the flesh, but because the Holy Spirit puts the vigor of infinite life in the hearts of the regenerated people, prompting them to have a deep desire for the kingdom of heaven, This zeal is a forceful force that generates a fighting spirit, forcing their way into the Kingdom of God (Lk. 16:16) . When the regenerated people face the resistance of the devil, this fighting spirit renders Satan’s forceful resistance paralyzed. Because all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus, the soldiers of Christ will surely triumph. They are guaranteed to “lay hold of the treasure” (Mt. 11:12).
Of his own experience of conversion, C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) wrote: “In the Trinity Term of 1929, I gave up, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England…..drug into the kingdom kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape….I did not then see what I now see the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms.”
When I read this from Lewis’s autobiography, the phrase “the most dejected and reluctant convert” has been baffling me for a long time. From all the baptismal testimonies I’ve heard (including my own), they were all very joyful and upbeat testimonies proclaiming willingly Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Where does this “dejected” and “reluctant” spirit come from?
Ah! It turned out that this Christian writer and apologist triumphantly entered the kingdom of God in a fierce spiritual battle. After his conversion, Lewis, with his sharp mind, was powerfully used by God and laid the foundation for the “philosophical apologetics” of the twentieth century.
Note: John was the Spirit-anointed bridge from the Old Testament to the New. John was the last of the Old Testament prophets (Luke 16:16) and stood on the cusp of a new covenant. His preaching was the end of the Law and the beginning of the Promise. He was the last in the long line of prophets who predicted Christ, yet he was the only one who could actually see Christ in the flesh. There is no specific verse that says “he was the last prophet of the OT”, however, it is implicit in the Bible.
