Which Kingdom do You Want?

Luke 19:40 “And He answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” (He was correcting them for fighting for the wrong kingdom.)

 

Lets layout the background of this verse (to refresh our memories)

1. Jesus is riding on the back of a donkey into Jerusalem
   • Starts from Mount Olivet (Zec 14:4)
2. Riding in to be a king (laying of coats on ground Luke 19:36, praises Luke 19:38)
3. Riding in to be rejected (Luke 19:27, 42-44)
4. Riding in to be crucified
   • thread of prophecy from Gen 3:15
   • sacrificial system of innocent blood shed for guilty party
5. the religious crowd (already having their own power over the people) don’t like the fact that Jesus is being treated with such favor and preference (over them)

 

There is a previous use of this comparison (of those “claiming to know who their Lord is” with an inert object responding more appropriately to the Lord (and their relationship to Him)

“Self-Righteous Jews compared to inert stones” (and who will participate in arriving Kingdom)

John the Baptist uses it:

Luke 3:8 “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and ado not begin to say 1to yourselves, ‘bWe have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

(Luke 3:7 ¶ So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “aYou brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?) (Matt 3:7 shows us he was addressing the sadducees and Pharisees).

 

What is Jesus really saying here ?

1. The kingdom is coming
   1. Either offer repentance (or)
   2. Be judged for pride
2. I deserve this welcome and praise (“Hosanna, to the son of David”)
   1. Because I am the true King of Kings
   2. Because I am the Messiah prophesied to free His people
3. Even if I chose to use my power to silence these people who recognize me
   1. Which I wont do because it’s stupid (which explains His insult)
   2. Another “brainless” part of my creation will praise me instead.
4. There’s a victory to be claimed at my arrival in Jerusalem (house of peace)
   1. A victory implies a war fought and won
   2. Praise before the war is an expression of:
      1. Faith in the one fighting
      2. Belief in the promise of victory

 

This is a narrative of the King coming to those who should be welcoming Him with total abandon, but expecting to be rejected (and is by many). A savior coming to those to refuse to be saved.

 

What does this narrative have to offer us today? (aside from the obvious message of each of needing a savior to pay the price for our sins, restore a relationship with God which we broke… all the grand things we treat as eternal significance, but not really applying to our daily struggles in ordinary life ?)

 

Lets take the location of Jerusalem in this story and substitute our selves (our daily lives)

 

Now lets take the people of Jerusalem (crowd, sadducees, and pharisees) and substitute our own thoughts (our mind, heart, soul and strength).

 

How do well do we receive Jesus when He comes to us , as we wake each morning and desires not only to be Lord of our internal and external life, but for us to surrender each part of our life to Him

1. Our desires, wants and needs
2. Priorities and Securities
3. Family, Jobs, our Hobbies and personal time

 

Do we welcome Him and surrender all in victory and praise

 

Or do we hold back, hesitate, and jealously protect what personal areas we feel are worth more than the freedom He offers us.

 

A shouting match takes place each day in each of us (from waking to sleeping, maybe even while we sleep) (Paul outlines this in Rom 7) …

 

Which crowd will win ?

1. the ones proclaiming the Lordship of Christ [see 2 Cor 10:3-5]
2. or the ones desiring their own kingdom of power, denying their creator more each day (until even His arrival at the gate of your heart becomes unwelcome)

 

read: 2 Cor 10:3-5 & Rom 12:2

 

εν διακονια τω θεω, Dave Cadieux