St Matthew, Chapter 12, verses: 13-14, The Battle begins: The trap is removed, the Pharisees take counsel.

Our paragraph topic is:  (A man with a withered hand) Part 3. 

And now we see the true nature of the battle taking place between the Pharisees and Christ and the demons behind the scenes of the battle.  For the Pharisees are only the puppets of the demons.  They are the ones who are calling the shots and making the plays.  They are the ones who are fighting for their lives and the hold that they have upon the people.  The demons have controlled the people for many years.  They have ruled the people with a mighty hand.  They have brought many souls into hell with their rule and they are not giving it up without a fight.  So they bring jealousy on the scene, and envy, and larceny, and hatred, and deceit, and false witness, and all the dark spirits gather in a great huddle to plan and plot a way to ride themselves of Christ.

So Christ has instructed the Pharisees and all the people in the synagogue on that day about the sensibility of the Law.  The Pharisees posed the question about the Law and the Sabbath and Christ shows them how they should be sensible about the Law.  He has already told them previously how he was Lord of the Sabbath.  Now he proves this to them by performing this miracle.  He says to them that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, contrary to what the Pharisees have taught about the Sabbath.  Christ tells them that if you would save your sheep from a hole on the Sabbath, then you should also save your brother on the Sabbath.  Then he demonstrates how.  He Tells the man with the withered hand,  "Stretch forth thy hand."   And St Matthew tells us, and he stretched it forth, and it was restored, as sound as the other . 

St Matthew tells us that after Christ performed this miracle that the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, how they might do away with him.   So now we begin to see how the battle is taking place and how the players in the battle are forming their lines against him.  Christ has instructed the instructors in front of the people in the synagogue.  He has demonstrated that his authority is greater than theirs and the Pharisees do not like it.  And the demons in the dark, behind the scenes are furious.  For they want to kill  him.  They want to destroy him.  They want to crucify him, but they cannot reach him for the time has not yet come.

The demons still plot against the children of Christ today.  They lurk in the darkness and plan the destruction of those who walk with Christ.  Like the Pharisees, they who participate with the demons know what they do.  They know that they do wrong, but they delight in the wrong that they do.  They have given authority to evil to come into their lives.  Do you run with evil?  Does evil whisper to you from the darkness, suggesting that you operate on its behalf?  It says, be a false witness.  It says, become a messenger for Scandal.  It says, dress with lust that you may be an attraction that causes men to sin in their hearts.  It says, speak the lies of deceit.  It says, spread the flames of hatred.  It says do all the unspeakable acts that bring forth evil, for you are becoming a child of the devil. 

The demons whisper, "Live for today", for the wrath of God awaits your downfall and death rests at your door.  Christ can save you, only if you awaken from your evil ways and understand that evil possesses you.  Repent!  For the Lord your God is a forgiving God.  For you lived in the world and did not understand.  You were blinded by the world and did not understand.  You were deceived by the world and did not understand.  The world possessed you and you did not understand.  But Christ can cast the world out of you.  Christ can heal you of the world.  Christ can make you a new person in the eyes of God.  Repent!, and you will be saved.

St Matthew, Chapter 11, verses: 10, John the Baptist, the messenger.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ's witness concerning John) Part 2. 

Christ has called John the Baptist a prophet, a great prophet, in order to dispel Scandal that was brought by the disciples of John.  The disciples of John brought to Christ the question, using the name of John as their authority, asking if Christ was the Messiah or should they look for another one.  Christ sent them away with an offering of salvation.  He sent them away with the message of his miracles.  He sent them away with a blessing that they not be cursed in Scandal.  For the disciples of John sought to become known again by bringing John back into the picture and seeking to take Christ out of the picture.

Christ called John a prophet because John spoke of one, coming after him, who is greater than he.  John told the people to repent for the kingdom of God was at hand and the Messiah was coming.  John spoke the truth to the people about Christ and he was a prophet.  Christ continued to speak about John and to tell the crowd about the John the person.  John was not s soft man.  He lived in the desert and feasted upon locus and honey and the people respected and loved John.  But Christ came into the picture and John left the picture.  John told the people of Christ and now Christ was telling the people about John the Baptist, the person.  

Christ told the crowds,  "This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall make ready thy way before thee.' "   John the messenger was written about in the scriptures and most Jews knew of his coming.  But Christ tells the people that John was the messenger that came before him to make ready his coming.  As it was written John was the messenger of God who came before Christ.  John brought the message to the people to repent.  John was a bold man who had no fear because he was God's messenger.  If the crowd knew anything about John the Baptist, they knew that he was anointed of God and that he brought a message that was spread throughout all of Judea.

So Christ was reinforcing the beliefs of the crowd by demonstrating that John was a prophet and a messenger that pointed towards his coming and that they should not allow Scandal to enter into their minds.  For Scandal wanted to come.  Scandal wanted to be heard.  Scandal wanted to spread.  But Christ repelled her.  Christ would not allow her to come.  Christ sent her running for she could not find a corner to hide, a rock to crawl under, a hole to jump into.  And Christ would not allow the name of John the Baptist to be used as a vehicle for Scandal to ride in.  So he reminded the crowd of the faith that they had in John.  He reminded the crowd of the prophecy about John.  And he reminded the crowd that John pointed the way to his coming.

Are you a messenger for Scandal?  Are you a soldier for her lies and deceits?  Be not deceived. Become a messenger for Christ, a messenger of truth, a messenger of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven.  You will be rewarded greatly.     

St Matthew, Chapte 11, verses: 1-3, The Scandal of John the Baptist.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The Baptist's deputation) Part 1. 

Now it came to pass that after Christ had finished instructing his disciples and training them for their solo journey in which they would preach to the lost sheep of the tribe of Israel, he preached through the towns and villages also.  After all this had passed, this verse says that John  the Baptist heard of all that Christ was doing while in prison.  John did not see for himself the miracles of Christ.  He did not hear for himself the words that Christ preached in the Sermon on the Mount.  John had been captured and put into prison by Herod for proclaiming the sins of Herod with his brother's wife.

The disciples of John came to him and spoke to him of all that Christ was doing.  They told him of the healings.  They told him of the cures.  They told him of the dead being restored to life.  They were the ones who brought John the news.  And that news had a way of being transformed, deleted, transposed by the persons bringing it, so that, it may reflect the views of that person.  John knew that Christ was the Messiah.  He had witnessed the heavens open and the spirit of God descend upon Christ when he was baptised.  So there was no doubt in John.  There was no scandal in John.  There was no fear or concern in John about Christ.  But his disciples had doubt.  They had fears, they had misgivings and reserevations in themselves.

Christ had told the disciples of John that one does not place new wine into old wine skins.  He had said to them that one does not place a new patch of cloth on an old garment because the patch will tear and a worse rent will be made than the one before.  Christ had indicated to the disciples of John that they would not become his disciples because he needed new wine skins to carry this new message.  This was not to the liking of the disciples of John.  They had made themselves to be the messengers of the new gospel preached by John.  They had become his spokesmen proclaiming the need for repentance.  And then Christ comes and ignores them completely.  Christ comes  and changes the plans altogether.  Christ comes and they are on the outside looking in.     

So the disciples of John were scandalized.  They were looked down upon by the people.  They were turned away from by those who had looked upon them with favor.  John was in prison, they were turned out by Christ, and the people turned against them.  Restoration was their desire.  Glory was their need.  Fame was their calling.  But John was not there to assist them.  And they were scandalized.  So they brought the news to John while he was in prison.  They told him of the things that Christ was doing.  They filled his ears and his mind with the talk of Christ according to their view and their slant.  For they needed to be restored.  They needed fame.  They needed glory.  So, John sent them to Christ with the question that was on their minds.  The doubt in their minds led them to ask Christ through the words of John, "Art thou he who is to come, or shall we look for another?"

And with these words scandal was released.  Doubt was brought forth.  The question of credability was asked.   Scandal is an aweful witch.  She seeks to destroy subtly.  She weaves lies and deceit in a fine tapestry that seems to create a real picture.  Yet time reveals the gaping holes and the rotted material that is used in its creation.  And it is that same material that is accepted as real, the false beauty of which allows it to be accepted by many.  Scandals today are like wildfire sweeping across a dry field of grass.  It is unstoppable.  It eats everything in its path and sets afire all who receive it.  For the burning is not in the receipt of it but in the unquenchable desire to tell others thereby passing the flame of lies and deceits to others. 

Do you love Scandal?  Are you the first to hear it and the first to spread it along?  Scandal loves you if you do.  She will cling to you like flies to the dead.  You are her messenger.  She will always find you to help her spread her lies and deceit.  Do not be caught with her for she will corrupt you. When she comes leave her.  Do not allow yourself to become her messenger.  Separate yourself from those who would bring her to you.  For they have become her slaves and desire to enslave you also.  They desire to make you a messenger of Scandal.  Spread  not lies and deceit.  Our God is a God of truth and his wrath awaits Scandal and those who are her messengers.  Stop the lies and deceit!  Stop Scandal!