Difference between revisions of "Luke 7:1-35"
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== Exegesis == | == Exegesis == | ||
| − | ' | + | What should we make of Jesus' comment that he who is least in the kingdom of God is better than John--who is greatest of those born among women? The claim tells us that the greatest person is lower than the lowest one in "the kingdom of God." But who are those in the kingdom of God? And what is this statement doing in the middle of Jesus's discussion of John. It seems a distraction from his point. |
| + | The phrase "the kingdom of God" is much used in Luke and in several different contexts. To preach the gospel is to preach the kingdom of God ([[Luke 9:2]]), God's mysteries are "the mysteries of the kingdom of God" ([[Luke 8:10]]). The kingdom of God is something we must recieve ([[Luke 18:17]]), something that can be within us ([[Luke 17:21]]) and something that we can (or not) enter into ([[Luke 18:24]]). | ||
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| + | Some have interpretted being in the kingdom of God to mean something like being a follower of Jesus Christ (see note on Matthew Henry's interpretation in related links below). But in all its uses in Luke, there is no indication that anyone of us are "in the kingdom of God" today. If John wasn't "in the kingdom of God" surely no one else Jesus was speaking to was either. This interpretation makes little sense of to what purpose then Jesus makes this remark--since no one at the time was of the kingdom of God. Further this interpretation is suspect as it is self-aggrandizing. | ||
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| + | If we interpret those in the kingdom of God to mean something like (in our language) those in the Celestial Kingdom, then this means that the least person in the Celestial Kingdom is greater than John was in his life. In that case the point still is a distraction from Jesus's discussion of John, but it has a clear purpose. At the same time Jesus tells the people that John was the greatest (leading up to the importance of not rejecting his message) he reminds them not to fall into the trap of caring about being greatest. In this interpretation the point is that it matters little who is greates--we need not seek to be it. We all have the chance to be in the Celestial Kingdom which is really what matters. | ||
== Related links == | == Related links == | ||
Revision as of 02:42, 19 December 2007
The New Testament > Luke > Chapter 7
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Questions
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Lexical notes
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Exegesis
What should we make of Jesus' comment that he who is least in the kingdom of God is better than John--who is greatest of those born among women? The claim tells us that the greatest person is lower than the lowest one in "the kingdom of God." But who are those in the kingdom of God? And what is this statement doing in the middle of Jesus's discussion of John. It seems a distraction from his point.
The phrase "the kingdom of God" is much used in Luke and in several different contexts. To preach the gospel is to preach the kingdom of God (Luke 9:2), God's mysteries are "the mysteries of the kingdom of God" (Luke 8:10). The kingdom of God is something we must recieve (Luke 18:17), something that can be within us (Luke 17:21) and something that we can (or not) enter into (Luke 18:24).
Some have interpretted being in the kingdom of God to mean something like being a follower of Jesus Christ (see note on Matthew Henry's interpretation in related links below). But in all its uses in Luke, there is no indication that anyone of us are "in the kingdom of God" today. If John wasn't "in the kingdom of God" surely no one else Jesus was speaking to was either. This interpretation makes little sense of to what purpose then Jesus makes this remark--since no one at the time was of the kingdom of God. Further this interpretation is suspect as it is self-aggrandizing.
If we interpret those in the kingdom of God to mean something like (in our language) those in the Celestial Kingdom, then this means that the least person in the Celestial Kingdom is greater than John was in his life. In that case the point still is a distraction from Jesus's discussion of John, but it has a clear purpose. At the same time Jesus tells the people that John was the greatest (leading up to the importance of not rejecting his message) he reminds them not to fall into the trap of caring about being greatest. In this interpretation the point is that it matters little who is greates--we need not seek to be it. We all have the chance to be in the Celestial Kingdom which is really what matters.
Related links
Verse 28
- Matthew Henry suggests in his commentary on the Bible that when Jesus says that he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist (who himself was greatest of those born among women), it means that all those who follow/serve Christ are better than the greatest of those who came before Christ.
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