Learning About the Kingdom

Luke 9:23, 24, 46-48, 57-62; 11:1-4; 17-20, 21

GOLDEN TEXT: “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven”—Matthew 6:10

MUCH of the instruction which Jesus gave to his disciples concerning the kingdom had to do with the necessary preparation of those who are to live and reign with Jesus in that kingdom. While he did mention the blessings to be showered upon the people through the administration of the kingdom—illustrating these blessings by the miracles he performed—the burden of the Master’s message had to do with the terms of the “narrow way,” which his ministry and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost served to introduce.

The Gospel age, introduced by Jesus, has not been the age of restitution blessings for the world of mankind, but the age during which the followers of Jesus have been called out from the world to walk in his steps of sacrifice. Of these Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) This is the only way one can follow Jesus, for this was the way in which Jesus walked—the way of sacrifice. Prophetically it had been spoken of him that he would be “led as a lamb to the slaughter,” and Paul said of Jesus’ followers, quoting from the Old Testament. “For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”—Isa. 53-7; Psa. 44:22; Rom. 8:36

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it,” Jesus continued. This principle is true in every age. Those who think only of their own interests are following a course which, if persisted in, will ultimately lead to the loss of everlasting life. And this is particularly true of those who have consecrated to follow in the footsteps of the Master. These have entered into a covenant with the Lord “by sacrifice.” (Psa. 50:5) For such to renounce their covenant and seek to avoid sacrifice, would result in serious consequences.

“Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake; the same shall save it,” the Master continued. It was concerning these that Paul wrote, “For thy sake we are killed.” But the followers of Jesus are not killed eternally, for their lives are saved in the resurrection when they are exalted to glory, honor, and immortality to live and to reign with Jesus. Not all of the Lord’s followers are put to death by others as Jesus was, and as many others since have been. For most of us it remains for us to kill ourselves, not by committing suicide, but by laying down our lives in the Master’s service. If we are faithful in this, our reputation with the world will be “killed,” but our sacrifice will be “holy and acceptable to God.”—Rom. 12:1

If we are to be true followers of Jesus we must be willing to give up all thought of greatness. We must become as little children, and fellowship with one another upon this basis if we are to be great from the divine standpoint. Jesus is our best example in this respect. He did not “meditate a usurpation to be like God,” but humbled himself, became a man, and then gave himself up in obedient sacrifice upon the cross.—Phil. 2:6, Diaglott

There were many in Jesus’ day who indicated their desire to become his followers, but in each instance he made plain to them that the way in which he walked was one of sacrifice and that none should enter upon it unless willing to pay the price. So to the man in our lesson who said to Jesus, “I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest,” the Master replied, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”

This was like saying to the man, “Are you willing to be without a home? Are you willing to give up planning for earthly comforts and security and to devote your whole life to me and to the service of God?” Jesus did not mean that he never had a place to sleep, but it was true of him that he had no earthly home of his own, and in this respect he was not as well off as the foxes and the birds.

And then there was the man who, before becoming an actual follower of Jesus asked the privilege of first burying his father. This request did not appear unreasonable, but evidently Jesus had in mind the prophetic invitation to consecration and sacrifice which enjoined, “Forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty.” (Psalm 45:10,11) The thought need not be that the man’s father was already dead and that he desired to bury him, but rather that he desired to remain with him until he died and was buried.

The last part of our lesson has been greatly misunderstood by many, due to a mistranslation. The expression, “The kingdom of God is within you,” should read, “The King is among you.” This statement was made to the hypocritical Pharisees, and certainly Jesus knew the kingdom was not within them. They had demanded of Jesus when the kingdom would come, and he merely explained that it would not come with outward show [margin], and that the King in the divine kingdom was already “among” them, although they did not recognize him as such.

QUESTIONS:

To what class in the divine plan were the teachings of Jesus principally addressed?

Explain how those who lose their lives for Jesus’ sake will save them.

How do we know that the expression, “The kingdom of God is within you” is a wrong translation?

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