MATTHEWCHAPTER12

EXAMINING SCRIPTURE IN ITS CONTEXT

Whenexamininganyscripturewemustalwaysexaminethecontext.Thiswouldessentiallycomprisethe following: 1. Versesbeforeandversesafter; 2. Thecontext,whoisJesusspeakingto,whyandwhatarethecircumstances 3. Sometimesitisevennecessarytounderstandthehistorical,culturalandeventhegeographical context. InthecaseofMatthew12:43onewouldhavetovirtuallyconsiderthewholechapter.Fromverse12:1 weJesusseebeingchallengedbythePharisees.TheywereveryantiJesusbecauseHewaschallenging theirlegalisticwayofinterpretingtheBible(atthattimeitwouldbewhatwecalltheOldTestament).

MATTHEW 12:1 21, JESUS AND THE SABBATH

Initially(vs121)JesuswaschallengedbecauseofHisattitudetowardstheSabbath.TheSabbathwas extremelyimportanttothereligiousleadersoftheday,soyoucanimaginethePhariseeswerepretty peevedoffatJesus. ThatsectionishighlightedbythatwonderfulpiecefromIsaiah42: Behold,myservantwhomIhavechosen,mybelovedwithwhommysouliswellpleased.Iwill putmySpirituponhim,andhewillproclaimjusticetotheGentiles.Hewillnotquarrelorcry aloud,norwillanyonehearhisvoiceinthestreets;abruisedreedhewillnotbreak,anda smolderingwickhewillnotquench,untilhebringsjusticetovictory;andinhisnametheGentiles willhope. Jesususedhispowernottogaincontroloverpeoplebuttoservethem.Jesusdidnotattempttoextend theKingdombyselfishquarrelsinvolvinginflammatoryrhetoric.Hisministrywouldeventuallybring justicetovictory,butevenJohntheBaptisthaddoubtsaboutthewayinwhichthiswasbeing accomplished.CertainlyChristianstodayhaveagreatdealtolearnfromtheirLordonthismatter.Their courseoflifeislikewisetobethatofsacrificialservice.
MATTHEW 12: 22 30, THE DEMONIZED MAN

Thisnowsetsthebroadercontextforwhatfollows. Inverse22ademonizedmanisbroughttoJesus.AsinallofJesushealingsitwastoproclaimthatHe haddominionoverboththespiritworldofdemonsandthephysicalworldofdisease.

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AswithallofJesushealingstherewasalwaysamuchdeepermessagebehindtheactualhealing. Healingisgreat,butthereisalwaysmuch,muchmore. ManyoftheJewsstartedwonderingifJesuswastheMessiah,theOnewhomtheyhadbeenwaitingfor solongvs23,Andallthepeoplewereamazed,andsaid,CanthisbetheSonofDavid?TheSonof DavidinJewishterminologywouldbetheMessiah,Jesus. [WeoftenspeakofJesusChrist.ChristisnotHissurname.ChrististheGreekword,Christos,which meanstheMessiahinHebrewstrictlyspeakingitshouldbeJesus,whowastheChrist.] OfcoursethePhariseeswerenotatallhappywiththisandcoupledwiththeSabbathincidentthey intendedtodiscreditJesusbyattributingthehealingofthedemonizedmantoSatan,thedevil.But,as always,JesuswasmanystepsaheadofHisadversaries.HechallengedtheirlogicbyaskingifSatan wouldgoagainsthimself(theotherwordforSatanhereisBeelzebul/b.)Heimpliedthatiftheyclaimed Hewascastingthedevilout,bywhatauthoritycouldtheycastthedevilout?Castingoutdemonswas notstrangetotheJewishpeopleofthatday.TherewereotherJewishexorcistswhoseworkmetwith somesuccessatleast;aretheyinleaguewiththedevilaswell?Ofcoursenot.Rather,Jesusworkisa signofsomethingthathiscontemporarieswerelongingfordeeply,butwerenotexpectingittolooklike this.Godskingdomwascominguponthem,burstinginasaforce,apowertobereckonedwith. Infact(verses2930)whatJesusisdoingisasignofsomethingHesalreadydone.IfHesnowhelping himselftothepropertyofthestrongman,itcanonlybebecausehesalreadytiedhimup.Firstyou havetowinthevictoryovertheSatan;thenyoucanplunderhispossessions.Thereisasoberingword thereforallwhoseektoadvanceGodskingdom.Arewepreparedtogothelong,hardrouteoffirst winningthevictoryovertemptation?
MATTHEW 12: 31 -32, THE UNPARDONABLE SIN

Vs31and32essentiallycoverswhatiscommonlyknownasthetheunpardonablesin.Thesesolemn wordsoughttobetakentoheartbyallreadersofMatthew.Butthequestionremainsastotheprecise natureoftheunpardonablesin.Wellmeaningbutoverzealouspreachershaveattimesusedthis versetothreatentheirlistenersthattodisbelievethegospelmessageistocommittheunpardonable sin.Inministry,onemayencounterindividualswhoareundertheimpressionthatthereisnohopefor thembecausetheyhavesinnedawaytheirdayofgrace. Nevertheless,Jesusfinalwarninghasoftenworrieddevoutreaders.Howcanweknowwhetherornot wehavecommittedthisunforgiveablesin?Butthissayingrelatesveryspecificallytowhathasgone before.JesusiswarningagainstlookingattheworkoftheSpiritanddeclaringthatitmustbethedevils doing.Ifyoudothat,itsnotjustthatyouwontbeforgiven;youcantbe,becauseyouhavejustcutoff theverychannelalongwhichforgivenesswouldcome. Althoughthewarningisthereforenotasworryingatonelevelassomehaveimaginedifyoure worriedaboutcommittingthissin,itsagoodsignthatyouhaventdonesoitremainsseriousinterms 2|P a g e

ofthedecisionpeoplereachaboutJesus.Itisstillpossibleforpeopletolookathimandsayhemust havebeenmad,orworse.ButifJesusreallywasbringingGodskingdomintoreality,refusingto recognizeitmeanscuttingyourselfofffromitseffects,ofwhichforgivenessisoneofthechiefones.

MATTHEW 13: 43 -45, THE RETURN OF THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT With reference to Jesus contemporaries

ThepointJesusismakinghereisthatchangeneedstobelonglastingtobegenuine.Hewasntjust talkingaboutindividuals,butaboutthewholegenerationofpeopleHiscontemporaries,thepeople whoheardhispreachingandsawwhatHewasdoing. Inwhatsensedidtheyneedtoreform?Well,therehadbeenvariousattemptsoverthepreviousyears tobringaboutrevivalorrenewalinJudaism.TwohundredyearsbeforeJesusdaytherewasagreat upheavalafterapaganruler,AntiochusEpiphanes,hadturnedtheJerusalemtempleintoapagan shrine.JudasMaccabaeusandhiscolleagueshadbeatentheSyrians,cleansedtheTemple,and establishedanewroyalhousethatlastedahundredyears.Butitdidntsolvetheproblems.Israel remainedsinfulandcompromised. Atleasttwogroupsthentriedtheirownreformations,attemptingtogettotheheartoftheproblem. ThePhariseesbeganasapressuregrouptryingtogetpeopletokeeptheTorah(mainlythefirstfive booksofourOldTestament)morethoroughlyandcompletely,withaviewtoliberatingIsraelinsideand outfromeverykindofpaganism.TheEsseneswereanevenmorerigoroussect,livingbytheirownstrict rules.Then,intheyearsbeforeJesusbirthandwhilehewasgrowingup,Herodandhisfamilywere rebuildingtheTemple,makingitoneofthemostbeautifulbuildingsanywhereintheworld.Many believedthatIsraelsGodhadabandonedtheTemplelongago;maybeHewouldnowreturn. Notso,saysJesus.Thisgenerationislikeapersonwhohasbeenexorcized,butthedemonmayreturn andrepossesswithseveralothers.Allright,youvehadyourgreatrevolution,anditworkedinitsway. Youhavesweptandcleanedasbestyoucan,withnewprogrammesofTorahteachingandpersonal piety.TheTempleitselfisstandingthere,inworkingorder.Butitsstillempty.Thedemonswillreturn, andthisgenerationwillendupworseoffthanitwasbefore. ItisntdifficulttoworkoutwhatJesusmeantbyallthis.Hispointwasnottodescribewhatnormally happenswhensomeoneisexorcized.Ifthisiswhattendstohappenafterexorcisms,itwouldbebetter nottodotheminthefirstplace.Hewasusingthedangerofrepossessiontomakeasharpcomment, attheendofthelongdiscussionofwherehegothispowerfrom,aboutthedangerthathiscountrymen werefacing.Theyhadhadallkindsofreforms,butunlessthehousegotanewinhabitant,the demonstheyhadexpelledwouldreturnwithothersaswell.Arrogance,violence,hatred,darkness, sometimesmasqueradingasobediencetoGodswillallthesethingswouldcomeinandwreck everything.Jesushadurgedthemtorepentofallthis,andtoacceptHiskingdomway,buttheyhadnt doneso.Theyneededtoknowthattheywereinvitingdisaster. 3|P a g e

For us, today

Buthavingsaidtheaboveweneedtoconsiderhowthisparableisrelevanttoday.Moralityapartfrom thelivingChristcanneverbemorethanashamandthemoreitisrelieduponthemoredangerousit becomes. Themaincharacterinthisillustrationisanuncleanspirit,whosespecificcharacteristicsarenot identified.HeisademonandamemberofSatanshostofsupernatural,evilcoworkers.Unclean representsthewicked,vilenatureofalldemonspirits;butthisparticularspiritwasnotasevilashe couldhavebeen,because,aswelearnlaterintheparable,hehaddemonfriendswhowereworsethan himself. Wearenottoldbywhatmeansthisuncleanspiritwentoutofaman.Itmaybethatthemanmadea moraldecisiontoforsakethesininwhichthisdemonhadentrappedhimandthatthedemonnolonger hadcontrolovertheman.Itmaybethatthemanhadbeencleansedofthedemonbut,justasmany peoplewhomJesuscleansedandhealeddidnottrustinHimforsalvation.Forwhateverreasonorby whatevermeans,themanwastemporarilyfreedfromthedemon'spresenceandinfluence. Afterhelefttheman,thisdemonpassedthroughwatererlessplacesseekingrest,anddidnotfindit. Beingspirits,demonsdonotneedfoodandwaterashumanbeingsdo,andthereforewaterlessplaces herefigurativelyrepresentsdesolation,barrenness,andextremediscomfort.Initsowncorruptwaythe demonwasseekingrest,someplaceofgreatersatisfaction.Fromthisandmanyotherpassagesinthe NewTestament,itseemsevidentthatdemonsprefertoindwellbodilycreatures,preferablyhuman beingsbutsecondarilyevenanimalsratherthanexistasunattachedbeingsinSatan'sevilrealm.Perhaps thisparticulardemonwasrestlessbecauseitcouldnotexpressitsevilnaturethroughinanimate,lifeless things.Itwasmostathomeinahumanbeing,becauseitisthroughhumanbeingsthatSatanandhis demonscanmostsuccessfullyworktheirevilandopposeGod. Whenitcouldfindnoothersatisfactoryplacetodwell,thedemondecidedtogobacktoitsformer residence:"IwillreturntomyhousefromwhichIcame."Whetherthespiritwassimplybeing presumptuousorwhetherithadsomecontinuingaccesstoandcontroloverthemanslife,itsreference tomyhouseindicatesastrongsenseofownershipandpossessiveness.Andthefactthatitwasableto regainentrancesoeasilyprovestheboastwasnotvain.Whenitreturnedandfounditsformerhouse wasunoccupied,swept,andputinorder,thefirstspirittookalongsevenotherspiritsmorewickedthan itself,andtheywentinandlivedthere. Thattheman'shousewasunoccupied(thatis,byanotherdemon),sweptandputinordersuggeststhat agenuinemoralreformationhadtakenplace.Whetherbythepowerofhisownwillorbythecleansing ofGod,hewastemporallyfreeofthatsinanditsrelateddemonandfromanyother. Throughfearofimprisonment,disease,socialstigma,financialruinandmanyothersuchmotivations,a personcanmanagetoridhimselfofcertainhabits.Sometimesthemotiveismorepositiveandthe persondeterminestochangebecauseofloveforwife,husband,orchildren.Butsuchselfcleansingno matterhowthoroughandextensiveandnomatterwhatthemotivationisneverpermanent. 4|P a g e

MyexperiencehasshownthatthosewhomakeahalfheartedattemptatChristianitytheywanttobe ChristiansbutarenotpreparedtocommittheirlivestoHimareofteninamoredangerousposition thanthosewhoarenotChristiansatall.Satanwilloftenfocushisattackonyoungandimmature Christians. WhetherinthebroadrangeofthehistoryofIsraelorinanindividualslife,thesameprincipleapplies: outerreformationwithoutinnertransformationbringssusceptibilitytoevenworseevilthanthatfrom whichoneturnedaway.

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