Tim Keller | January 10, 1993
In Matthew 11, Jesus talks about the kingdom of God, and he uses the word “violence.” That’s what the Greek word means. There’s no way around it.
The context is Jesus telling us about John the Baptist, who realized the kingdom of heaven is real. Then Jesus says the kingdom of heaven comes with violence. This bothers us. Isn’t this Jesus? Isn’t this the one who said, “turn the other cheek?” Yes. That’s the reason why Jesus uses this term. Jesus is a communicator. He knows by saying this you’re going to be startled. You’re going to say, “What does that mean?”
Let’s cooperate with him. Let’s ask, what is this holy violence? Let’s look at 1) what it’s not, 2) what it is, and 3) why we need it.
This Month's Featured Book
Tim and Kathy Keller wrote The Meaning of Marriage to face the complexities of commitment with the wisdom of God. It's written to help spouses use biblical wisdom to grow through the trials of matrimony, but it also gives people who are single a realistic yet glorious view of what marriage is and can be.