UPDATE FOR ALL MY WONDERFUL READERS

We have just finished the enlightening Chapter 12 in Matthew’s Gospel, where we saw how Jesus handled the criticism of the Pharisees that His disciples were picking up grain to eat on the Sabbath. He showed them what hypocrites they were to complain about Him and His followers when the great King David did the same.

But they weren’t through because they also criticized Him for healing a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath.  Once again Jesus pointed out that they would help a sheep that had fallen into a hole to get free, so why should they be against a man with a withered hand being set free.

Still they did not stop pestering Him.  A man who was blind and could not talk was brought to Him, and when Jesus set the man free these same critics blasphemed by saying He did so by the power of the prince of demons, Beelzebub.  Jesus quickly pointed out their foolish thinking by asking why would the devil throw out one of his own demons? That didn’t make any sense.

When the Pharisees saw that their criticisms didn’t work, they then asked Jesus for one more miraculous sign to prove that He was the Messiah.  So He told them to look for a sign similar to the one the prophet Jonah experienced.  That is, Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of a sea monster created by God especially for that occasion, and in the same way, He would spend three days and three nights in a tomb before He too would emerge alive for ever and ever.

Then we were told that Mary the mother of Jesus, and some of His brothers showed up to talk with Him.  So Jesus used that occasion to talk about who His spiritual mother and brothers.  In other words, that His followers can be part of two families, their physical family, and their spiritual family.  Jesus did not come to earth to produce physical children, but spiritual children.  And just as He was the Son of God, they too would become children of God.

Next week we will have a pleasant walk through Chapter 13 of Matthew. All of what happened here in Chapter 12 would motivate Jesus to share some more important truths about this spiritual family of God He came to redeem from sin and release from the burden of the Laws of Moses which had become impossible to obey.  We are going to learn a lot, I hope you will walk with us.

God bless you for all your dedication and love for His Word.  I pray He will bless you with understanding, wisdom and love.