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Don’t Put the Kingdom in the Test Tube

In my regular reading of Scripture yesterday, I was struck by this text (KJV):

  • Luke 17:20 ¶ And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

The word, ‘observation’ particularly struck me, so, of course, I got out my Greek New Testament to see what was going on. Friberg defines the Greek word translated ‘observation’ in this way: ‘the use of observable data to interpret events; observing, looking closely, watching.’

Jesus’ point to his opponents, who wanted to know of the coming of the kingdom, is that they cannot naturally deduce its coming. In fact, they had already missed it in a very important sense – it was already ‘in their midst’ (KJV ‘within you’), because the King was in their midst.

It is as if they are saying, ‘Show me proof of the kingdom! Show me proof of your relation to the kingdom!’ And Jesus responds, ‘There is no proof for you.’ While in fact, the true proof was standing in their midst. But he was no bare, scientific, test tube type of proof. You need spiritual eyes to see the king and his kingdom:

  • John 3:3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

We live in an age where many are saying that if it cannot be experimented upon, if we cannot observe it, if we cannot prove it by the scientific method, then it cannot be called true (though it would seem less and less are taking this position, thankfully). Aside from the fact that you cannot prove the scientific method by the scientific method, we should take note that Jesus points us to the necessity of spiritual sight, without which we will never see the kingdom of God. This doesn’t come through scientific observation – it comes through spiritual eyes joined with God-given faith.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:7 – For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Snippets: Complete Spiritual Contentment (Matt. 11:28)

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

I’ve heard the ‘rest’ that Jesus offers described in various ways. Typical modern folk like to think of it purely in psychological terms. But, in the context of biblical theology it takes quite a clear shape:

Rest is rooted in God’s Sabbath-act of resting on the seventh day. After six days of creation, God was content that His works were ‘very good,’ and therefore he ceased. Jesus, along with the author of Hebrews in chapter 4, is playing off of that idea here.

Throughout his ministry he speaks to ‘legalists’ upon whom the demands of the Law are constantly weighing. They have taken seriously God’s charge: ‘You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD’ (Lev. 18:5). They are seeking life in the Law but are, in actuality, only becoming burdened.

The weight of the Law is a greater burden than most of us realize. God’s standard is perfection – perfect obedience. With every attempt at trying to establish our own righteousness before God we will only find the Law therefore to be a weight too great for us to bear. Indeed, the very weight of it it will crush us and bring us down to the depths of hell.

And so, it is in that context that Jesus says, ‘Come to me, all of you who are burdened and weighed down, and I will give you rest.’ Jesus is offering us complete spiritual contentment. He is saying that it is possible that we, like God on the Sabbath, can look back on our labors and say, ‘Behold, it is very good.’

But how can this be so? If we are honest we know that our labors don’t meet up to the standard of God’s Law. This is so because Christ does the work for us. For, as we are justified by faith, we are being judged by His record, not ours. Therefore it is Christ’s work that we look back to, and indeed it is very good.

Not the labors of my hands, can fulfill Thy Law’s demands. Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone, Thou must save and Thou Alone. Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. Naked come to thee for dress, helpless look to thee for grace. Foul, I to the fountain fly, wash me Savior or I die.

It is only when we come to this point of absolute trust in the record of Christ that we will find rest. The Christians rest is a resting from efforts to earn a righteous standing before God. It is a rest from seeking to justify myself. It is a rest from worrying whether or not I am good enough, or meet up to the standard. It is an absolute reliance on Christ that lets the soul experience the Sabbath of God.

If you find yourself trying to earn God’s love by moral efforts, or any type of effort for that matter, Jesus’ command to you is that you find rest in him. Jesus is the end of the Law for you. He is the end of self-righteousness. He is the end of pride. Rest from these things. Don’t you see they’re burdening you?

To offer a paraphrase, he is saying, All of you who are working so hard trying to please God. Stop it! Come to me, I’ve already pleased Him for you.

If you are a preacher of grace, then preach a true, not a fictitious grace; if grace is true, you must bear a true and not a fictitious sin. God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly (Martin Luther).

Snippets: The Kingdom of Heaven is Like Materialism (Matt. 13:44-46)

Matthew 13:44 ¶ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 ¶ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

In context (in relation to the Kingdom), and understood as a parable, we get a window into three types of materialism in this passage: ‘What is materialism?’ Glad you asked. In science, and often philosophy, materialism is the idea that everything that exists is either matter or energy. Simply stated, it says, ‘only matter matters’ (after all, only matter exists). But that’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about popular materialism: the idea that the accumulation of wealth and material goods are of the utmost importance.

1. Carnal Materialism (i.e. the love of mammon)
We see two men who believe that the accumulation of wealth and material goods are extremely important – so important that they will give up everything for that one particular treasure that they desire. Jesus isn’t condoning that sort of behavior, but He’s saying that if we understand this sort of behavior we have a glimpse into the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven.

2. Second materialism – Christian Materialism
This parable is a picture of the Christian in pursuit of Jesus Christ. Christ is the treasure and pearl.

  • Matthew 10:37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
  • Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.
  • Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,

The people of the Kingdom are like materialists, only it is not mammon that they love. They will give up anything to have Christ. They will deny themselves, give up worldly goods, give up sin, etc.

  • ‘Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever.’
  • ‘I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold. I’d rather be his than have riches untold. I’d rather have Jesus than houses or land. I’d rather be led by his nail pierced hand…’

We are materialists and Christ is what matters.

3. Christ’s Materialism
From another angle Jesus himself is the true Materialist. The object of his desire is his people, and he gives up everything to gain them.

  • Zechariah 2:8 For thus said the LORD of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye:
  • Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
  • John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.

Christ gives up His riches in glory, takes on a nature of dust, and indeed gives up his own life that he might gain the joy of having a people of is own. The King is the great Materialist, and what he delights in is His people.

  • ‘He left his Father’s throne above, so free so infinite His grace. Emptied himself, how great his love, and bled for Adam’s helpless race.’

Materialism gives us a glimpse of the gospel and a point of contact with the nonbeliever. If you see a man who loves his car too much, point him to One who is infinitely more valuable and desirable than his car. All sin, in some sense, is simply the treasuring of something above God – i.e. idolatry! We are to repent of our own idolatry and delight supremely in Christ. Having cast that log out of our eye, we can see clearly to get the speck out of our neighbor’s.