Matthew 12:22-32
This is a bit longer section than I normally like to do but I think that it contains all one thought. Jesus has been healing people of their diseases and infirmities but now a man who is demon possessed is brought to him. Jesus casts out the demon to the amazement of the audience however the Pharisees attribute his power to the power of Satan. Jesus then contrasts the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of God and the power of Satan to the power of the Holy Spirit (who is a key part of this passage). He uses two word pictures: that of a kingdom or household divided and that of an invasion of a strong man's house. The first word picture is to show that a kingdom that is divided cannot survive so it makes no logical sense that Satan would send Jesus to cast out demons. The second word picture makes the point that the only way a strong man can be defeated is if a stronger man fights him. The message is that if Jesus has been sent as a servant of Satan then he must be less powerful than Satan. However, Jesus is casting out demons which makes him stronger than Satan and not his servant, as the Pharisees were suggesting.
It is in this context that Jesus speaks the applicational point: just as the kingdom of evil cannot be divided , the kingdom of God is not divided. There is only one King and one Lord and everyone who is not with Him is against Him. There is no room in the kingdom for rebellion against the King. The most difficult concept in this entire teaching is the unforgiveable sin of blasphemy against the Spirit. In the context, it could be attributing the work of God to the power of the devil (which is what the Pharisees were doing). I have tended towards this interpretation and also tend to think that this was an unforgiveable sin for the generation to whom Jesus was speaking. However, the immediate context makes me think that blasphemy against the Spirit could be the equivalent of rebellion against the King.
Whatever the case, there are two things I am sure of: I must be careful about to whom I give credit for what is going on in the world. I don't want to speak against any work of God by saying that has been done in the power of the devil. At the same time, I must be very careful that the work I do and am a part of is done according to the King's agenda, character and guidance.
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2 comments:
The unforgiveable sin is a tough one to deal with. I thought mostly the same thing, however I am not sure if it was only for that generation, I would hate to lead people astray on this one. Thanks for your thoughts.
Yeah, I'm not completely sure about that either. It's just something I remember learning and finding interesting. I would have to do a lot more study on it before I taught definitively about it.
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