Nik’s Notes

There are many principles at work in this passage. Not the least of which is the nature of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus is asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom should arrive. Jesus had already preached the Kingdom and they weren’t satisfied with His words. But why should they ask any further? At the very least, it should be said that they recognized His authority and a part of them was drawn to Him. But they would never outwardly acknowledge Him! All their focus was on the external. So their external rejection of Christ but their inward drawing to Him only served to underly the hypocrisy that ruled their lives. But if we are hasty to look down our noses at them, let us examine ourselves first. How ready are we to boldly proclaim Christ in public? How often could we answer with boldness and confidence and assurance the questions and accusations of those that do not believe? Are we always ready to give an reason for the hope that is within us? A lively hope is what it is supposed to be, but if not, what hope can we offer others? If our faith is merely internal and not worked out to become a visible faith, will it not be justly said that we have been ashamed of Christ? We are more like the Pharisees, very often, I think, than we care to admit or see.

The Pharisees were only concerned with outward appearances. They wanted a physical kingdom, they wanted external rule without the heart being changed. They wanted the only measure of faith to be what is seen. Their external lives only served to show that their inward selves were rotting carcasses. So when Jesus told them that the Kingdom was not outward but inward, I wonder if they were incensed at this. Just more fuel for the fire that was kindled within the minds and hearts of the religious of the day.But it is also worthy of noting that, once again, Jesus spoke more clearly and directly to the disciples. The quest for knowledge that drove the Pharisees was one which Jesus would not cater to. He would always answer them, but never one that would satisfy them in the way they asked the question. The one time that they even came close to getting such a straight answer, Jesus told them why He wouldn’t answer them (on the question of John’s baptism). From then on, I think they knew they were in for an uphill battle. But notice the difference in the depth of answers. Jesus tells the Pharisees basically that the Kingdom isn’t visible. Not much else. Those in the Kingdom, He says, will not point to it physically, but recognize it within. But to the disciples, He gives the same line “Lo here! Lo there!” - warning that this is exactly what men will say to them! The very men who would say that, He has already told not to - and the men who know what the Kingdom is (to some degree) He is telling that men like the Pharisees will tell them where the Kingdom is! Prophetic, in some sense, this picture goes even further to illustrate the fact that Jesus knew the hearts of men inside and out. Men who don’t know the Lord as disciples will ultimately decline to the point of being like the Pharisees. There really isn’t, in the final analysis, any middle ground. One either walks with God and continues to walk by faith or falls back to the life of sensual reliance - walking by sight.

With that in mind, Jesus went on to exhort the disciples to walk by faith. The Kingdom was not an outward thing, but the King would have His day. But before that, those who were to be His followers were to experience many things that would tempt them to walk by sight instead of by faith. They would be surrounded by those who would scoff or fall into the temptation of following their own lusts (as Paul would say “…whose God is their belly…”) and senses while holding to a farce of a relationship with God. Not that men shouldn’t anticipate the Lord’s coming, but that coming will be nothing good if we aren’t girded with faith and walking daily in it. It is required of men that follow God (as disciples) to forsake all (including their own sensual leadings) and obey Him. To walk in places of desolation, poverty, outward emptiness and danger is a sign of walking with God. This is an honor He gives His truest saints. They know that through much tribulation must the Kingdom be entered. And when one enters the Kingdom, it is a citizenship none other can take away. It is something that others may want to have, but will be refused because they refused to follow God on HIS terms and do what HE desires and endure things HE allows. That’s why Jesus didn’t approach His church in a “seeker-sensitive” manner. He knew the difficulties that a servant of the Most High would face and Christ’s call was really just a first screening. If men couldn’t handle His teaching and preaching, they CERTAINLY couldn’t handle a life of following Him!

In a day where Christianity is plagued by sensual men following their own lusts and making great promises of physical benefit, the church needs men who are willing to endure battle scars of the spirit, total humiliation of the flesh (by God’s hand) and walking in the power of God such that men don’t connect the power with the servants, but with those that the servants serve. We need to forsake all - otherwise, as Christ said, we cannot be His disciple. It is not an arbitrary requirement, but one made because anyone who has any claim on anything of himself or his own wants is incapable of fulfilling the role Christ has and, thus, entering the Kingdom. The cross is an offense and men want to make it secondary. But when that happens, the flesh is given a second chance. Such a deadly mistake! Unless we die daily and walk the difficult road that God has, we are only feeding flesh. The cross is a positive message, but to the flesh it is hateful. There is no having the cross and the flesh, too. You must make a choice. And if the cross is chosen, there will be times of seeming total abandonment by God. But in those times, if faith is clung to and God’s Word remembered and entrenched in the heart, it becomes possible to persevere through the “abandonment”. And at the other end one finds that God was allowing the senses to be tested. Do we trust them or Him? And if the answer, as evidenced by persevering through the desolation, is Him - then we find new strength for the journey. And, in the end, a reward in heaven that far outweighs ANY blessing we can receive here on earth.

Jesus was telling the disciples that this was part of their lives - and not to give in to the temptation to believe the senses over His Word.

Do not lay up treasure for yourselves here on earth, but let your treasure be unseen and promised by the Faithful and True. Seek a crown of glory that may be cast at His feet - not a life of ease that is of no use to Him or His Name. It is a costly life, but one that has great recompense of reward to him that perseveres to the end.