👑 Matthew Chapters 11 – 12 🦁

🙏🏻 Heavenly Father – We return to You today for more instruction. A little fearful as we read what the disciples were called to do in the last chapter.  A little anxious over the effects that following You will have on our families.  But Lord, You are Jehovah Shalom, the God of our peace. And the God of our strength and encouragement. Reveal to us Your will for us as we draw near to You. We ask this in the name our glorious savior, Jesus. Amen.

Where have we been so far?  (Click here to jump to the recap of chapters 1 through 10.)

Jesus and John the Baptist

11 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.

² When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples ³ to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

⁴ Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. ⁶ Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Points to Ponder: We are not told, but perhaps John the Baptist was wondering why he was still imprisoned while Jesus was ministering with such success… wouldn’t a Messiah take care of John? We often wonder about the bad things that happen to good people.  We want to question the ‘goodness’ of Jesus of the ‘sufficiency’ of Jesus.  This is the devil’s slight-of-hand! He gets us distracted when we forget that this world and this life is broken and sin filled.  Jesus just told us that He did not come to bring peace.  He sends John the Baptist a secret message… His word are alluding to the messianic prophecies, Isaiah 35:5-6, is one example. Remember, He just empowered and sent His disciples to do the very same thing. [Matthew 10:7-8]

⁷ As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ⁸ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way before you.’ [Malachi 3:1]

¹¹ Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. ¹³ For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵ Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Points to Ponder: Jesus gives a great tribute to John the Baptist; He identifies Him as a prophet aligned with the prophets of the Old Testament, but also one who signifies a pivotal moment in history. John may be the greatest from the BC era, but in the AD era – the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater.

Jesus isn’t starting a list to rate people from least to greatest; instead, He is introducing the fact that with His arrival the concept of God’s Kingdom is to be forever changed.  While previously men thought about the restoration of a kingdom for Israel, Jesus is announcing a different kind of kingdom – and ever since Jesus began His ministry to usher in this kingdom, men of this world have fought against the revelation. 

The last book of the Old Testament has two prophecies about the messenger who comes before the Lord – Jesus refers to them both while talking about John the Baptist. [Malachi 3:1 and Malachi 4:5]

¹⁶ “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

¹⁷ “‘We played the pipe for you,  and you did not dance; we sang a dirge,  and you did not mourn.’

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

Points to Ponder: When you fight against God’s revelation of His kingdom, you  are acting like a child.  Children expect people to respond to their desires – they don’t have the wisdom to know their place.  People in Jesus’ day judged John the Baptist for being too severe… People in Jesus’ day judged Jesus for being too casual. 

If you want to know right and wrong… good and evil… look at the actions of a man.  When John’s disciples questioned Jesus about being the messiah, Jesus pointed them to His deeds that demonstrated His God-given authority.

This should humble us to consider our own opinions more carefully.

Woe on Unrepentant Towns

²⁰ Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. ²⁴ But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Points to Ponder: Acting childish is ok if you’re a child, it is not ok if you’re an adult.  When you see or hear the truth, how you respond matters.  Those of us that thought it would be easier to be a Christian if we lived during the time when Jesus walked the earth are badly mistaken. Here are three towns being condemned for their failure to repent, even though they were witnesses to Jesus’ authority.

The Father Revealed in the Son

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

²⁷ “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Points to Ponder: If you’re tracking, this is brilliant!  Forget your natural, chronological age… when you repent and trust Jesus, you are a new creation – you are reborn as a child of God.  (That ‘sword’… the Word of God… has separated you from your natural parents and placed you into God’s family.)

Committing ourselves to Jesus, reveals the Father to us.  Jesus promises to continue to teach us and give our souls rest.  He knows that marching to the kingdom is sometimes a violent fight, but He promises to walk with us on The Way.  Nice.

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. ² When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

³ He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴ He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. ⁵ Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? ⁶ I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. ⁷ If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ [Hosea 6:6] you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

⁹ Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, ¹⁰ and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

¹¹ He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹² How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

¹³ Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

Points to Ponder: This chapter begins with an example of the ‘violent people raiding the kingdom’… adults acting like children in the presence of God.  The Pharisees have laws that specify what can or cannot be done on a Sabbath day in order to honor or dishonor God. 

Jesus tells them that He is Lord of the Sabbath. Elsewhere, Mark 2:27, Jesus reminds the Pharisees that the sabbath was made for man. It was meant to be a blessing and not a burden.  

It was meant to be everlasting peace in the presence of God.  The purpose of the laws were to be a reminder of the creation story and that the 7^th day, had no end.  In a sinful world, we do not experience that peaceful presence in our natural state.  We must be reborn to begin living a new life that gets to experience glimpses of that peace, knowing that an eternity of that peace awaits us.

If we are to Judge right and wrong by the deeds, here we see Jesus healing the man’s hand on the Sabbath while the Pharisees plot how they might kill Jesus.

God’s Chosen Servant

¹⁵ Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. ¹⁶ He warned them not to tell others about him. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁸ “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,  the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,  and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
¹⁹ He will not quarrel or cry out;  no one will hear his voice in the streets.
²⁰ A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
²¹     In his name the nations will put their hope.” [Isaiah 42:1-4]

Points to Ponder: There is a time to argue and fight and a time to walk away and serve God where you can be most effective. Jesus models the desired servant behavior. The Pharisees were clearly in the wrong, but they are lost and under the influence of a greater enemy. Here we see a gentle Jesus bringing His light to as many people as He can during His short ministry on earth.

This behavior speaks volumes in hindsight.  For those of us blessed to be born on the other side of the empty tomb, we see the amazing strength, control, and compassion that our Lord displayed towards those that doubted and mocked Him.

Jesus and Beelzebul

²² Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. ²³ All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

²⁵ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²⁹ “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

³⁰ “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. ³¹ And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

³³ “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ³⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. ³⁶ But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Points to Ponder: And finally my two favorite proverbs make sense!  🤣 From Proverbs 26:4-5

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

The two proverbs appear to contract each other, but we know that doesn’t make sense.  So, it must be a timing thing… it takes wisdom to know when to ignore the fool and when to speak up.  In Matthew 9:33-34, we saw Jesus heal another demon-possessed man – the crowds were amazed and the Pharisees accused Jesus of consorting with demons. He did not address them, then. 

But His compassion and gentle silence come to an end when they are ‘wise enough in their own eyes’ to repeat the accusation – He addresses them now.

It is sometimes amazing when hypocrites are so blind that they cannot see when they are projecting their own issues on someone else.  The Pharisees had the authority to cast out demons.  By accusing Jesus, they condemn themselves. 

Jesus is pretty clear about His Kingdom here.  You’re either with Him or against Him.  You are either siding with the offspring of the woman or you are siding with the offspring of the snake. [Genesis 3:15] Jesus calls them a brood of vipers – He’s pretty clear where He places them in this cosmic, spiritual battle.

I grew up learning the rhyme… sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me… what a lie!  Words have the power of life and death and we are warned several places in Scripture about our words, but none more pointed that the last two verses here.

🙏 Heavenly Father – forgive me for the careless words I’ve spoken. Help me to be more aware of the effects of my words before they leave my mouth.  Let my words bring life and truth to those around me. Amen.

The Sign of Jonah

³⁸ Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

³⁹ He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.

⁴³ “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

Points to Ponder: It has always baffled me to read this section where anyone would be asking to see a sign from Jesus.  ‘A sign’?  Really? Like something other than His healing of the sick, blind, deaf, mute, lame… Raising the dead… exorcising demons?  And this request comes from the religious leaders!  I guess that is the point.

These religious leaders have been so corrupted, that the history of Israel’s corruption, redemption, restoration, has never led to repentance and renewal.  Whatever demonic corruption was in the leadership throughout the Old Testament… it has multiplied.  And this final condition is a wicked generation.

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

⁴⁶ While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. ⁴⁷ Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

⁴⁸ He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Points to Ponder: Before thinking this is harsh, realize that there may be whole families of parents and children who are around Jesus and they are so delighted to be called a part of His family.  Also remember the point made above… you only have this life to choose a side.  You are either the offspring of the woman or the offspring of the snake.  Remember in our last lesson [Matthew 10:35-36] we learned that Jesus did not come to bring peace to this earth but a sword and it will divide families.

But it doesn’t have to! It is a matter of making Him a priority.  Jesus’ mother and brothers are afraid for Jesus… maybe they think they have some wisdom to share that would make His mission safer.  Good intentions, right? It is encouraging to see that Jesus does not ask us to do something He wasn’t willing to do Himself.  It is also encouraging to know that His family – mother and brothers end up faithful followers of their Lord Jesus!

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Summary: In these chapters we discover hidden gems about being new children vs. being childish. We learn that age and position do not always indicate wisdom or goodness.  We learn that there are two sides being played out – one side has already secured the victory by the time these chapters were written and they live today to speak to us – calling us out of the darkness and into the light.

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🙏🏻 Heavenly Father – Thank You for giving us a new identity as Your Child. Thank You for Your Spirit living within us to keep us connected to You and to reveal to us more of Your wisdom.  Thank You for Your Son Jesus to show us the nuances of walking as a Christian in a broken world.  Help us to not break any bruised reeds or snuff out any smoldering wicks.  We want the controlled strength of our meek yet mighty King Jesus! It is in His name we pray.  Amen.

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Recap for Matthew

• Chapter 1 – The genealogy of Jesus showing this has always been God’s plan to restore humanity. GOD IS FAITHFUL.
• Chapter 2 – The wise men, the outsiders search for the king. His own people reject and try to kill Jesus. NOT ALL HAVE EYES TO SEE.
• Chapter 3 – John the Baptist prepares the way by calling people to repentance and baptizing Jesus. IF WE ‘SEE’, HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
• Chapter 4 – Jesus is tested by Satan in the wilderness. He remains faithful and standing strong using the Word of God. Jesus begins His mission – gathering disciples, healing, and preaching about God’s Kingdom. JESUS SHOWS US THE WAY.
• Chapter 5 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 1.  Rethink everything! What it means to be blessed… what is our purpose… this was always the message of the Old Testament. You think you know right from wrong? Not just murder, but anger and dismissing others is wrong. Not just adultery, but leering is wrong. Divorce may be legal but it was never part of God’s design – keep your promises – all of them… integrity matters to the people around you.  Eye-for-eye? No!   Learn to love your enemies.
• Chapter 6 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 2. Draw near to God, your father, in relationship. No showy religion when serving God or others. Pray to God, earnestly. Fast for a purpose.  Do all this in secret where your Father sees you and rewards you in heaven.  Don’t worry about the things of this world… He sees your giving… he sees your working… he hears your praying… he sees and knows what you need?  Trust Him – Seek Him first; everything else falls into place.
• Chapter 7 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 3. Living it out as a disciple of Christ.  DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME… ALONE. 😉 Christian life is designed to be lived out in a community – connected to God through Jesus in order to connect to other believers.  As this new life progresses, this life is designed to be generational.  You start as a baby… you need to learn from your Christian siblings and your Christian parents.  Don’t judge others, you’re still a child!  Pray always… continually… He’s waiting to spend time with you! And be bold… try something new. Do something for someone else, that you would like.  This is the  way He told us to live – not everyone will be faithful, but you are in charge of your decisions. Building your life on the teachings of Jesus is akin to a house on a solid foundation.
• Chapter 8 – JESUS WALKS THE TALK. He teaches and He puts it into action – healing a leper, healing the servant of a Roman officer – nothing is outside of His domain. He heals those with fevers and those possessed by demons. People want a piece of the action, but He reminds them that He has no home here.  If you want a piece of His Kingdom, you have to give up this one.  (And if you still doubt the value of such a choice – Jesus spoke to calm a storm.)
• Chapter 9 – WHAT DOES HIS KINGDOM LOOK LIKE? First and foremost – our sins are forgiven, completely.  Religious formality has no authority over sin, Jesus does. We watch Jesus call the outcasts that religion often overlooks and bids them, ‘Follow Me.’   Jesus teaches us to rethink the motivation behind religious practices. Instead of becoming unclean by associating with the unclean, Jesus is Lord over all the corruption in life – He brings new life and restores the broken and unclean around Him.  Everyone is hungry for the life that Jesus offers, except for the religious leaders.
• Chapter 10 – THE DISCIPLES ARE SENT TO WORK THE HARVEST.  For a time, they are empowered to heal diseases, raise the dead, and cast out evil spirits.  All must hear the Gospel message of the Kingdom and choose for themselves.  We are to go boldly and unashamed.

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