Are you close, but not there yet?

Mark 12:34, You are not far from the kingdom. Yeshua makes this complimentary statement to the scribe who had correctly and succinctly summarized the message of the Torah (both its letter and spirit intent) in verses 32–33.

However, note that Yeshua didn’t say, “You are in the kingdom of Elohim (i.e. you have eternal life).”

What was the one thing that kept the scribe from being in the kingdom?

It was doubtless the same thing that kept the rich young ruler from obtaining the eternal life that he sought (Matt 19:16). After having obeyed the Torah the best he could, the young ruler still needed to surrender all to Yeshua the Messiah, and to follow him unreservedly (Matt 19:18–22).

Not only is it difficult for humans to surrender all to the Master, and then to follow him wherever he leads, but having followed the Torah the best we can, we must still humbly recognize that without the righteousness of Yeshua in the equation, our best efforts at Torah-obedience will still miss the mark of YHVH Elohim’s acceptable standard of righteousness, thus leaving us maybe not far from the kingdom, but definitely not in the kingdom of Elohim.

 

2 thoughts on “Are you close, but not there yet?

  1. May our own hard hearts not continue to prevent us from truly trusting in this Rock of Spiritual Reality so that the Kingdom of His Wonder will Reign in us. Shalom to All. FJ

  2. Upon reading this again, I’m reminded of all the verses in Mathew Chapter 5 where Yeshua addresses the multitude verse 1 Yeshua went up into a mountain his disciples came unto him & verse
    2: he opened his mouth & taught them saying,

    Verse3: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven all the verses 1-13 ..( the Beatitudes ) …then continues reading verses (all) 17 re the kingdom of heaven….verse 19 re the commandments & teaching men shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven…
    VERSE 20 Yeshua says ….UNLESS YOUR , OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL EXCEED THAT OF THE SCRIBES & PHARISEES, YE / WE SHALL IN NO CASE ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN…

    FITS IN WITH VERSES IN MATHEW 23: VERSE 1, YESHUA TALKING TO THE MULTITUDES & DISCIPLES AGAIN
    VERSE 2 : saying The SCRIBES & PHARISEES SIT IN MOSES SEAT..ETC..THEN COME ALL THE WOES…VERSE 13: Yeshua said WOE UNTO U, SCRIBES & PHARISEES ,HYPOCRITES ! FOR THEY SHUT UP THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AGAINST MEN: FOR YE NEITHER GO IN YOURSELVES, NEITHER SUFFER YE THEM THAT ARE ENTERING TO GO IN. …VERSE 14 another WOE. Etc
    ALL VERY INTERESTING VERSES RE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN .
    Shalom…to all

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