“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. John 11: 11, NKJV.
Dear God, please teach us your will, and help us to accept it even when we do not understand it. This is our prayer in the blessed name of Jesus Christ our Savor. Amen.
Here we are again, face to face with the enigma of, “the kingdom of heaven.” How are we to understand it? How do we accept it? How do we enter it? Is it present, or is it to come? These are some of the aspects of this kingdom that are puzzling to us.
I have found that the best way to solve most riddles, and, or, puzzles, is to figure them out in parts, beginning with the most obvious. For this one, we will need some spiritual “eye-salve” (Revelation 3: 18). The study of the kingdom of heaven has revealed, and is revealing, some rather interesting facts. One of them is that the kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of God, are used interchangeably in Scripture. I noticed further, that the gospel according to Matthew is the only place where it is referred to as the kingdom of heaven. Everywhere else in Scripture, it is referred to as, the kingdom of God.
Our Scripture for today states another “irregularity,” that is, as far as our human eyes can see. Among human beings, there has not been born one who is greater than John, yet – in the kingdom of heaven, the least, is greater than he! I encourage all of us to pay attention to the word born, throughout this study. Scripture mentions specifically, “those born of women.” I get the impression, that, a re-birth, is of great importance, in the kingdom of heaven.
However, in this instance, what Matthew is actually alluding to, I believe, is the fact that, in John’s category as a prophet, he was greater than all the others. He actually witnessed the fulfillment of the greatest prophecy of all time, the coming of the Messiah. The others had foretold it as well as he. Nevertheless, it was his privilege to live and witness, the arrival of the Messiah; recognize Him, and point Him out to others (John 1: 29)! And honor of honors, it was his privilege to baptize Him (Matthew 3)!
But sad to say, he obviously only knew of the deeds of the Messiah, by “word of mouth.” He had been so busy, preaching the gospel of “repentance,” that perhaps he lost sight of the fact, that in the person of Jesus, the kingdom of heaven was now near, and open, to “whosoever will!” When in sadness he saw himself a prisoner of an injustice – for a moment he wondered, “Was I mistaken? Is He the One? Or, do we look for another? He sent his disciples with this question to the Savior.
The Savior, knowing that our actions are heard much louder than our words, simply performed the works of the kingdom of heaven, and asked his disciples to share with their teacher, the things that they had seen. Even in our day, as we witness the results of the preaching of the gospel taking place all around us, we are greater, in a sense, than the greatest of all prophets. We are living in the kingdom of heaven, by faith. It would seem that John missed out on this opportunity. Thank God, Jesus, gave him a glimpse of what the kingdom looks like, through the eyes of his followers, before he died.
Things are done, perceived, and rewarded, differently, in the kingdom of heaven, to the way they are done, perceived, and rewarded, in the kingdoms of earth. So do not become discouraged when we do not understand all that is happening. The Savior will not leave us to grope in darkness.
We will continue to wrestle with these differences in the days ahead.
Have a blessed, and happy Sabbath, in the kingdom of heaven!