 The kingdom of God suffers violent and the violent take it by force. But what in the world does that verse actually mean? Hey smart Christians welcome back. One of the passages attends to give people a lot of difficulty in understanding because it does seem a little bit perplexing in how it's stated and that is Matthew 11 verse 12 where it says the kingdom of heaven suffers violence but the violent take it by force. Well to get a good understanding I'm going to have to look at it kind of in context as well as the aid of another passage that also talks about this. Let's go to Matthew chapter 11 verse 12. Truly I say to you among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force for all the prophets and the law prophesied until John and if you are willing to accept it he is Elijah who is to come he who has an ear let him hear. Well so what does that mean? Well if you notice the context he's speaking about what has happened since John the Baptist arrived on the scene even up until now and how those who are dealing with the kingdom of heaven mean the outsiders how they have had this aggressive violent take towards the body towards having towards John's message just like it was because he brings up Elijah just like it was for Elijah notice what he says as a matter of fact let's kind of key in on a couple of words he says notice from the days of John the Baptist until now so this is kind in context a particular period of time he says the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and look what he says the violent this is the word right here Biastai which is a noun it's plural so these violent people are those who are prone to do violence they take it by force and this word for take or by force is from the Greek word where we get the word apostle which is to to snatch or to take it away and so these people are trying to take it by force take what by force well the kingdom of heaven now let me let me go to another pastor that might also shed a little bit of light and that is Luke 16 he's speaking of the same thing he says 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 but it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the law to become void you have people who there was this these large crowds that when John came on the scene he invoked a lot of emotion large crowds came to him and the people would try to as he says try to take this heaven by by means of force really by means of action okay and that can't be the case as a matter of fact we know a lot of these very same people who were following John or at least listening to John even those who came baptized weren't actual followers but they sought the means of gaining salvation or this kingdom of heaven in a forceful fashion they wanted to grasp action but that cannot be the way and that's why Jesus turns back and says in verse let's start verse 13 again in chapter 11 for all the prophets and the law prophesied until now and if you are willing to accept it he is Elijah that is John is Elijah he's a type of Elijah he who has an ear let him hear and so his point is that you cannot gain the kingdom of heaven by any forceful means as they said that these type of people they would want to grasp to take it and you could probably understand that it would be by any means that they could and maybe they really wanted but they sought the wrong motives or by trying or they sought to get it by the wrong means and that can't be and that's why he says he that has an ear let him hear he says this also in verse 16 he says but to what shall I compare this generation it is like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to their playmates we play the flute for you and you do not dance we sing a dirge and you do not mourn for John came neither eating nor drinking and they say he has a demon the son of man came eating and drinking and they say look at him a glutton and a drunkard a friend of tax collectors and senators yet wisdom is justified by her deeds the point isn't that as some of us even taken in that since we have suffered since the kingdom of heaven suffered violence and we should also in turn likewise exhibit violence in the way that we respond no that's not the point the point is in denouncing the way that these people at that time wanted to accept or wanted to inherit the kingdom of heaven in a forceful fashion not necessarily a physical force forceful fashion although that might have been in play as well but they attempted to gain this kingdom of heaven by means of force or by doing something as he says he used the word to snatch or to take it but that's we know that's not how the kingdom of heaven is gained it is gained by faith and faith alone and so you notice back in Luke 16 he says he invokes the goodness he says since then the goodness of the gospel of the kingdom of god is preached and every one of these people they try to force their way into it but it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one doubt of the law to become void and so these people who would mean to gain the kingdom by any sort of force or some sort of action or some sort of sort of deed or work you don't receive the kingdom of heaven it is only done by faith so i hope this kind of shares a little bit of light on this passage it kind of looks obscure but again he's speaking of this particular time during the time of john the bat and i guess you could also apply it to now but it's never to be taken how we should act it's all it's only speaking about those people who are trying to gain the kingdom of heaven by illegitimate means amen