And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

 

- Matthew 11:7-15 

 

 Yesterday we read that it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples as He sent them out on their first apostolic mission, He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'"  As Jesus has just sent out the apostles on their first evangelizing mission, telling them to announce everywhere they go that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," things begin to fall into place in the clues to the salvation plan unfolding.  John the Baptist is in prison, and has sent his disciples to ask if Jesus is the Messiah.  Christ has answered in the affirmative, indicating that all the signs prophesied about the Messiah are present in His ministry (see yesterday's reading, above).  What this does is make clear, also, just who John the Baptist is, as Jesus explains by quoting from Malachi 3:1.  As we read this text, we must understand the powerful role John the Baptist played in his own time as a revered figure of holiness, and among the disciples of Jesus, many of whom were first disciples of John.

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  My study Bible explains that in terms of the Old Testament Law, John the Baptist is the greatest prophet.  The New Covenant, it says, is of such incomparable value that those who share in the New Covenant are greater than John was without it.

 

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  My study Bible explains that several interpretations have been given to the idea that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.  Some say that it refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel.  Others have commented that it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world "violently," meaning with great power and force.  Yet others have remarked that the Kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer the violence of the Cross.  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom as teaching that the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  It is not John who assigns himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does.  My study Bible explains that John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76), and his destiny was similar.  But John is honored over Elijah, as it was John who prepared the way for the advent of Christ Himself.

As John is now in prison, Jesus brilliantly gives an exhortation which both lauds John and his role as that of "Elijah who is to come" and at the same time affirms His own identity as Messiah.  Jesus seems to be shaking up the people when He asks them what they went out to see in the wilderness.  "A reed shaken by the wind?" ...  "A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet."  One wonders if they now deride or diminish John as he is in prison (and he will be beheaded by Herod Antipas).  Jesus clearly refers to the rough nature of John, so radically committed to dependence upon God that he lived in a poverty of the wilderness, reflected in his clothing and food (Matthew 3:4).  But it was John himself who prophesied what was to come in this shift of perceptions, as Jesus sends out apostles for the first time, and John is now in prison:  "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).  Nevertheless, Jesus vigorously defends John and his important role, even as the picture of a salvation plan shifts and comes more into focus, and Jesus' identity as Christ manifests more clearly.  What is important about the elements of today's reading, and especially in Jesus' speech about John, is that we note the profound and powerful role each saint plays in the making of this Kingdom.  Each is a living stone, in the words of St. Peter (see 1 Peter 2:4-6).  John the Baptist cut a great, dynamic figure, a powerful voice of the time, with the backdrop of the great historic shifts to come.  There was nothing fragile or weak or soft about him, as Jesus' words tell us.  And yet, John -- even by his own telling -- fit humbly into the salvation story as one who served and recognized Christ as the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36), the One "whose sandals I am not worthy to carry" (Matthew 3:11).  This teaches us quite vividly the role each "living stone" may play in the life and reality of the Church, the Body of Christ.  Each one fully-fleshed, vivid and dynamic, a full character and life in and of oneself, and yet serving to build up this Body in humility under Christ.  There is no half-way or part-way in humility; there is only the fullness of real discipleship and the fullness of the soul.  A strange paradox for most, but entirely true in the unity of God and God's peace.  In the true image of salvation, there is no competition but rather complementarity, each one fulfilling a dynamic unique persona, but only through humility to the One deserving of our worship.   So it is in the profound creativity of God.  Hence the paradox and mystery of faith, where one such as John is herald to Christ; John is the greatest prophet, and yet now "the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  It is those like John, forceful and powerful, with a strength of passion and desire for God, who are entering in.  There is no more period of the great prophets before the Kingdom, but a different reality has come among us, and in this sort of roughness and violence those who deeply desire it, fishermen and tax collectors alike, are storming in.  There are only two places where this word for force or violence is used in the New Testament, and we read them in the words of Jesus today.  He uses these as positive images, reminding us that it is the lukewarm who are distasteful to the Lord (Revelation 3:16).  Christ affirms for us that in our faith, we are not meant to be abstract beings, but fully human, made more dynamic through love of God and humility to Christ:  not passive but rather passionate to serve, to find His narrow way.  It is Christ who makes us more, God's work in us which fulfills the image and likeness of which we're capable.  Let us aspire to be like John, to know who we truly are in Christ's light.

Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 11:7-15

Yesterday we read that when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples concerning their first apostolic mission (Matthew 10), that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:   The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'"  There is irony here in Jesus' statement, as those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses, and John is locked up in prison in the house of King Herod Antipas.  But John wore nothing like soft clothing, and preached in the wilderness, baptizing and wearing the clothing of a prophet in the style of Elijah who also lived in the wilderness in radical poverty for the sole love of God, as Matthew tells us in chapter 3:  "Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey" (3:4).  Jesus quotes from Malachi 3:1.  It is Malachi who prophesied Elijah's return at the time of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5).

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  My study bible says that in terms of the Old Testament Law, John the Baptist is the greatest prophet.  The New Covenant is of such incomparable value that those who share in the New Covenant are greater than John was without it.

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  There are several interpretations that have been given to the idea that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, my study bible tells us.  Some say that it refers to the idea that the Kingdom breaks into the world "violently," that is, with great power and force.  Indeed, Jesus seems to contrast prophesy and the law with what occurs with John, who is the last and greatest in that lineage, which is the arrival of the Kingdom with presence.  Others have said that the Kingdom of heaven is a reference to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer the violence of the Cross.  According to St. John Chrysostom, the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.  Another thing we must consider is that the prophets all prophesied in the Holy Spirit; but it is John who announced that He who will baptize with the Spirit is present, and witnessed the Spirit's presence with Jesus at His baptism (see Matthew 3:11-17); it is the Spirit in which the Kingdom is truly present to us.

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  My study bible notes that John does not ascribe to himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does.  John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76) and his destiny was similar.  But John is honored over Elijah as John prepared the way for the advent of Christ Himself.

Some important thoughts about the Spirit and the Kingdom, and its presence and manifestation in the world.  It is the Spirit who made possible the birth of Christ as human being; as Matthew puts it, Mary was found with child of the Holy Spirit (1:18).  In Mary we see the image of the burning bush which Moses observed (Exodus 3:1-2), in the midst of which was a flame of fire, and though it burned the plant was not consumed.  It is the Spirit in which we as Christians are invited to participate in the Kingdom and its presence of beauty and light and meaning.  In light of Pentecost, today's passage gives us much to think about concerning the true nature of the Kingdom and what Christ has to say about its presence with us.  Saints Peter and Paul enumerate for us gifts of the Spirit via their Epistles, and St. Paul teaches us about the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  In one of the most beautiful compositions of the fruit of the Spirit, St. Paul teaches us about the greatest of all gifts, love (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).  In all of these ways, the Kingdom fashions those who participate in it as greater than John the Baptist.  The real question is how we participate in what our forbears understood as the true beauty of the Church, which is the beauty of the Spirit.  All of these fruits are not borne of simple work or our own fashioning.  They are rather given through the gift of contemplation, through that which works through true prayer, participation in the Kingdom.  And that must be what we seek, as Jesus invites us to do here.  This must be that which we focus upon as He points the way and teaches us about the great and unsurpassed gift of the ability to participate in this Kingdom.  All the prophets and the law prophesied until John, but now something with power and force is happening, something altogether new, but we need to embrace it with all our hearts, and truly live it.

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before you.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 11:7-15

Yesterday we read that when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples (before their first apostolic mission), He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of is disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  

As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses."  John's disciples have just come to Christ, asking Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  This question has come from John, who is imprisoned in Herod's castle.  A natural reaction to those familiar with the Gospel so far would be to question whether or not John had perhaps changed his mind.  After all, it was John who recognized Jesus as the Christ when Jesus was baptized, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  (See this reading.)  But Jesus' ministry is not what was expected of the Messiah.  He hasn't publicly declared Himself.  He will cultivate a kind of faith that responds with the heart, and so His response to John was to quote from the prophet Isaiah, and the signs of the time of the coming of the Messiah, which are manifest in Jesus' ministry (see yesterday's reading, above).   Here, Jesus seems to address the crowds and this natural questioning of John's possible change of heart because of the question of John's disciples.  John has not changed his mind at all, but wishes his disciples to be given direction to Christ.  Jesus demands of this crowd to consider what they went out into the wilderness to see when they went to John.  A reed shaken by the wind is a description found in 3 Maccabees of Ptolemy Philopator, a king of Egypt, as he was smitten by the judgment of God for his persecution of the Jews.  Jesus asks them if they thought John was one who would bend with the wind, a person clothed in soft garments and therefore not used to struggle and difficulty.  Jesus says ironically, of John who is imprisoned in a king's house (the palace of Herod Antipas), "Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses."  He is challenging the crowd to know John and to understand him, and He goes on to praise John and establish his place in the story of salvation.

"But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before you.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  Jesus affirms that John is a prophet in the lineage of the Old Testament, but he is also even more than a prophet.  He is the forerunner, the messenger who goes before the Christ, fulfilling the prophecy of Malachi.  In the tradition of the Church, these words extend even after death, as John goes before Christ into Hades, to prepare all who have come before.  Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.  He is, as the greatest prophet, the fulfillment of all righteousness of the Law.  But there is something much greater that is now at hand, and within the ministry of Christ -- and that is the presence of the kingdom of heaven.  My study bible says that the New Covenant is of such incomparable value that those who share in it are greater than John was without it. 

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."  My study bible notes that there have been several interpretations given of this passage.  What does it mean that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and that the violent take it by force?  Some have said that this refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel.  Others say that it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world "violently," that is, with great power and force.  Still others have said that the Kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer violence on the Cross.  But St. John Chrysostom writes that the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.  Jesus seems to imply this when He says that "for all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."   The time of prophecy of the Kingdom has ended with John, the prophet to end all prophets.  At this time the Kingdom is present, manifest, and those who wish to enter in seize it with all their might.   This word for violence in the Greek is used only twice in the New Testament, and both times in a positive sense.

"And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  John does not ascribe to himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does, my study bible tells us.  John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76), and his destiny was similar.  (Malachi prophesied that Elijah would return before the Messiah and the coming of the Kingdom; see Malachi 4:5-6.)  Jesus uses the words of the prophets to indicate to the crowd that they need spiritual ears to understand the fulfillment of this prophecy in John. 

It's interesting to see this aspect of Jesus' persona:  strong and vigorous, and vigorously defending John to the crowds.  He appeals to their understanding of John's character, asking them what they went out to see when they all flocked to John in the wilderness (see Matthew 3:4-12).   We hear Jesus in a strong and bold key, claiming something powerful for John, and yet also proclaiming the boldness of those who now enter the Kingdom, with violence and force.  Jesus uses a voice of irony, nearly sarcasm, when He asks them if they went out to see a reed shaken by the wind, or one clothed in soft garments -- and declares that indeed, those who are clothed in soft garments are in king's houses.  It's also a testimony about the rulers of Israel, who seem to blow with every wind, and appease only worldly power.  We hear a Jesus who is neither soft nor a reed blown any way the wind blows.  This is the voice of vigorous defense and clear debate, a voice of bold proclamation and courage in the face of the oppression that has begun by the state and the powers that be, in the face of the imprisonment and soon-to-be death of John the Baptist.  This is Jesus who fully manifests all aspects of what it means to be human, and to use all His human capacity for exhortation and encouragement and a positive force.  He does not come into His Kingdom with an army for physical battle.  He does not call upon God the Father to send Him thousands of angels to force His Kingdom on the world.  But in His mission He also does not shrink from telling the truth, from the boldness of declaring what is what, of colorfully challenging complacency and lack of faith.  This is also the Jesus we're asked to imitate and to remember:  one who praises a positive kind of assertiveness, and the zeal for the Kingdom, the earnest and deep desire that sees and seizes the time when the "kingdom of heaven is at hand."   Spiritual understanding is a real and powerful force; it is not "ethereal."  It is not the stuff of fantasy or dreams.  Its truth is something that shatters every other power, that overturns all human or worldly plans, that permeates all things.  It is the strength and vigor of this reality that Jesus brings and challenges the world to hear, if we have ears to hear, if we can find a way to know and understand this reality He brings, His Kingdom.

The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force

As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all of the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 11:7-15

In yesterday's reading, two of John the Baptist's disciples come to Jesus. John is in prison, and they are sent to ask Jesus, "Are You the coming One, or do we look for another?" Jesus quoted from Isaiah the prophet, in words about the Messiah: "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses." Jesus is speaking about John the Baptist. As a preacher, proclaiming repentance before the Messiah, John clothed himself as did Elijah, in camel's hair and a leather belt. Matthew's gospel tells us he ate locusts and wild honey, and his place of preaching was the wilderness. Jesus makes the contrast between those in "soft garments" and John's ministry. An irony: John is imprisoned in a "king's house" by Herod Antipas.

"But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'" Jesus proclaims John's status as a prophet -- "and more than a prophet." He quotes from Malachi. John is the messenger who prepares the way of the Lord, the Messiah.

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." In the understanding of the coming of the kingdom, John is the greatest of the prophets. It is he who was sent to proclaim the coming of the Messiah. But now a new thing is happening: the kingdom and its presence is here, is near, and we can participate in it. Jesus is here to show the Way -- and thus a new covenant and a new age is inaugurated. In this new inauguration, those who are least in the kingdom of heaven are greater than John and his righteousness. My study bible says, "For by grace through faith under the New covenant we become children of God and partakers of the Holy Spirit. John is honored because (1) he was righteous, (2) he prepared the way for the first coming of the Lord, and (3) he baptized Christ."

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." We remember that Jesus is talking about a change, a New Covenant. Furthermore, He is speaking to the people about John, and John's arrest. Things are now turning against this kingdom, opposition is rising. Perhaps the crowds are scandalized by John now that there is formal opposition to him and he is imprisoned -- even though in the beginning of Matthew's gospel, we were told that even those in the religious leadership were coming out to be baptized. My study bible has a note which I will repeat: "Suffers violence may mean that the Kingdom is under attack by opponents of John the Baptist and Jesus, or other violent men -- messianic pretenders trying to bring in the Kingdom by using military force against the Romans. An ancient patristic interpretation is that the Kingdom itself breaks into this world 'violently.' For instance, through powerful miracles, alert and daring people take hold of it aggressively. Whoever is a hearer and lover of the Word of God takes the Kingdom 'by force,' exerting all earnestness and desire to enter the reality of the Kingdom. For this martyrs shed their blood, making their confession of faith, being 'made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men' (1 Cor. 4:9). The Kingdom of Heaven belongs not to the sleeping or lazy. Rather, the violent take it by force." In Luke 16:16, we read: "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it." The Greek word for force or violence is the same, but here translated as "pressing into it."

"For all of the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" The time of the prophets and the law was until John -- John is Elijah who is to come, the one who foresees the day of the Kingdom, the Messiah. It is a time of change, of "violent" change, if you will. The kingdom is coming whether people want it to or not; it is present, it has "come near" as He taught the Apostles to preach. It is breaking through. We turn again to Luke's gospel to read about John: "He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

In the midst of the darkness, the kingdom is proclaimed. It is "breaking through" - the light shining in the darkness. It is a time of violence, and yet in its own way, the Kingdom bears its own sort of violence. It is coming upon them in a way that breaks through, shines through. It is coming whether people want it to or not, whether the leadership approves or not, and the result will be judgment in the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the world. All that is left is for people to "hear" or not, or to accept or not. In the gospel, we find ourselves in a time of gathering darkness and opposition, in which the forces of violence are moving against Jesus, against John. But this kingdom bears its own violence in its own sense: it doesn't wait for permission. It is here. It is proclaimed. It is the sword that Jesus spoke about in Thursday's reading. And so, people are faced with a choice. Will they be offended because of Him? Are they scandalized by the roughness of John, and his imprisonment? The kingdom has come near with its own power and authority and presence, and those who bear it in the world do so forcefully. How do you seize hold of that kingdom for yourself today? How do you bear its light within yourself? How does the light "break through" for you?