Kingdoms Compared
Text: Luke 6: 14-44
Proposition: The kingdom of God as contrasted against the kingdoms of man demonstrates the supremacy of God in love over fear, design over disorder, mercy over vengeance and satisfaction over sorrow.
Introduction: In Matthew, Mark and Luke two events are referred to that picture the kingdom of man and the kingdom of God. In the first century in Israel the two most powerful people were King Herod and Jesus Christ. In an unusual comparison let’s contrast two accounts as we compare the kingdom of man with the kingdom of God. In the NIV Colossians 1:13 reads, “ For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves”. The domain of darkness has the figure of Satan as its chief invisible authority and mankind as the visible authority. The chief authority in God’s kingdom is the Lord Jesus Christ. This morning I’d like to look at these two kingdoms, particularly through the examples that Mark 6:14-44 gives us. When we contrast the kingdoms of man with the kingdom of God, what would we expect to see? In what area is the supremacy of God particularly evident?
1.The Supremacy of God in Love Over Fear… perhaps the most evident trait of mankind’s kingdom arises out of what man is unable to explain or control. Whenever we are unable to explain cause, whether that is cause in terms of finance or security or even creation itself, if there is no evident explanation of cause, mankind’s first response is fear. In the case before us what Herod is unable to explain is, “Who is this Jesus?” What is the cause behind these amazing things that He says, that He does? This fear founded on guilt prompts Herod to adamantly declare that this is John risen from the dead. Mark uses this erratic action of Herod to flash back to the past and explain what happened to John the Baptist. Herod had lusted after his brother’s wife and together they plotted to divorce their present spouses and come together. Because John the Baptist opposed this in a very vocal way, Herod arrested him. Even the response of Herodias to this itinerant preacher arises out of a fear that she would lose control over Herod. Fear will be the most prevalent marker of human kingdoms. Why is that? Is it a tool that Satan highly values, is he able to orchestrate mankind more with the unknown than with the known? What fear specifically takes advantage of is the way that God has made man, particularly the ability of man to create because of his use of imagination. Fear assaults the imagination and ruins it for creative purposes, purposes that were always meant to glorify God! In the account of Jesus feeding the 5000 the trait that is most evident is love. The love of Jesus for His disciples to give them rest, the compassion of Jesus upon a people that seemed to be like sheep without a shepherd, these characterize His kingdom. Where fear destroys the imagination, love does the opposite. Love enables us to see what could be, even what should be. The disciples see the ‘should be’ when they ask Jesus to send the crowds away to get food. They should be cared for, this compassion is the starting point for Jesus. He takes the little love that we have and He calls us to imagine what could be. Jesus uses love to create opportunities that reveal the glory of God. The kingdom of God is built around this truth, here today God invites us to love. From a distance we see what should be, we approach God and simply declare to Him what we see, partly expecting that now we are released from the issue. Instead what God does is He sends us, He says to us, “Give them you to eat.” The essence of this I think is that what God is asking is that we reveal the depths of our faith in Him. As we reveal even a tiny amount of faith, faith like a mustard seed, He multiplies or creates what is needed. This displays His glory, it declares the truth of Who He is as the Creator. Love is the igniter to the revealing of Who God is.
2. The Supremacy of God in Design Over Disorder… in Herod’s kingdom we see him putting himself first. What he wants he gets. The net effect of self first is that tends to create disorder. In his marriage relationships we see chaos, we see it in the use of Herodias daughter being used for entertainment and manipulation. We see it in rash promises being made to children for the sake of ‘keeping face’ before those we consider important people. We see disorder in the self contradictory way that King Herod feared John, respecting him one moment and imprisoning him the next. The kingdom of man has disorder because it lacks ultimate purpose. If there is no over arching purpose to tie it all together you see only the attempts for order that are separated by foolishness. The kingdoms of man are marked by 2% of the people controlling the wealth, 80% of the people struggling to survive all the while sufficient resources for the entire planet sit right before us. Disorder squanders the resources, principally because that is the intent of Satan. The ruin and destruction of man is but collateral damage to Satan as he seeks to injure the glory of God.
In contrast to this consider the feeding of the 5000. Throughout the account we have design, the design of work and rest, the design of sheep and a shepherd, the design of demand and supply for human need, the design of sovereign irony in going to a deserted place only find 5000, of seeing the need but realizing the impossibility of meeting that need. There was the design of faith and works, “we can’t feed all these people, not even with 200 days wages”, the response from Jesus.. “Well, what do you have?” In other words, look at what you have, there’s more there than what you think. There was the design that God uses to show that this is not a slight of the hand trick, seating the people in groups of fifty created order and proof. Perhaps we could even say there was the design of 5 and 2, 7 in total that would indicate God’s perfect care. The kingdom of God today and for all eternity has His design upon it. It declares His purpose, great and eternal purposes that far surpass our present turmoil and pain. Heaven is where disorder disbands. 3. The Supremacy of God in Mercy Over Vengeance… we see vengeance in the actions of Herodias as she seeks to punish John the Baptist for speaking out against their marriage. He had challenged their authority, he had not backed away from death. Winston Churchill once said “Nothing is more costly, nothing is more sterile, than vengeance.” Vengeance caused Herodias to enter into the same brutality as her, it put a wedge between her and her husband, it ruined her reputation in the eyes of the nobles, the high officers and the chief men of Galilee. And worst of all vengeance put Herodias on the hook of God, she would be judged with absolute justice for this act of usurping justice from God. Ultimately acts of vengeance are always attempts at what people perceive to be justice. The kingdom of God is characterized by not only perfect justice but also the release of our attempts for justice into the hands of God through the act of forgiveness. The quality of mercy, of not giving someone what they do deserve in terms of punishment, is what God has used as an entrance point for humanity into heaven. The mercy of God in Christ moved past our trespasses of sin and invites us to seek forgiveness from God, to release perfect justice from our hands into His as Christ became the perfect sin bearer for us. It was God’s plan that it be so for only by means of this perfection could the justice of God be completely respected and executed in terms of our sin. We see mercy as Jesus cares for the 5000, we see His mercy in that while He was yet grieving the death of the only person in the world who understood Him, namely John the Baptist, yet still He endured interruption of grief to care for those who especially in this moment, didn’t deserve it. 4. The Supremacy of God in Satisfaction Over Sorrow… the kingdom of man is always lacking wisdom and the result of a lack of wisdom will always be foolishness which causes sorrow. This is why Herod was sorry for what he had done, his conscience bothered him such that when he heard about Jesus he hoped it was John raised from the dead. Foolishness upon foolishness creates unending sorrow. The kingdom of God is marked by a deep and abiding satisfaction. John Piper is well known for saying, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” The people that day ate all they could, some likely even took some home in a bag. All were satisfied and even then 12 baskets piled high were gathered up. Was it just proof that 5 loaves and 2 fish had been miraculously multiplied? No, I think the greater statement is that all who come to Christ are deeply and aboundingly and extravagantly satisfied in Him. Are you weary, are you thirsty, are you lonely, there is deep satisfaction in Christ for you. It’s He who by His blood and body has invited you to faith in Him as Savior. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, this is our abiding satisfaction. |