The Kingdom (Part 2)

So, I have never understood why Jesus would say, "Whoever is not against you is for you" (Luke 9:50). And, then just a little while later say, "He who is not with me is against me" (Luke 11:23). Those two statements seem to be in direct contradiction to one another.

There is a lesson we need remember when interpreting anything.... CONTEXT.

The first passage, Jesus is dealing with exclusion of those who are different. The disciples were arguing about who was the greatest and trying to 'one up' the others so they would be seen as the important one. Jesus responds to this exclusion by including anyone doing the same work.

In the second passage, Jesus has just been accused of casting out demons by satan's power. Here this statement is about limiting who is included in the kingdom. Those who want to be resistant to God and attack His kingdom are excluded.

Let's see if I can illustrate: Say I start a youth basketball league. It is for training and instruction. By the very nature of the league, we will accept all players who want to learn basketball, no matter how bad they are. If they are willing to learn, they are in... BUT, what if one young man shows up every week with soccer cleats and only wants to kick the ball. At some point, we have to tell that young man that this is NOT soccer but basketball.

It is the same with the kingdom of God. If you want to participate, you have to play according to the rules. You are accepted until you try to turn God's Kingdom into whatever you deem as important. I guess that is why the entry fee into this kingdom is the declaration "Jesus is LORD."