St Matthew, Chapter 12, verse: 25, They sought Division.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ refutes them) Part 1. 

They sought to divide.  They sought to bring doubt.  They sought to create fear.  They sought to bring Scandal to turn the people away from Christ.  The Pharisees have proclaimed that Christ cast out demons by the prince of devils, Beelzebub.  They want to scare the people.  They want to cast doubt upon Christ.  They want to bring Scandal upon his name.  But Scandal does not come.  Doubt is in hiding.  And fear cannot erase love for the people.  These are the tactics that they use against Christ.  The battle continues.

Christ knows of their desire to scatter the people.  He knows of their desire to cast doubt upon his name.  He knows of their need to bring fear into the people to prevent them from following.  But he deals with their tactics.  He tells the Pharisees,  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand."   Christ demonstrates to the Pharisees and the people a simple rule which they all are aware of and know as truth, a divided house does not stand.  

History has revealed that a divided husband and wife will not stay together.  History has revealed, a divided kingdom with father and sons pulling in different directions will not last.  Treachery and deceit will eventually take over and the house will fall.  History has been written of great cities and towns that have withstood the test of time but fell from the division within its wall and not from the attacks from outside its walls.  Deceit and treachery and larceny and greed take hold and the kingdom falls.  How is it then that the Pharisees speak of Christ as a member of the house of evil when he brings the message of the kingdom of heaven?  The Pharisees do not understand the source of his power.  They do not know how he is able to perform such miracles.  They do not believe that he is the one greater than they, the one who came down from heaven.  For the Pharisees were full of pride.  The Pharisees were full of vanity.  The Pharisees were so drunk with power and authority that they feared loosing it.  And they clung to their positions of authority, refusing to recognize the change that was taking place before their eyes.  The battle continued, they fought for their positions, and they accepted the reasons of the evil one.

On the verge of starvation, Christ was tempted.  On the verge of death Christ was offered the life and riches of this world.  On the verge of separation from his physical body Christ was offered to separate from His heavenly Father.  He was offered division.   Are you divided from God today?  Are you divided from your spouse and do not know how to stop the division?  Are you divided in your church taking sides with others allowing division to come into the church?  Division comes to scatter.  Division comes to separate.  Division comes and brings with it confusion, doubt, fear, anxiety, and loss, spirits of even greater evil.  Christ is one in the Father.  Are you one in Him?  Do you know Christ?  He seeks to know you, if you would only let go of the world and come into His world.  Are you afraid to let go?  If you only knew the difference, you would have no fears, no doubts, no anxieties.  Your joy will be complete.  Your peace will be fulfilled.  Your love will abound and overflow.  For in Him, and through Him, and with Him, we become one with the Father and there is no division!  He fulfills all!

St Matthew, Chapter 12, verses: 24, The Battle continues: The Possessed Pharisees

Our paragraph topic is:  (Pharisees ascribe a miracle to the devil) Part 2. 

And then the Pharisees heard the sayings of the crowd and they became possessed.  They became possessed with anger.  They became possessed with jealousy.  They became possessed with envy.  They became possessed with hatred and the devil had them.  For they did not know how to understand the power of Christ.  They did not know how to understand how such a man could do the things that he did.  And then they had an idea.  And then they thought that they knew.  And then they were given the thoughts that were given to them by evil, "Say that Christ performed miracles by the power of evil, Beelzebub."

They were possessed.  They did not understand.  They were filled by the spirits of evil for they said,  "This man does not cast out devils except by Beelzebub, the prince of devils."   For you see, they said "This Man."  They did not know that this man was the Messiah.  They did not see, that this man was the Messiah.  They did not hear his words, and they did not understand his miracles.  For he spoke the words of the Father and they fulfilled the prophecy of Isaias.  And the battle continues.

Christ was meek.  Christ was mild.  He did not raise his voice in the streets.  He did not wrangle with the Pharisees.  For his actions were written of in the scriptures.  He was foretold of before his time.  And they did not know Him.  So they gathered together and took counsel and plotted and planned how to trap him, how to trick him, how to destroy him.  For they could not stop him from teaching.  They could not stop him from preaching.  They could not stop him from healing the sick, making the lame walk, opening the eyes of the blind, casting out demons, and raising the dead.  So they had to kill Him.  They had to get rid of Him.  They had to destroy Him.  For he was the Son of God.

Are you a meek person?  Are you a mild person?  Do you speak softly and carry the will of God with you?  Will you be a witness for His glory today, wherever you go?  The battle continues.  The demons gather to plot against you.  The demons lay tricks and traps to destroy you.  They seek you out at home, at work, in the streets, in your car, while you are driving, at the mall, in the grocery store, wherever you are, they will seek to work against you.  Seek your refuge in Christ.  Carry him with you, in the mall, at home, in the stores, at work, wherever.  Where you go, so also must He go with you.  He is your protection.  He is your provider.  He is your daily food.  For in Him and Through Him, and by Him, you will find your reward.  Seek first the kingdom of heaven and all else is provided.  Be a soldier for Christ.  The battle continues!