NEWSLETTER - MARCH 2008
VERSE OF THE MONTH:
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven is being breached and the breachers are possessing it” (Matthew 11:12 – Hebrew paraphrase)
IN THIS EDITION:
Break out, Break free
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BREAK OUT, BREAK FREE
Matthew 11:12 is a verse that raises many questions as the usual interpretations seem out of character with the rest of Jesus’ teaching. During the preceding chapters of Matthew Jesus has been teaching on the Kingdom of God and its heart and nature. He has been laying a foundation for his disciples and encouraging them that this new Kingdom is nothing like any of the kingdoms they have previously seen or experienced. His message is one of gentleness and humility.
Then we have verse 12 which talks (in most translations) about a kingdom advancing forcefully and forceful men taking hold of it. There are generally two interpretations of this verse: either we have to be determined, work hard, seek to achieve a lot on our own or we are going to come under persecution as the Kingdom of God is made known.
Neither seems satisfactory given the rest of Jesus’ teaching.
Recently I read an article on this verse by a Christian Jew who went back to the words Jesus would have used in Aramaic. His is the translation I have used above.
The context Jesus is referring to is found in Micah 2:12-13. The people of Israel have been gathered into a safe place (the picture of a sheep pen) and they are kept there until the Good Shepherd comes and breaks free of the pen and leads them out into wide open pastures. The picture we have here is that the law was good in its time but now there is a new day which is one of relationship with God as Father and us, his children, living in a wide open space. Jesus, through his death and resurrection has broken open the restrictions of the law and made us free - free to be sons and daughters, free to inherit the Kingdom of his Father.
The Message puts 2 Corinthians 6:11-12 this way:
“Dear, dear Corinthians I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small but you’re living them in a small way”.
Because our relationship with God has been restored we no longer need a sheep pen! Just as a flock of sheep break out of a pen and make the hole wider so the Kingdom of Heaven is breaking out and people are being brought into freedom.
At the end of chapter 12 Jesus offers his disciples a walk of rest where the burden is easy and the yoke light. All too often this eludes us! The yoke is one of relationship. As we walk in freedom then, I believe, we shall start to experience the rest we have been promised.
(I am indebted to Avram Yehoshua and his excellent article on this passage: http://www.seedofabraham.net/kingdomv.html. A couple of weeks ago I spoke on this passage and, in the next few days, this will be uploaded to the website. You are free to listen to it online or download it: www.afathertoyou.com/media)
FATHERHEART SCHOOLS
During 2008 there are a number of week long schools on “Experiencing the Father’s Love”. Over the week it is possible to receive Father’s love at a deep level and have time to process all He wants to do. For more details about these, including the locations and dates, please visit: http://www.fathershouseeurope.com/EFL.htm
ITUNES
You can now add our audio resources to your iTunes subscription. Click here for to subscribe to our podcast.
In His Love
Mark Gyde |
