Matthew 12:33-37 – One’s speech can determine the state of one’s heart

This passage follows the accusation that Jesus was in collaboration with the forces of darkness. He had just argued why he wasn’t. In fact if only they were observant enough, the things that Jesus did would clearly show that the Kingdom of God had burst forth among them. The results of what he was doing was clear before the scribes and the Pharisees.  But they failed to see it. The results were much like the fruits of a tree. They were either good or bad fruits. What Jesus was suggesting was for them to look at the fruits of His ministry. Then determine whether His ministry was totally good or totally bad. It would help them to determine whether it was the work of God through and through, or that of the devil. 

Turning the heat on them, Jesus then told them what he thought 0f them. He described them as a brood of vipers. If they could not even tell what He was doing, the least they could do was to examine their own behavior. They could at least watch their speech, because what was spoken would reveal what’s in one’s heart. Whether a person’s heart is full of goodness or evil, his own speech pattern would reveal it all. What one says carelessly reveals deeply one’s attitude. Hence, careless words will be an indicator to assess the state of one’s heart on the judgement day. Just as sound and good words could justify a person, his careless words could condemn him.   

Be careful when we evaluate the ministry of others. We learn to appraise it from the fruits it produced. As we do so discerningly, we must also be careful not to speak carelessly. Let us not be snared by our own words!    

Matthew 12:31-32 – Do not blaspheme the Holy Spirit

Verses 31-32 have caused some people some worries, asking if they have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit. However, we need to know that we cannot take these verses in isolation. These verses must be understood in conjunction with the verses preceding them.

The Pharisees had just accused Jesus of being in league with Beelzebul. And He had just dismantled the insinuation that His ministry was effected by the power of darkness. He had, in fact, established that His ministry was an indication that the Kingdom of God had arrived at the scene. Jesus’ deliverance and healing in His ministry were all accomplished in collaboration with the Holy Spirit. And here the Pharisees had attributed it to the work of darkness. Hence in these verses, Jesus warned them against blaspheming against the Holy Spirit.

What is blaspheming against the Holy Spirit? It simply means to attribute what the Spirit has accomplished to the devil. It makes such as act hard to forgive. The issue is not so much as one won’t be forgiven but rather that one can’t be forgiven. Why so? It’s because a person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit has literally cut off the avenue through which forgiveness would flow to him. Once one has believed that the only stream that can refresh him is poisoned, he will never come to it to drink from that stream. He has literally put himself out of reach of the refreshing stream. A person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit would be such a person. He would be so hardened that he would no longer be receptive to what the Holy Spirit wants to bring to him.        

In a way, it is a positive sign if anyone worries about committing this sin. It is an indication that he or she has not committed it. However, this warning against what kind of conclusion we have reached, concerning Jesus’ ministry, is critical. It is possible to come to His ministry and refuse to acknowledge it as coming from God. It would then cut a person off from the blessings Jesus wants to bring, of which forgiveness is one of them. Let us learn to be careful when we evaluate any ministry!

Matthew 12:22-30 - Jesus and Beelzebul

Here Jesus was at it again. They brought Him a blind and mute man and He healed him. It was to be expected in any true encounter with Jesus, that man saw and spoke. Everyone in the crowd was amazed and could roughly see that He was the promised Messiah. Everyone except the Pharisees. For when they heard what the people said, they immediately insinuated that Jesus did the healing by the power of Beelzebul, a slang name for the arch-demon. This term literally mean “Lord of flies or filth.” He is none other than Satan, the devil himself.    

But we know that what Jesus did, He did it by the power of the Living God. The source of Jesus’ power came from the Heavenly Father. Everything, from casting out demons to healing to welcoming the outcast and etc., Jesus did all to introduce the Kingdom and its program. Through Him, the Kingdom of heaven had been in operation. So the reason they accused Him of doing everything by the power of Beelzebul was obvious. How else could they discredit the Lord Jesus and His work! If what they said of Jesus was the truth, than you can imagine the repercussion. It would mean that everything Jesus did could be attributed to Satan. All His work of healing and deliverance would be seen as the power of Satan at work. Bluntly speaking, they were accusing Jesus of being in league with Satan. More than that, they were charging Him of dabbling with witchcraft. If what they had suggested was believed, it would have spelt the end of all the Kingdom movement. What a preposterous suggestion!  It was one that Jesus couldn’t take lying down. He knew their thoughts. He knew where they were coming from. So He gave His response.

Firstly, He showed that if Satan was His source than it would mean that the devil was undoing his own kingdom. A kingdom divided cannot stand. It’s almost like a man in the midst of building his house, also engages a demolition team to tear down a part of that house concurrently. Secondly, He pointed out to the people that in His day, there were also people successfully casting out demons. He asked them, “By whose power did those exorcists exercise the deliverance ministry? Were they in league with the devil as well?” Of course not. Thirdly, Jesus then candidly pointed out that He delivered by the Spirit of God and this is an indication that the Kingdom of God had burst on the scene. Jesus was in fact invading Satan’s territory. This devil is the strongman in a house and Jesus had come to bind him and take back the goods that he had stolen.

The Kingdom of God is upon us. Daily, we are engaging in a warfare to extend the Kingdom of God. We must do so in collaboration with the Spirit of God. Let’s be committed to the task. Let’s take heed to verse 30. It’s a challenge by the Lord to work with Him. There is no two-way about it. There is only one way: be committed to His work. If we aren’t fully committed, we are simply not committed. Partial commitment is a euphemism for non-commitment! 

Matthew 12:15-21 - The Servant iof Yahweh

Here we see Jesus being portrayed as one who certainly knew His mission. Despite the huge demands made on Him, quietly and unyieldingly, He worked on. He healed the sick and restored them to health. He cast out demons from those who were troubled by these evil spirits. Bear in mind that the crowd kept coming. He must have felt the pressure from every which direction. Many of His followers didn’t even understand what He was doing and where He was heading to. People sought Him out for healing, for deliverance, and answer for every conceivable need in life. Meanwhile opposition towards Him was rising. Religious leaders felt outpaced by Him, were scheming to destroy Him. In order for His work to continue, He even had to warn some about broadcasting who He was. Aware of His ultimate outcome, yet the Lord plodded on and on.

So as Matthew looked back at all that Jesus did, he remembered the words of Isaiah, the famous prophet, concerning the Lord’s servant. Quoting Isaiah 42, Matthew inferred that the Lord Jesus was indeed that servant of Yahweh. The one whom God Himself had chosen and was well pleased. He was that coming Messiah, the King. Who would have thought He would do the work the way He did it? Many thought He would come with His might fighting, threatening and driving the foreign forces out and establishing the Kingdom forcefully. Yet this Messiah came bringing the blessings and justice of God to Israel, and then the world in the gentlest of ways. Those who were bruised in life and tottering in life’s uncertainty, He gave hope. He went about restoring the hope wherever the need was, not by making a huge commotion, but by gently touching each one with God’s healing love. He introduced and invited people into the Kingdom with His healing love, and graciously touched everyone, both from Israel and also the world, with God’s mercy and compassion.

Through pastors and people called into the church, He is still doing what He did then, bringing hope and justice to whatever situation people may be stuck in. Some may be like a reed that is bruised and bent by the hardship of life, He will not disappoint. Others may be like candles with flickering flames about to go off, He will not put them out. He will lead His people into justice and bring them the victory with the great hope He came to bring!  In Him we are indeed blessed!

Matthew 12:9-14 – God desires mercy and not sacrifice

This is another account capturing the confrontation Jesus had with the Pharisees over the violation of the Sabbath. What we stated briefly in the earlier account, let’s expand it a little more here. The Sabbath is not just a part of the Ten Commandments but was also a day observed and blessed by God at creation. The Sabbath was central to the Jewish life, so proper observance was critical. For a long time, the keeping of the Sabbath had been the thing that differentiated the Jews from the rest of the Gentiles. It was a distinguishing mark that pointed to their faith in Jehovah, the One God. It was treated with seriousness, and devout Jews, during times of duress, would rather die than violate the Sabbath. Even slaves must be given their needful rest on Sabbath. It was to be a day of joy and not a day of burden. Fasting was forbidden on the Sabbath, instead it was to be a day of celebration with eating and drinking.

In this account the Pharisees actually scheme to trap Jesus on the issue of the Sabbath violation. In the earlier account, they confronted Him when they saw His disciples plucking grain and eating them on the Sabbath. Now they were trying to goad Jesus into healing a man with a withered hand so they could nail Him. So when they saw this man with a withered hand in the synagogue, they asked him if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. They questioned Jesus so that they might accuse Him. Jesus wisely answered them by posing them a scenario with a question. In essence, He asked them “Wouldn’t anyone rescue his sheep which had fallen into a pit, even if it was on a Sabbath?”  The indication is this: if a sheep, less valuable than a man, would be rescued on the Sabbath, why shouldn’t a man with a withered hand be healed on the Sabbath?  As far as the Lord of the Sabbath is concerned, healing the man was more needful than strict observation of the Sabbath. Immediately, He commanded the man to stretch forth his withered hand. He did so, and it was instantly restored and became normal just like the other hand. His act infuriated those Pharisees that they departed from the synagogue, and conspired with each other against Him, seeking a way to destroy Him.  

We see that the issue here again is not about breaking the Sabbath. It is about living in right priority. Mercy and compassion is certainly more to be desired that strict observance of the Sabbath when someone is hurting. This is what the Lord of the Sabbath would do, and so must we. Let’s live for the big issues of life and not nitpick at the petty demands, and take the joy out of living!

Matthew 12:1-8 – People matters more than things

For sure the Lord is not discouraging the observation of the Sabbath. It was the day God Himself honored and had made it a day of rest. It was the day that God Himself rested from creation and had instituted that six days of work be done, but on the Sabbath, man must take a break and cease from work. The Pharisees had enforced this command made by God so rigidly that they failed to see the compassionate heart of God. Important as keeping the Sabbath is, God has mercifully provided exception for activities on that holy day.

In these verses we see Jesus being challenged by those Pharisees who failed to see the heart of God. In their demands that the Sabbath be kept, they forgot that at the crux of it, this is still God’s law after all. They had failed to see that people matters more than things. Sabbath must be kept but it mustn’t be applied till there is no room for love and mercy to be demonstrated.  

Matthew recounted how Jesus and His disciples were crossing grain-fields when the hungry disciples plucked and ate some of grains on a Sabbath. When the Pharisees saw what they did, they immediately accused the disciples of breaking the Sabbath law. In answering their accusation, Jesus referred them to an incident in the Old Testament. King David and his man ate bread from the altar in the temple that were meant for priests only. His point is this: Yes, no doubt the Sabbath must be kept, but it must not prevent the exercise of love and mercy to meet an overriding need to preserve life.

Jesus also pointed them to the occasions where the priests themselves carried out work in the temple on the Sabbath which had clearly violated the Sabbath rule. What Jesus did was to show them that in their pickiness, they failed to see that people are more important than things. They also failed to see the compassionate heart of God, who desire mercy over sacrifice. The Lord of the Sabbath than rebuked them for their failure to recognize that heart of God and accused the innocents. As the Son of Man, He has authority over the Sabbath. Yes, He is indeed Lord of the Sabbath and has full authority over it.  

What can we learn from this incident? People matters more than things. Do we have a mindset that places things and systems over people? Keeping rule to ensure harmony is expedient. But when a situation where compassion is shown, even to the point of breaking a rule, let us not be quick to point a condemning finger at those who are showing mercy. Remember that compassion is better than sacrifice!   

Matthew 11:25-30 – The invitation to journey and serve with Jesus

In verse 25, Jesus began by offering a prayer to the Father, the One who controls both the heaven and the earth. Jesus had demonstrated unusual power as He introduced people into the Kingdom. He had remarkably healed the sick, raised the dead and delivered those troubled by demons. All these should have opened the eyes of the people to recognize Who He is. Yet the remarkable truth about Him has been hidden from the wise and the intelligent. But the infants, referring to the unlearned, the sinners and the people who were sneered and despised by society, to them the Father was pleased to reveal the Kingdom.

The Father had handed all things to Jesus, His begotten Son. The intimate relationship reveals that He and the Father have an exceptional relationship. No one knows the uniqueness of Jesus the Son except the Father. Similarly, no one knows the Father except Jesus the Son. We who come to see and realize who the Father is, are the ones Christ has chosen to reveal Him to us. We must see how privileged we are that He should invite us in, for the true God can only be known through Him.

The yoke is the instrument that is used to enjoin two oxen together for the purpose of ploughing the field. The Pharisees had demanded the people to carry the heavy yoke of the law. Jesus came to offer a way to lighten the yoke of the commandments. He came offering His mercy and love. This ability to help us lighten the yoke, came from within Him, His character and gentleness. When we follow Him we will find rest for our souls in His promises. Unlike the demand of religious leaders that would breathe down one’s neck like a supervising authority, Jesus came to offer the mercy of God to everyone who come to the Father through Him.  Through Jesus we will find obeying the demands of God not burdensome and the yoke light.

Thank God that Jesus enables us to love God and serve Him without the guilt of not being able to meet the demands of the law. Through Him we find mercy and grace for the journey. Let us learn to come to Him every moment in life, and through Him find strength, as we deepen our relationship with Him!    

Matthew 11:16-24 – Pray for the ability to discern God’s moment

In Matthew 11:1-15, Jesus took time to clarify His role as the coming Messiah as well as John’s role to prepare the way for His coming. Here in verses 16-19, He chided the people for their lack of discernment concerning both their respective ministries. They were nonchalant concerning John’s and His invitation to God’s moment in history. When John came calling for an ascetic lifestyle, they accused him of being possessed by a demon. When the Lord came inviting tax-collectors and all kinds of sinners into the freedom of the Kingdom He came to proclaim, they accused Him of behaving like a wayward son. They accused Him of being a drunkard and glutton, and placed him in the class of wayward children that Deuteronomy 21:18-21 described.

So in verses 20-24, Jesus issued a series of warning to the people. He was not condemning them but warning them. They were the people He was familiar with for He lived in Capernaum. Many were His friends and neighbors, people in the community who met in synagogue. Furthermore, Chorazin and Bethsaida were nearby towns, a short distance from the lake.  Despite the remarkable miracles done among them yet they would not believe. Citing the cities of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus told them the two wicked cities would have responded and repented had they seen the things He came to do.  However, the undiscerning people of Chorazin and Bethsaida would not. Turning to the people of   Capernaum, He told them that they would be doomed for not realizing the purpose of His miracles. They would be condemned. Jesus cited Sodom to illustrate His point. He said, the city of Sodom would not be destroyed had they have the opportunity to see His miracles. He warned them that it would be more tolerable for Sodom on the Judgement day than the people of Capernaum.   

Although the message of the Kingdom was being preached and its power demonstrated, the people were still resistant to it. Like His message to the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, these hyperbolic languages of Jesus, serve to point us to the gravity of not accepting His invitation into the Kingdom. How much clearer can the message of the Father’s love be? It’s true that none can be as blind as one who refuses to see! Let’s pray for spiritual perception to know Christ, His message and His Kingdom!

Matthew 11:7-15 - Lessons from the lIfe of John the Baptist

In the earlier paragraph, Jesus had answered the disciples of John with a cryptic message when asked if He was the Messiah. The reason Jesus answered him that way, was also possibly not to cut sh0rt His own ministry. Bear in mind that Herold was recognized as the King of the Jews at that point. To come out openly and reveal His identity would cause Herold to be threatened. Hence the cryptic reply. And as John’s disciples were going away, Jesus began to compliment and said four things about the Baptist.

Firstly he was not like a reed shaken with wind, meaning he was a person of substance and not easily swayed by the fads of society. Unlike the reed that bends with the wind, John was not. He dared to confront the status quo of his day. Secondly, he was not one who was seduced by a soft culture. People prone to that kind of lifestyle could only be found in kings’ palaces. Thirdly, John was a prophet, one who was sent from God to herald the Kingdom.  Finally, he was more than just a proclaimer, he was a fulfilment of the Word. He was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: the messenger sent to prepare the way of the Messiah. John did not just preach the Word, he lived the Word. Here’s a lesson. God still need people with John-like character. People of substance; people who are not influenced by our indulgent society; people who dare to proclaim the Gospel; and people who practice the Word. Are we such people?

The tricky part of this passage is found in verses 11-15. What was Jesus saying? Jesus was talking about the prophets of two dispensations – the old and the new. Every prophet from Moses onwards up till John, were prophets of the Old dispensation. John the Baptist was the last who came to proclaim the Kingdom of the Messiah. Of all those prophets, John was regarded as the greatest because he came to prepare the path for the Savior. Jesus’ purpose was not to highlight John’s prominence but to show that people of the new dispensation are more privileged, because they live in the moment of fulfilment. In the Old Testament, we are told that Elijah would come before the coming of the Messiah. Hence Jesus said to the people, if they can see it, John was that Elijah who was to come. The last phrase, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” is needed because Jesus had just interpreted the role of John, that had not been understood.

What does Jesus mean in verse 12 that “…the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence and violent men entered it by force?” Here Jesus was describing the born again experience. It is interesting that Jesus in talking to Nicodemus, would use birth to illustrate the born-again experience. Birth is not a casual experience, but one that is usually attended to by blood, pain and tears. If we have seen a child’s birth, we will know that it’s a violent process. Before a child breaks into this world from the mother’s womb, there would be pain, struggles, blood, sweat and tears. Similarly, we have seen people engaging in long agonizing prayers to bring about the spiritual birth of someone. None of us just woke up one morning and decided to be a Christian. In most situations, someone must have aggressively prayed and strategized to bring the Gospel to us. If so much has gone into it, to bring about our spiritual birth, we must treasure the new life in Christ and live it for His glory!

Matthew 11:1-6 – Christ the King

The ministry of the Lord did not stop even though He had assigned the 12 to go and spread the news and extend the Kingdom. Having instructed His disciples on what they needed to do, the Lord Himself went to teach and preach in the cities. In Matthew 4:12, we have already been told that John the Baptist was arrested. It would not be until Matthew 14 that we would be given the reason for his arrest and imprisonment.

 

We need to understand a bit of the backdrop that led to the question John had, concerning Jesus. He had been pointing to Jesus as the coming Messiah and indeed He was and still is. In the mindset of the Jews, the Messiah would be one like King David. He would help them to get rid of their oppressors. The Jews were looking forward for the Messiah to come and help free them from the Roman oppressors. In John’s mind, if Jesus was that coming Messiah, then why were there no sign or activity to evict the Romans. And here he was, having preached about Him and yet languishing in prison and discouraged. So he sent his own disciples to ask Jesus if He was the coming Messiah or should they look for another.

 

If we fail to understand the background we will be confused with the Lord’s answer. Instead of a simple yes or no, the Lord spoke about some of His exploits which the disciples of John themselves had heard and seen.  He told them to tell John that the blind saw, the lame walk, the lepers cleansed and the deaf heard, and the dead were even raised up, and the poor had the Gospel preached to them. He was sure that John would understand the implication.

 

What was Jesus saying? He was essentially saying, “Yes, I am the Messiah, but I operate in the realm that the physical eye may not see. But where I operate from, the impact can be felt in this physical world, in terms of healing, deliverance and restoration.”  The message of the Lord is about His Kingdom. It is about the domain of the King’s rule. It is about the King and not so much the territory. And He is reigning and freeing man from the dominion and slavery to sin that had brought with it sickness and death. And truly blessed is everyone who does not take offense with Him. For then they are poised to receive the blessings that He, the King, came to give.

 

Praise the Lord! We all have been called into the Kingdom of heaven that Christ came to proclaim. We have been enlisted into the service of the King and now a member of His occupational force here on earth to expand that Kingdom. Know this: our calling in life is not only to touch that Kingdom, our calling is to enlarge the Kingdom!

Matthew 10:32-42 – Where’s our priority?

Christian life seems to be very paradoxical. The demands Jesus made in this passage are not for the fainthearted. If we care to be honest, we must admit that it seems very different from what we would expect from the Lord. What does He mean by bringing a sword and not peace? Did He come to bring division within our household? Christ Jesus has no intention was not to bring disruption to our lives. But if we are to follow Him, these things are bound to happen.
 

And then what does He mean that we must love Him more than our dearest earthly kin, yes even our own life? More than we care to admit, we are all more accustomed to comfort than to challenges. What Jesus is doing here, is challenging us with some of His very hard and uncomfortable words. Our Lord is merely reiterating what He had called for earlier in His Sermon on the Mount. He wants us to make it our priority to put Him first in our life. He is in fact calling for our total commitment to Him. Taking up the cross, denying our self, in order that we might gain Christ are all part and parcel of discipleship. But this is a major paradox in a disciple’s life that we need to embrace in life. If are to gain Christ we must lose our life for His sake.  

 

All these tough challenges of Jesus are matched by the remarkable promises that He also makes in this passage. He promises that when we receive Him we will be received by the Father, Who had sent Him. And the reward for accepting Him as God-sent, is greater than what we can perceive now. Any service of l0ve we show to the least of the brethren because of our love for Him, is in effect a service to Him.  When we give a cup of water to the needy we are serving the Lord. And whatever we do for Him we are not just doing it to Him but also to God, Who had sent Him.

 

Think of it this way, we realign our lives to meet the challenges, act on them humbly for His sake, we will take our faith in Him to yet another level. Then we will surely impact our society far more than we can think and imagine.

Matthew 10:24-31 – Do not fear

The things Jesus said in the previous paragraph help us to understand why He needs to assure the disciples in this present passage. He had just told them of the hard road ahead - the persecution, the beating, the death sentence that they would face. Hence the purpose of this passage seems obvious. It’s true that no one can be greater than his teacher. If they had already maligned Jesus the Lord, what makes us think that as His followers we would be spared? Therefore the assurances in this passage are certainly needed. Notice, however, how these assurances come in the form of a series of calls not to be afraid! They are most appropriate in the light of the threats that would be confronting them.

 

What do verses 26-27 mean? We know that the disclosure of one’s inner most secret is a fearsome thing. Jesus here assured His disciples that there aren’t any secrets with Him. One’s inner most secrets would be brought to light ultimately. What one hears from the Lord must be proclaimed fearlessly even in the face of dangers and threats. What would be seen on that day of vindication wouldn’t be taken as arrogance and obstinacy, but the display of faith and loyalty. It would be made known to all that the instruction of the Lord of life had been followed to the end. They would be recognized for their sheer determination to follow and obey the Lord whatever the cost.   

 

Why did Jesus talk so much about fear? This passage suggests to us two kinds of enemy that one is confronted with. In Israel’s day it was the Roman, and in our day, they would come in the form of people who have harmful intention against us. These are the ones that can destroy our bodies. Then, there are the enemies that both the Israelites of old, as well as all of us, will face. They are none other than the devil and his cohorts of demons. They are out scheming and designing to trap and destroy our souls. Jesus wants us to be well aware of the issue so as not be lured into the trap of fear. To further assure us, Jesus’ most outstanding promise is the embracing love of God. He not just cares about us, He cares even for the minutest detail of life. Not many of us take note of the hair that come loose, yet the Lord cares even if one should fall off our head.     

 

We should not get the idea that Jesus is talking about God when He talks about the one who can destroy our souls in hell. He is not. What He is saying here is: God is the One we should not fear. Why? Because He loves all of us His children and we can trust our life, our soul and everything to Him.

 

One last thought before we move on. Many of us may think that God is unconcerned about what seems like trivial in our life. Here He is assuring us that we are worth far more than the sparrow, and that He cares about the smallest detail even when we are assailed by temptations and attacks. Like it or not, in life we are confronted with conflict at every level. We can take heart because the most powerful enemy we confront is nothing in comparison with the Lord we worship.

  

Matthew 10:16-23 - Facing challenges in the ministry

There were a few things that Jesus had encountered as He went about ministering that had alerted Him: the rising opposition of the Pharisees and religious folks, and the accusation that He was in league with the devil. He was also well aware of the sentiments of the opposition, who would be ready to incite a revolt against the Roman’s dominance. In the earlier part of this chapter, He detailed for His disciples what they were expected to do. In these eight verses Jesus warned them to watch out against the opposition in their ministry. Just imagine what must have been going on in the minds of the 12 disciples. We can now understand why He told them that He was sending them as lambs in the midst of wolves.  

 

In many societies today, we hear the call to exercise religious tolerance. We don’t expect to receive much violent reaction to the preaching of the Gospel. No one sharing about Jesus expects to be brought to court and persecuted. But history is full of stories of persecution brought against the bearers of the Gospel of Christ. It bears witness that the early disciples were indeed persecuted and scourged. The Book of Acts tells of story after story of their persecution and how they were beaten, sent to prison and even killed.  They were brought to courts and before magistrates, and amazingly they could answer their accusers with Spirit-inspired wisdom.

 

Furthermore, the message about Jesus did indeed bring division within families; brothers were betrayed by brothers, and fathers maligned their children and vice-versa, causing them to be executed. The disciples were warned that they would be hated for the sake of Jesus and be chased from city to city. Yet they must do it till the Son of Man comes. This suggests that there will be an ultimate vindication.

 

In light of the warnings, we can understand why Jesus gave the instruction for His followers to be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. One cannot function without the other. Shrewdness alone will cause one to become manipulative and devious, whereas innocence alone will cause one to be gullible and naïve. Followers of Jesus must not be manipulative, devious, gullible or naïve. We must act with clear-mindedness and wisdom, and learn to live and act like Jesus. And this can only happen when we allow the Spirit to fill our life, and to lead, guide and direct our life.      

Matthew 10:5-15 - Instruction for effective minisry

In Matthew 10:1-15, Jesus had summoned the 12 to Himself. In verse 1 He commissioned them and defined the role they were to fulfil in the mission. In verses 2-4, the names of the 12 were given. We are foretold that one of the 12 was Judas Iscariot who finally betrayed the Lord. From verses 5-15, Jesus gave them instructions on how to go about the mission.

Verses 5-6 is puzzling considering the fact that He had already welcomed Gentiles in His earlier ministry. At His birth, the magi came to worship Him. In Matthew 8, we read that He attended to a gentile in the healing of the centurion’s servant. What about His prophecy in that same incident recorded in Matthew 8:11-12? He said that many would come from the East and West and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven? The 12 were told to avoid the way of the Gentiles and not to enter the city of the Samaritan. They were instead to go to the lost sheep of Israel. Those cases of Gentiles, before Christ’s death and resurrection, were indications of the heart of God. He has all of us who are Gentiles at heart. But the dispensation at His first coming was to address the Jews first. Hence the instruction to go to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. The Lord was giving the first opportunity to Israel, they must be given the chance before the program of God opens up to the rest of the world. Furthermore, those Gentiles that He touched sought Him out. They came to Him and not the other way around. If Jesus had started with the Gentiles, He would have affirmed the accusation of the religious leaders who said that He was in league with the devil. So in a sense Israel was given the first opportunity to repent.  

The instructions to the disciples provide for us a model for ministry. Like them, we must proclaim that the Kingdom is here. Ministry must include healing, raising the dead, restoring lepers, delivering people possessed by demons. The purpose of Jesus is to ensure that the crux of ministry is to offer life to the people. Here we see that one must not go into the ministry for the prestige of the title or position. Ministers can expect financial support from the people they minister to. Hence the 12 were told not to worry about their physical provision. However, they must not use the ministry to milk money to enrich themselves. They were told not to acquire gold or silver or copper for their money belt. Ministers are not to be in the ministry to amass wealth for themselves. Indeed no one in ministry should give the slightest hint that they are in the ministry for the money. But the opposite is also true, they must not act like beggars. While they can expect financial support, they must remember that the message is to be given free.

While the ministry is for free, it must not be cheapened. It must be offered to those who would worthily accept it. A minister should never overly affected by the people’s responses. However, the ministers must appropriately respond to the people regardless of how they are being received. When accepted, blessing of peace should be given. When rejected, clear solemn indications should be given that the hearers have chosen to take a path of ultimate destruction, that even the judgement that Sodom and Gomorrah had experienced would appear mild.

As people of the Kingdom, let’s remember that we are here to offer life. Whether it be in healing or deliverance or restoration, they only serve to point people to the door to God’s new life. We are not here to condemn but we are to warn. Blessed are the people who adopt this model that Jesus had given for ministry today!  

Matthew 10:1-4 – The call to discipleship

All this while, we see Jesus doing everything. Up until now, His disciples were like passengers being driven all over the places. Jesus was the one handling all the tough situations and making all the difficult decisions. They saw how Jesus dealt with different situations with divine precision. Many a times, what Jesus did must have left them as astounded as the crowd that gathered around Him with their needs. They saw how demons obeyed, and that regardless of the magnitude of the people’s condition, He healed them all. Demons were cast out and people were totally delivered and restored.

 

The disciples whom He had recruited, followed Him everywhere. They were His apprentices and were observing how he did the ministry. Jesus must have felt that at some point those disciples must take over the driving. It appears that the time has arrived. So in verse 1, we are told that He summoned the 12 disciples to Himself, gave them authority over every unclean spirit, and commissioned them to do what he had been doing. They were told to go out and cast out demons, and to heal every kind of disease and sickness. Here the 12 are specially identified and named. The Lord even gave Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him, a place among the Twelve. Did Jesus know that he would betray Him? We can surmise that He did. It tells us how gracious Jesus is, and He gave Judas Iscariot the opportunity to come good, but unfortunately, he didn’t seize the opportunity given to him.    

 

Here we learn that in the disciple process, we need to select the appropriate candidates, then we teach the candidates the ropes, and show them how to do ministry. We are reminded of what Paul said to Timothy concerning discipleship – we are to entrust what we have learned to faithful men, who will impart to other faithful men also. As we do that, we will ensure that the line and process of discipleship will not be broken and the Kingdom of God continues to expand. So let us train others who will carry on the work of the ministry.     

Matthew 9:27-37 - The Lord needs you

Undoubtedly the many miracles that Jesus did from chapter 8 were all pointing to His authority. We saw how Jesus began by demonstrating it in the healing of the leper, the centurion’s servant, and Peter’s mother-in-law. Then He proceeded to still the storm as they were crossing the Sea of Galilee, before delivering the two demoniacs of Gadarenes from the herds of destructive demons within them. When we come to chapter 9 we saw the account of the healing of the paralytic, before The Lord healed the woman with her 12-year menstrual problem. Then we are told that He raised Jairus’ 12 years old daughter from the dead. With all these exploits, it would have been enough to authenticate Jesus’ authority and reveal that He is indeed God’s Messiah. Yet Matthew rounded up in these final 10 verses of Matthew 9, with two more accounts of healing. First in the healing of two blind men and then the healing of a demon-possessed mute man. 

 

The title that the two blind men addressed Jesus in their cries introduces to us another title of the Messiah. He is the “Son of David.” It points us to Jesus’ authority as the Messiah. The healing of these two blind-men shows us a few things. First, it shows faith in Jesus the Messiah as a pre-requisite to one’s healing. Second, it affirms that Jesus was indeed Israel’s long awaited Messiah. Third, it tells us the propensity of human nature. It is truly difficult to refrain from talking about one’s remarkable testimony. Yes, we must certainly share our remarkable story, but we must do so at the appropriate time.

 

The account quickly switched to the deliverance and amazing healing of that demon-possessed mute man. Briefly we are told the miracle was so brilliant that once the demon left him, he began to speak. Such a miracle, we are told, had never been done in Israel before. Hence, the people were in awe of Jesus, the Lord. Once again this miracle was intended to authenticate the authority of Jesus, the Messiah and Lord. Here, we also see the opposition and suspicion of the Pharisees concerning Jesus, the Messiah. They insinuated that what He did was by the authority of the rulers of demons. In other words, they suspected that the authority Jesus shown came from the devil.  Sadly, the skeptic didn’t realize that what Jesus did was far from what they thought about Him. What Jesus’ did stamped from His deep compassion for the people. He wanted to leave a mark of God’s great love for the people. He cares about our needs, our hurts and our pains.

 

Many people are still wandering about as strayed sheep without a meaningful purpose in life. They go about life dispirited and distressed, indicating so obviously how much they need the Lord. But at the same time, they are also oblivious that the Kingdom of God has already arrived, and the movement had begun at Jesus’ coming. So changing from shepherd-sheep imagery, the Lord used farming and agricultural terms, to urge us to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers into the already ripen field.  As we pray for more harvesters, let’s hear the Lord calling to us personally to answer His hillside prayer. Is He asking you to be one of the harvesters whom He needs to be sent into the already ripen field of the world?

 

 

 

 

Matthew 9:18-26 – Death is not final – the authority belongs to Jesus

These verses narrate two miracles that Jesus did. Notice that both the recipients of the miracle of Jesus were female. One was a young girl and the other a grown woman. The girl was raised from death and the grown woman was healed of a bleeding issue, a menstrual problem. According to Mark 5:42 the girl who was raised from the dead was 12 years old. And in Matthew 9:20, we know that the grown woman had suffered her condition for 12 years. Interestingly, Biblical numerologists or people who study the meaning of numbers in the Bible tell us that 12 is the number that signifies authority. 

 

Mathew seems to indicate that while Jesus was still explaining why His movement requires new mindsets and perspectives, a man of dignity came to Him in panic. This man was a leader of the synagogue. Mark 5:22 tells us that his name was Jairus. What’s highly unusual in this account is that Jairus should approach Jesus. Being a leader of the synagogue he had a certain conduct he needed to keep. How undignified it was for him to approach Jesus in his panic stricken condition. Who cares when facing a giant issue like his? His daughter had just died. His request to Jesus was, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her and she will live.”  The conjunction “but” tells us that he knew deep within, Jesus could reverse the situation. He did not even consider the fact that to touch a dead body was to touch an unclean thing. Again, who cares? Jairus’ gigantic need has obliterated all other concerns. Notice the response of the Lord. There was no hesitation. He and His disciples got up immediately and followed him home. 

 

In the meantime, the account was interrupted by the healing of that grown woman with the menstrual problem. Suffering from the 12-year menstrual problem, she was not about to let the opportunity passed. So she came from behind, pressed through the crowd to touch the garment of Jesus. The law had stipulated that with her condition, whoever she touched would become unclean, and would need to go through a cleansing process. Yet we find Jesus paused to deal with her.

 

We can be sure that it must have been trying for Jairus at this point. With his kind of problem, who won’t? But we must accept that the Lord Jesus knows better. He knows the exact timetable in God’s scheme of things. He would not allow anything to sabotage God’s schedule of events.  In life it’s always like this. Everyone who is facing a problem is anxious and would want it attended to immediately. But the Lord has His timing and schedule. He will never be a second late on time. He will always stop for those who dare to trust Him with their seeming impossible situations.

 

Returning to Jairus’ situation, when they reached his house, the mourners were already in action. Jesus told the mourners to go away for the girl is not dead but asleep. What He said seemed like a joke to them and everyone laughed at Him. They thought they knew better. They were professional mourners after all. But they failed to see that they were talking to the Lord of life. He is the One who has final authority, yes, even over death. Having sent everyone away, Jesus went into the room where the girl was, took her by the hand and she got up. And even though what happened was in a time where there was no android or I-phones, news of what Jesus did went viral and spread throughout the region.

What can we learn from the account of these two healings? With Jesus, there is nothing too great that He cannot do. And there is nothing too small or inconvenient that He would not stop to attend to. Besides, there is no situation too pressing that could disrupt His schedule. These accounts also prove that we need to come to the Kingdom with new mindsets and perspective. He desires mercies more than sacrifices. We must not allow our lives to be framed by old mindsets. We must learn to look beyond the natural. All human resources have a limit, hence our power and ability have their limit. If we dare to trust God, no matter how long and big our problem may be, in His time He will bring an immeasurable depth of experience that will far surpass our ability to think or imagine. They will all come to enrich our lives. Amen!   

Matthew 9:14-17 – New nature for new vessel

People with the mindset of the old regime are still insistent that the old system should be honored and practiced. But the movement that Jesus introduced was very different. Hence, we see the disciples of John coming to Him asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered by telling them that no one mix the mood in mourning, with the jubilant celebration in a wedding. Why should wedding guests be in mourning when they are having a wedding celebration? How can the guests of the bridegroom refrain from rejoicing when the bridegroom is in their midst? Implicitly, Jesus had indicated that He is that heavenly bridegroom, the Messiah whom everyone is waiting to usher in the Kingdom of light. How can people mourn and be sad when the Messiah is with us.

Jesus’s reply also implies that in the old regime, everyone was waiting for God’s light to break through the darkness. They failed to see that in Christ Jesus, the heavenly bridegroom, the light of God had broken through. Jesus had drawn back the curtain so that the light of God can shine through. In contrast, the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist were still trying to light the lamp, or try to keep the flicking lamp of the past burning. In talking about the bridegroom being taken away, He was hinting about His impending death. When that time comes, then it’s time to fast and mourn.

Jesus used two other illustrations to show that we cannot come to the Kingdom movement that He came to introduce with the old system. The unshrunk cloth and the new wine skins are referring to the new movement Christ has introduced. The old cloth that could be torn and the old wine-skins that could burst, are referring to the old lifestyle. What Jesus is saying is the movement he has introduced will continue to expand. We need new perspective, mindset and spiritual openness to allow the Spirit to work through us. The old person in us is not congruent with the new nature Christ has given to us. The issue is: are we living a lifestyle of the new creation? Or do we slip back every now and then and try to bring back our old habits, while trying to live out our new nature created in Christ? 

Matthew 9:9-13 – We need Jesus

The Kingdom Jesus came to introduce is different from what people had experienced thus far. In Him, things were moving in quite the opposite direction from the norm of His day. Who would want to associate with the outcasts of society? Tax collectors, as we have discovered, were cronies of the Romans. They collected tax on behalf of the Romans. It was their practice to collect more than what the authority required of the people to pay, and keep the excess they had collected. Hence they were intensely disliked by the people and were deemed as scums of society. Everyone would shun them.

 There was one such person hailed from Capernaum. He is none other than Matthew, the author of this Gospel. Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27 reveal that his other name is Levi. From Matthew 9:9, we are told that Matthew was seated in his collector’s booth and presumably collecting tolls from the people who passed by. Nobody would want to be near him, much less invite him to be a follower. But Jesus did. He literary commanded Matthew to follow Him. Amazingly, he arose and followed Jesus.

 

Here we are told Jesus did what no true-blooded Jew in His day would do. He was found in the house of a tax collector, presumably Matthew’s. While Jesus was reclining at the table there, many other tax collectors and sinners came and dined with Him and His disciples.  Just imagine, at other times Matthew would be dinning alone. He must have felt elated to have the Lord in the house and more than that, to be reclining at the table and eating with Him and his friends. The posture adopted by the Lord was usually the pose that was commonly adopted when dinning. It suggests to us that Jesus was making Himself comfortable, much to the dislike of the Pharisees. So they quizzed the disciples of Jesus, asking, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”

 

Why? Because He is different from all others. Like a doctor, He came to heal the sick. It makes no sense for a doctor to keep away from people who need his service most. How else could Jesus fulfill His mission if He didn’t go to the people who needed Him most? In Christ Jesus, God is demonstrating His compassion. Jesus did not come to set aside the Old Testament requirement of a sacrifice for the cleansing of sin. He came to show God’s compassion to people who need it most. He came to be that sacrifice demanded by the law.

 

Truly, we all need Jesus! As Kim Walker says in her song:

I need you Lord, more than yesterday

I need you Lord, more than words can say

I need you Lord, more than ever before

I need you Lord, I need you Lord.     

Matthew 9:1-8 - Authority to free mankind from sin

It is said that “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In many places, we know authority has been widely abused. Authority has come to mean the right to do anything by the one who has it. No wonder this word conjures great misgivings. But in Jesus, we see authority in a different light. It’s the right way authority is being exercised. We have seen Him exercising it in varied settings. In His teaching, He had demonstrated great authority. Then we saw His authority again in the healing of the leper, the centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law, and the throng of people that sought Him out and went away healed. His authority was also exercised in stilling the storm, and in the two demons possessed men at Gadarenes. Jesus exercises authority to help to free up people with sticky problems and make them whole.

In this passage we see Jesus exercising His authority yet again. This time He demonstrated authority to do the kind of thing that only God can do. He exercised His authority to forgive sin, and freed a person deeply bound by a condition that had incapacitated him. We are talking about a man who was paralyzed and unable to move, and had to be ferried around on a stretcher.

Jesus had crossed the lake again and came back to His own hometown. The people brought that paralyzed man lying on a stretcher to Him. On seeing the faith the people had in His ability to heal, Jesus told that paralyzed man, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”  The way Jesus said this to him suggests that it was the sin of this man that had overwhelmed and paralyzed him. We guess that he must have been so guilt ridden, it brought to the point that he was devoid of courage to move.

Within this story we see the introduction of the animosity of the scribes. The plot is beginning to be set for the Lord’s ultimate and decisive victory over sin on the cross. Their objection to what Jesus did was an indirect affirmation that Jesus was doing something that only God has the authority to do. Jesus perceiving what was on their mind clearly declared the intention of His action. As the Messiah, Jesus has the authority to send away our sin. So He did for this man what only God’s Messiah could do. He healed that man and made known that He is the Son of man, and He has the authority to forgive sin while on earth. So He turned to the paralyzed man and told him to get up, to carry his bed and go home. And this man did as he was told. 


While the scribes must have been fuming with madness with what Jesus had just done, the people were left awestruck. Though the people had not fully recognized who Jesus really was yet, they were amazed that God would show His own authority through one man, who would demonstrate God’s kind of authority among men. Yes, Jesus has the authority to forgive sin and He still wants to free our sin-rooted life that can incapacitated us. Today, He is still saying to us, “My Son, My daughters, your sins are being sent away, you are forgiven.” We should no longer remain in a sin-ridden, sin-rooted life. Like that paralyzed man, we must get up, pick ourselves up. We must live our lives as people free from our sins to journey with Our Lord and Saviour.  Let us live to glorify God! 

Matthew 8:28-34 - Jesus has absolute authority

Having crossed the Sea of Galilee, Jesus and His disciples now arrived at Gadarenes. Here He was greeted by two persons who were with boisterous wind and threatening storm within. Whatever was happening, we know that the turmoil within them, the forces that caused them to behave and act in ways they did, had to be more than meets the eye. Matthew tells us that they were possessed by demons. They were extremely violent, and people dared not go by where they were. This indicates to us that demons have a very violent nature. But when they saw Jesus, they immediately recognized Him.

The question, that left the disciples baffled, was, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” From the demons they found their answers. Jesus is indeed the Son of God. And for us, knowing who He is and having a relationship with Him makes us triumphant in life. No matter what life may throw at us, we know that He will take us through victoriously.

Though the time for the demons to be sent to their ultimate damnation had not arrived, they knew they couldn’t remain any longer in the two men they had possessed. Jesus was about to use them to demonstrate the authority He has. This account tells us that there were many pigs feeding nearby. Why did the demons choose to be sent to the herd of swine? Here are a few observations. The many pigs that the demons chose to go to, suggests to us the number of demons that had been dwelling in those two men. The swine tells us that demons only choose to stay in unclean vessels. The violet manner in which those pigs plunged to their death in the ravine, suggests to us that demons only have one aim for people they possessed – their total destruction. Just imagine what would have happened to those two men, if not for the intervention of Jesus.

On seeing what happened, the herdsmen ran into the city and reported what had taken place. They whole city came out in droves to see for themselves what was reported. The fact that they implored Jesus to leave their region is puzzling. Elsewhere we read wherever Jesus went, He was welcomed. But why are they sending Him away in this instance? Perhaps having Him around would be too demanding for people who refused to give up what they knew was not right. Why were these Jews raising unclean swine which were stipulated as unclean animals? Think of it, if they would not eat pork, why were they rearing pigs? We really don’t know.

What we do know is that Jesus possesses full authority. He showed it with the leper, the centurion’s servant and Peter’s mother-in-law. He has authority whether one is near or away from Him. We get to see His authority over the forces of nature, the stilling of the storm. And with the demons, we know that He has total authority over unseen evil forces of wickedness. 

What’s important is this: when we know Jesus, we can be in awe of Him or we can be terrified by the demands it will require to truly follow Him. Each one of us needs to make the decision one way or the other.             

Matthew 8:23-27 – Jesus has authority over the forces of nature

Many people were astonished with the signs that Jesus did. Without having to advertise about Himself, people could see the authority He had, in the incident when the leper was healed. So also were the healings of the centurion’s servant and Peter’s mother-in-law. No wonder great crowds would follow Him.

Having dealt with the scribe and the disciple concerning the demands of discipleship, Jesus was now with His disciples in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. As He told them, they were going to the other side of the Lake. Jesus was sure that He would reach His destination safe and sound. But his disciples were not so. We need to know that when we are traveling with Jesus, nothing can keep us from reaching our destination. It’s only when we forget that Jesus is with us in the journey, then we can be terrified by the adversities of life.

So we see this played out in the lives of the early disciples. They followed Jesus in the boat and was going across the Sea of Galilee, not knowing that they were heading into the eye of a storm. We may think it’s unusual for a lake to have a storm. From our geography lessons we know that storms never happen in a lake. So why was there a storm on the Sea of Galilee, which is actually a lake? Till today, this great lake is the source of water for Israel. It is filled by the water that would stream down from the highlands surrounding it. Because of the highlands that cover this lake, it created a tunnel. When a strong wind blows on it, the wind will be trapped in the tunnel, causing great turbulence to the water. This happened frequently and still happens today. A storm can happen anytime in the Sea of Galilee. So it was on one of those occasions where the strong wind had caused a storm, that Jesus was asleep comfortably on a cushion, in the stern of the boat.

So the terrified disciples came to the Lord and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” For them to be that petrified, they must have forgotten the authority He had demonstrated earlier. The gentle rebuke Jesus gave them indicates to us that it was a failure on their part to realize who Jesus really was. He merely got up and rebuked the wind and the sea, and the storm ceased immediately. 

Are there storms in our lives today? What are the things that bothered us and have caused the calm sea of our life to be so turbulent? Are we not aware that Jesus still has authority over them? Unlike the disciples who were amazed when the wind and the sea obeyed Him that day, we must not be amazed for He still has the world in His hand.