John the Baptist (3:2) and Jesus (4:17) proclaimed the Kingdom and both of them were violently opposed by the leaders of the people. John's imprisonment by Herod can be looked upon as a violent attack against the dawning of the Kingdom. In Mt. 23:13, Jesus will denounce the Pharasaic violence against the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of God is thus subjected to violence and violent persons snatch it away from those who would enter it, (11:12). But the Kingdom of God also makes certain violent demands in Isaiah, and those who seek to enter the Kingdom are prepared to use violence on themselves and thus take the kingdom for themselves by force. People who desire the justice and peace of the Kingdom in their lives are prepared to go through a desert experience and they cannot be swayed by public opinion.

The prophets and mystics among us have a different perspective. Their holistic view of life helps them to witness to the values of the Kingdom, through their prophetic involvements, which often require them to speak up to withstand the violence around them. John the Baptist is a model held up to us as a disciple who had the fervour and audacity to proclaim the truth of the Kingdom at the cost of his life.