Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Matthew 12

In Matthew 11 John sends his disciples to enquire if Jesus is the one they'd been waiting for. This was Jesus response;

"Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

In Chapter 12 Jesus continues to demonstrate what he has just spoken;
He speaks to the Pharisees about food (v1-8), He heals a mans crippled hand (v9-14) and he restores sight and speech to a man who is demon possessed (v22-32)
Praise the Lord. But it would seem that the message still wasn't getting through. This wasn't just about the people on the other end of the miracle, but it was just as much if not more, about those that weren't - it was about the religious leaders...the Pharisees!
They were the ones that were hungry, because they weren't feeding on the bread of life. They were the ones that were crippled, because the work of their hands contradicted the work of the Messiah and therefore the work of God. They were the ones who were blind...because in their attempt to fight for the ways of God, they became blind to God himself, and therefore the words of their mouth were powerless.
The pharisees were good people...they simply believed that if we all just got everything absolutely right...the Messiah would come and we'd all be saved. True. But the only way they'd ever get it right would be if Jesus got it right for them (and us).

I wonder if we (both corporately and as individuals) fall into the same trap...of believing that if we can just get everything absolutely right...we'll get out miracle, or, we'll see revival, or the Lord will bless the work of our hands. We'll perhaps that's why we're still sick, still crippled, still hungry, sill poor and still blind!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

andrew i stumbled accross your blog when i cklicked on a blog from a salvo website. do you still attend the church? I heard you left, just wondering cause i found it a little confusing about the association?!