SAFE AND HARMLESS? Is Jesus’ Kingdom like “no more tears” shampoo?
- Have a bottle of Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo and talk about the old “no more tears” promise. It was safe and harmless.
A PIERCING SWORD: Simeon speaks of a Kingdom that is less happy and harmless and more controversial and confrontational.
- Luke 2:34-35.
- All three of the phrases that Simeon gives us here speak in contrast to the “yeah, the Messiah is here” shallow enthusiasm that would likely have expected.
- An example of what is going on here. Imagine there is a mediocre high school basketball team that gets a new coach that everyone believes can make them winners. Everyone is excited. But then he gets there. He requires everyone wanting to be on the team to do hard daily off-season workouts. There’s a little grumbling. They start the preseason and the practice times are doubled from the previous year. Louder grumbling. As they get into the season a former starter with a lot of talent but no work ethic is benched for a kid who always hustles. More grumbling. A star player is pushed to facilitate more than dominate in order to expand the offense. More grumbling. What’s the point? Everyone wanted a new coach that would enable them to win, but when they saw what it was actually going to look like, they were less than thrilled. Jesus’ situation here is obviously different in many ways from that example, but the core point I’m making holds: many wanted a Messiah but then when the Messiah actually showed up and got down to bringing the Kingdom it resulted in grumbling and complaining.
- In sum, Jesus’ Kingdom is revolutionary, but not in the penicillin kind of way (“We’re all in favor of dying less!”) where there are no objections but just all upside.
- No, there are vested interests in the status quo. Why? Because certain people had power, money, and status. They didn’t want to lose those things.
- It is a near-universal reality: people quickly move to defend what they are benefiting from, no matter how flawed it is.
- Look at pretty much any problem in America today. Why isn’t there change even when the situation is pretty miserable? Because someone is profiting from the current system and they are working feverishly to keep that system in place.
THREE SPECIFICS:
1. JESUS' KINGDOM IS GOING TO REARRANGE WHO IS CONSIDERED UP AND DOWN.
- Luke 2:34 – “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israe.”
- Luke 5:27-32; Luke 8:19-21; Luke 10:25-37; Luke 11:37-54; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 14:1-11; Luke 15:1-32; Luke 18:9-14; Luke 19:1-10; Luke 21:1-4.
- “destined” – This is central to His mission and identity.
- “cause” – This is not incidental, but a direct result of the mission.
- Main thing in this first phrase: “rising and falling of many in Israel.”
- Examples of this:
a. Most obviously, the religious leaders’ power.
b. Roman authority.
c. Who is considered loved and valued.
- Sinners.
- The untrained apostles.
- Tour through the above passages to cite specific examples.
2. JESUS' KINGOMD IS GOING TO BE AN AGENDA TO BE OPPOSED.
- Luke 2:34b-35a – “to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.”
- Luke 2:14-30; Luke 5:17-26; Luke 6:1-11; Luke 6:20-26; Luke 6:27-31; Luke 7:36-50; Luke 11:14-34; Luke 11:29-32; Luke 12:1-12.
- Many will disagree with and reject what Jesus is proclaiming.
- Jesus’ Kingdom is not generic morality or conventional wisdom or Mr. Rogers’ weakness. This is a specific agenda to be opposed.
- In what specific ways does this Kingdom confront and provoke?
- Let’s take some modern examples that would show up in various countries.
a. India and the caste system.
- Jesus saying that everyone is loved and valuable to God.
b. China and their atheism.
- Jesus saying that God is vibrant and active in the world and that even governments are ultimately subject to Him.
c. USA and money.
- Jesus saying that a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
d. Middle East and forgiveness.
- Jesus saying that we are required to forgive.
- Tour through the above passages to cite specific examples.
- Does “so that” here refer to both the preceding phrases?
3. JESUS' KINGDOM IS GOING TO BRING PERSONAL CONVICTION.
- Luke 2:35b – “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
- Luke 9:23-27; Luke 9:51-56; Luke 10:38-42; Luke 12:22-34; Luke 13:22-30; Luke 14:25-33.
- Jesus’ Kingdom won’t leave anyone unaffected – even His own mother.
- Tour through the above passages to cite specific examples.
SAFE AND HARMLESS? Is Jesus’ Kingdom a baby kitten or a fierce tiger?
- All of this controversy and confrontation is outlined here in this passage that we find within the larger Christmas story. We like our soft-focus, warm-and-fuzzy Christmas scenes. It’s ironic that such harsh truths are shared in a context where all we want is warm-and-fuzzy.
- We like the gentle-shepherd-Jesus better than the table-flipping, name-calling-Jesus.
- If Jesus was safe and harmless, why did they kill Him?
