Matthew 4:17 … Repenting for Real (09/13/16)
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is Here&Now.” ~ unknown (Matthew 4:17)
It is important for any earnest student of the Scriptures (indeed, for every earnest student of Life itself) to remember that the “Kingdom of Heaven” Jesus speaks of is an internal state of Being, not an “up above” post-mortem destination (Luke 17:20-21) … As such, in this verse (which originally reads “for the Kingdom of Heaven is here”) he is not saying that the Kingdom of Heaven has suddenly appeared due to his presence (see Mark 10:18 et al), but rather is reminding his listeners that the Kingdom of Heaven has “arrived” for them because of his reminder that the Kingdom of Heaven was there for them all along …
In addition, as an important aside, the word “repent” as used by Jesus in this & other New Testament verses (the Greek word metanoia) has nothing to do with self-criticism or open admissions of sinfulness, and everything to do with a radical change in one’s choices & behaviors – shifting from self-centered longing to selfless empathy; shifting from self-centered striving to selfless giving.
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