32.l. “And the violent take it by force.”

 

Matthew 11:12  From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

 Luke 16:16    “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.

I read Matthew 11:12 over and over but could not make sense of it.  I sent a note to my Pastor asking for references or some commentary that would help me understand. Thankfully he pointed me in the right direction.

One would think “suffered violence, and the violent take it by force” to be a negative act by those carrying it out. We might think brutality, savagery, cruelty, and heartlessness are meant by the use of “violence and violent” in the verse. This makes it hard to read and understand. Here is a case where the greek language sentence structure does not quite align with English. The Greek verb can be presented in three voices, active, passive, and middle. Here it is clear it is either middle or passive which changes how we would define violence and violent. 

Here are some bible scholars commentaries on this verse;

The words describe the eager rush of the crowds of Galilee and Judæa, first to the preaching of the Baptist, and then to that of Jesus. It was, as it were, a city attacked on all sides by those who were eager to take possession of it. The “violent” are men of eager, impetuous zeal, who grasp the kingdom of heaven—i.e., its peace, and pardon, and blessedness. (Ellicot)

In this way is described that eager, irresistible striving and struggling after the approaching Messianic kingdom. (Meyer)

It shows us what fervency and zeal are required of all. Self must be denied; the bent, the frame and temper of the mind must be altered. Those who will have an interest in the great salvation, will have it upon any terms. (Henry)

and the violent take it by force; meaning either publicans, and harlots, and Gentile sinners; who might be thought to be a sort of intruders: or rather the same persons, as being powerfully wrought upon under the ministry of the Gospel; who were under violent apprehensions of wrath and vengeance, of their lost and undone state and condition by nature; were violently in love with Christ, and eagerly desirous of salvation by him, and communion with him; and had their affections set upon the things of another world: these having the Gospel preached to them, which is a declaration of God’s love to sinners, a proclamation of peace and pardon, and a publication of righteousness and life by Christ, they greedily catched at it, and embraced it. (Gill)

Our Lord is describing the energy with which some souls are pressing in, and urging the need of such energy if salvation is to be obtained. (Unknown)

When we look at violence and violently in this scripture their meaning would be more in line with strength, might, power, intensity, without restraint, passion. When the Gospel is revealed to the heart and mind of man and there is a Godly softening of the heart of stone, there is an intentional choice to believe it or reject it. In rejection or denial there can be violent rejection or denial but more than likely there is a mild rejection or denial and they swat away any application of repentance, surrender, holiness, forgiveness, obedience, and reliance on Jesus Christ like they would swat away an annoying fly. But those whose hearts have been enlightened have an urgent need of Christ and with eagerness, zeal, and intensity grab hold of the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

15.v. “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 

John 6:14  When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”  Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Deuteronomy 18:15-18     “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—  just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’  And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken.  I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

Acts 3:22-24     Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.  And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’  And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.

This crowd was willing to support Jesus so long as He gave them what they wanted – bread. It’s easy to criticize how the crowd loved Jesus for the bread He gave them, but we often only love Jesus for what He gives us. We must also love and obey Him simply for who He is – Lord and God.  They saw an opportunity through Jesus.  imagine five thousand people show up at a park, who are hungry and you want to feed them.  Even if you had the means how long would it take to arrange this and supply food for the people?  Jesus did this immediately.  They saw the miracle He had just performed feeding so many.  If He was able to do this, He is a “Prophet from God” and we should make Him King.  They wanted to make Him king so that their lives would no longer be subjected to Roman rule.  They possibly thought that they would never have to work for food again.   He would supply it just like God had supplied mana and quail in the wilderness.  It is also possible that they thought if He was able to do this then making Him King would surely make their life much easier and less harsh.  They would honor Him for what they could get from Him and not for who He was.

It is the same throughout history.  There are shallow commitments to Jesus Christ because He is seen as a supplier of worldly stuff to satisfy the flesh rather than the Holy Redeemer and overflowing satisfier of the soul.  It is right to come to Jesus in full surrender and live to humbly serve, honor, glorify, worship, follow, trust, and obey Him.  Out of this commitment deep within our soul, we can come to Him with a purity of heart for our earthly needs.  In this purity, our requests leave room for the perfect will of God in complete trust of His everlasting love for us.