The paradox of the Kingdom is that is must come by the power of grace and faith, not by any other means. Jesus makes the audacious claim of being the Messiah. While He offers sufficient proof by the prophecies, it's not about proofs which cannot be denied. He comes in gentleness, showing His power by what He does and by what He does not do, showing the godly results as His sole evidence.
As part of His claim, Jesus shows He is Lord of the Sabbath. The Pharisees had so thoroughly hedged about the Law of Moses, they had long since ceased to understand what it was all about. They were quick to push rules which benefited them personally, but used it to enslave every one else. On a particular Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples walked through a grain field. As was permitted under the Law, they were picking only so much as they might eat as they passed (Deuteronomy 23:25). This portion of Law pointed to the obligation of caring for others in their need. The Pharisees saw only the "work" being done on the Sabbath -- by their wild imaginations, the disciples were harvesting, treading and winnowing.
Jesus reminded them how David set aside the strict requirements of the Temple ritual regarding Showbread, by taking as much as he and his men needed to escape Saul (1 Samuel 21:1-6). Moral requirements outweighed the ritual requirements. Further, in order to obey one ritual requirement, the priests disobeyed another. They would do their heaviest annual labor observing special sacrificial requirements even if it fell on a Sabbath. The Temple was merely an earthly symbol of God's presence among men, but Jesus was Himself very truly God among men. Again Jesus bluntly reminded them of their abuse of the Law as a means to restrict others, refusing to act on the much higher requirements of the Law of God -- to have mercy on others (Hosea 6:6). Jesus' lordship was above mere ritual.
On another Sabbath, in a synagogue, Jesus answered a rhetorical question with another regarding whether it was permitted under the Law to rescue an animal in distress. Of course, taking care of property became an excuse to side-step the strict requirements of the Law. How much more so can one not care about a fellow Israelite in distress? Again, the Jews considered it "work" to heal, even if Jesus did nothing more than command the man to stretch out his withered hand. When by faith the man strove to do what he clearly could not, he was healed. So deeply mistaken were the Pharisees they took this as a crime. Who could not be disturbed by such misanthropy? Again, as long as bending the rules helped them retain power and wealth, it was fine. Using exceptions in the Law to actually do good was forbidden.
It was not yet time to bring the conflict to a climax, so Jesus withdrew from those who were quite ready to arrest and try Him under the Talmud. How odd it should be they could so easily drop their fierce hatred against the Herodians -- those who compromised with Roman occupation -- in order to stop this one man's voice. The audacious claims of Jesus could not be refuted on any grounds except hatred. Yet Jesus was completely unwilling to force anyone over to His viewpoint. He presented His message gently, almost shyly in parables, warning people not to stir up a circus atmosphere. Matthew remarks how this fulfilled the prophecy the Messiah would never use force, but would build a Kingdom on full respect for the human right to say "no" to God. No debates to force a change in the laws, no calling up an army to revolt, nor attacking the weak facade of Talmudic pretense, nor forcing anyone to decide one way or another. The truth itself was polarizing enough, and would bring its own victory, even to the point of winning the Gentiles to a trust in God greater than many generations of Jews who supposedly knew Him best.
When Jesus delivered a demonized man so that he saw and spoke, the Pharisees again alleged He did so by Satan's authority. This time He responded with a stern warning. The Pharisees trained people to cast out demons, as well. Jesus hinted their successes were fake, since it was the very perverted viewpoint of the Talmud which made that part of the world such easy pickings for demonic possession. But assuming they were attacking the Kingdom of Darkness, how could anyone suppose delivering a soul from demons would promote it? The very attempt to deliver is the standard of judgment; Jesus' effortless success was proof of greater authority, an authority above Satan's -- it could only be God's authority. Jesus compared them to shepherds who served only to scatter the sheep He came to gather into the Kingdom of God (Jeremiah 23:1-6).
Then Jesus pronounced one of the most disputed principles of the Kingdom, warning the one sin from which no man was redeemed and forgiven was to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not bother to take offense when insulted, but this was not merely a slap at Him, but at God's holy presence. Should any man be drawn so far into delusion he can no longer tell the difference between a work of God and a work of the Devil, there is no hope for him. It remains a simple matter of knowing the work of Lord by its fruit. Speaking evil of human redemption shows the Pharisees were committed to the path of destruction. Sooner or later, the truth of a man's character is known by his words.
The Pharisee's response was to demand a sign according the False Messianic Expectations, something in line with that mass of childish, arrogant and materialistic nonsense built up since the building of the Second Temple. Jesus pointedly refused, showing how the fruit of His ministry was more than sufficient to show He acted by God's authority. However, their sign would be taken from the singular best representation of Jewish arrogance: Jonah. This was the prophet who ran from a mission because he didn't want the Ninevites to repent and be forgiven. The Pharisees were the same sort, and this was not lost on them. God's purpose was not thwarted by mere men. Just as Jonah was three days in a form of death, so would Jesus be in the grave. Meanwhile, the Ninevites repented and found redemption, shaming the Pharisees who rejected one with an ever greater message of redemption. Even the pagan Queen of Sheba knew wisdom when she saw it, but the Jewish leaders called it evil.
Jesus and His cousin John had shaken and broken Satan's hold on Israel, driving out all manner of demonic activity. The House of Israel had been swept clean, as it were. But when the window of redemption was past, nothing would have changed. The demons would come back with a vengeance and things would only get worse. The Pharisees knew Jesus was blaming them for the hardness of hearts.
Yet, even Jesus' own family wondered if He had not lost His senses, and was taken by demons Himself. While they no doubt had heard Mary's recollections of the miracles of Jesus early life, it was hard for their fleshly minds to imagine the Messiah would act this way. They were just trying to be a good Jewish family, making sure Jesus didn't overwork Himself, didn't neglect His own needs for a bunch of strangers. Surely He would respect His own blood kin. Instead, He declared the only kinship which mattered was that of the Spirit. Human bonding meant nothing compared to the fellowship of the Kingdom of Heaven. The only father who really mattered was the Father in Heaven.
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Ed Hurst
06 October 2007
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