Jesus began his public ministry with a momentous announcement: “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” For centuries, the Jews had anticipated a time when God would deliver them from oppression and when he himself would rule over them through an anointed Davidic king. But they had interpreted the Scriptures through the lens of their own selfish ambitions, as we all probably would have done. For them, the Messianic promises meant that God was going to make life more comfortable for them. They believed that God was going to raise up a king who would lead them in a battle to deliver them from their political overlords, the Romans. Jesus announced that the expected time had come, but he would spend much of his ministry redefining the nature of the Kingdom. What he meant by his announcement was that God was re-establishing his liberating rule in people’s lives again. It was not the Romans who were oppressing the people but Satan who rules people’s hearts. He does this by enslaving us to onerous ambitions that are not of God (but are often made to look like God’s plan). Jesus’ message promised that, if the people would forsake their selfish agendas (i.e. repent), then they would be a free people whoever it was that ruled over them politically. Freedom is not a matter of getting what you want. A drug addict who gets his drugs is not free as a result; he is more a slave. Freedom is the ability to shun what is bad for you and to desire what is best for you. When God rules in your heart you are truly free.
Turn away from selfish agendas and yield yourself to God’s rule.
Read Matthew 4:12-17
