January 9, 2013
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 12:22-29
OBSERVATIONS
Matthew’s point in writing this gospel is to show that Jesus is the Son of David, the promised Messiah. This was what people were sensing when Jesus did what He did. They knew the prophecies, they saw the miracles, they heard the message. Yet for some reason the religious leaders (who ought to have welcomed the Messiah) resist and reject Him.
By calling Jesus an agent of a Satan (Beelzebul was a Canaanite god, used by Jews as a personification of evil, see 2 Kings 1:2-3), they are attempting to undermine Jesus’ authority, showing Him to be a fake. But Jesus reminds them that (1) Satan would not work against himself, and (2) if people who heal and help the demon-possessed are working for Satan, then who are their healers working for.
Instead, Jesus shows that His power is a sign that Satan has been dethroned and Adam (Jesus) returned to the throne (remember how Satan dethroned Adam in Genesis 3?). The rightful heir has returned to the throne, and He is now fixing what the usurper ruined over the centuries, one person at a time. The kingdom of God has once again been restored, Satan is defeated, Adam (Jesus, the promised heir of David) is on the throne again, and anyone/everyone that joins with Him by faith is forgiven, set free and filled with the Spirit of God to rule in creation with Him… not as oppressive rulers but as servant leaders, helping, healing, blessing, serving, caring, sharing. This is what God’s kingdom was made to be (Genesis 1-2), and what it is once again becoming under the new Adam, the Son of David.
What do you notice in this passage?
APPLICATION
Our world belongs to God. We (with Jesus) are God’s appointed rulers (servant leaders), set free from Satan whop has been bound, and released to join with Jesus in restoring God’s kingdom in the power of the Spirit.
We do this by living and loving like Jesus, and God uses our words and deeds of love and mercy to set things straight. When we are selfish, cruel, unforgiving, greedy, arrogant, pushy, judgmental, deceptive, we are more like Satan… When we are loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, gentle, good, self-controlled, we are more like Jesus (exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit or life of the kingdom).
Whose agent am I? Have I joined with Jesus (my Saviour and Lord) in bringing this world back to God’s intent, resisting Satan in the subtle and not-so subtle ways that he is at work in my world, workplace, neighbourhood, school?
Satan is bound, Jesus is Lord, stop cowering in fear, stop behaving like Satan, start looking like Jesus! This is how we help Jesus rebuild and restore God’s kingdom.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
God, shake up the ‘defeatist’ or ‘retreatist’ mindset that has formed in me, make me a Christ-like radical agent of Your Kingdom way, one that resists Satan and makes him flee!
The Pharisees were cementing their position to support their posturing.
There is no neutral ground when distinguishing between Jesus the Messiah and Satan. You either have one or the other.
Like; acknowledging and being a part of the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of the world, being righteous or unrighteous, a believer or a non-believer, it’s black and white, or right and wrong. It cannot be both ways. It causes us to take a stand for Jesus, and not “water down” the power of the redeeming work that Jesus achieved.
We certainly cannot stand if the house is divided, unity in the power of Christ, although this in itself causes disharmony between those of God and those of the world, it strengthens us in the spirit that is Christ the saviour.
Jesus healed a man who was both blind and mute, and demon possessed. This miracle is overlooked in this story as the response to the miracle takes center stage. It is as if the healing was a run of the mill event, and as we have been reading so far in Matthew, we see that it was a part of Jesus’ ministry, healing the sick, and setting the captives free. Even though the Pharisees were looking for ways to kill him a few verses back, Jesus still engages them in a discussion, explaining to them, and to us, how his kingdom works.
I find an interesting use of words the phrase the kingdom of God has come upon you. Note that this does not just say the kingdom has come. This does not even say come to you. But come upon you. This makes it very personal and real. And what is this kingdom, according to these verses? It is the setting people free by the Spirit of God. This is the kingdom of God that has come upon us.
I pray that I can understand how to be free and how to share this kingdom that has come upon me.
Observations:
Once agin we see the mighty miraculous healing power of Jesus.
Whatever Jesus does, there are always observers. Watchers. The Pharisees. The people were astonished but the Pharisees gave credit to the devil for this healing power. Evil in disguise.
Those who were to know the way, those who were supposed to show the way, those who were to lead the way were envious of the healing power of Christ and continued confuse the issue. Who is in control? A divided house can not stand. It is doomed to failure.
Application:
Our world belongs to God!
We are either for or against our King.
Water is either fresh or salty – it can’t be both.
God has defeated Satan and will come once again to claim His Kingdom. But in the meantime, His people, you and I need to step up and continue to be Kingdom builders – stewards working in His garden until Je comes again to reclaim His own. And they will know – others will know – that we are His by our love, by our work, by our words. He has given His Spirit to empower us in doing this task.
Prayer:
Make me and instrument of Your peace Lord.
1. Make me a channel of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me bring you love;
Where there is injury, your healing pow’r,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
2. Make me a channel of your peace:
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope;
Where there is darkness, – only light,
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.
3. O Spirit, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consolded as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love with all my soul – .
4. Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving to all that we receive,
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.