Monday, June 12, 2006
GOVERNMENTAL SUICIDE
Matt. 12: 25a. And knowing their thoughts He said to them
Mark 3:23a And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables,
Jesus, knowing their thoughts, called them to Himself so as to confront these scribes and Pharisees face to face to show them the gravity of their error. This is Jesus first public showdown with the orthodox Jewish leadership. The confrontation is a line drawn in the sand, dividing that which is of God and that which is of Satan, and to point to the fact that it is absolute; one has no option but to side with one or the other. This is not to say that He ever withdrew His gracious invitation to the scribes and Pharisees to become citizens of His kingdom.
It is now half-way through His ministry that will lead to His crucifixion in another year and a half. It is at this juncture that Jesus began speaking to them in parables. The parabolic method is a way of conveying spiritual truths by using physical examples. We now see the Master of this device employ His skill as He presents His case to those “would be” prosecutors.
Matt. 12:25-26
25. And knowing their thoughts He said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste 26. "And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?
Mark 3:23-26
23. And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?
24. "And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25. "And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
26. "And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!
Jesus, in the immediate preceding verses is charged with being in the possession of and operating under the power of Beelzebul. He now names this mythical god that they identify Him with as none other than Satan. Jesus asks, “How can Satan cast out Satan?” This kind of thinking is absurd because No ruler would destroy his own unity and powerbase. This statement would be rationalizing that Satan would be providing the ammunition to destroy his own defenses and kingdom. Jesus reaffirms this absurdity by stating parabolically, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” We all have heard the cliché: divide and conquer; this is an exact example of that saying. This would be to commit governmental suicide. As Matthew records, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste.” Mark records: “And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”
The argument is made from the greater to the lesser starting with the kingdom and then focusing on the house and then individually toward Satan. Mark so plainly records, “And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!”
Mark 3:23a And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables,
Jesus, knowing their thoughts, called them to Himself so as to confront these scribes and Pharisees face to face to show them the gravity of their error. This is Jesus first public showdown with the orthodox Jewish leadership. The confrontation is a line drawn in the sand, dividing that which is of God and that which is of Satan, and to point to the fact that it is absolute; one has no option but to side with one or the other. This is not to say that He ever withdrew His gracious invitation to the scribes and Pharisees to become citizens of His kingdom.
It is now half-way through His ministry that will lead to His crucifixion in another year and a half. It is at this juncture that Jesus began speaking to them in parables. The parabolic method is a way of conveying spiritual truths by using physical examples. We now see the Master of this device employ His skill as He presents His case to those “would be” prosecutors.
Matt. 12:25-26
25. And knowing their thoughts He said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste 26. "And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?
Mark 3:23-26
23. And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?
24. "And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25. "And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
26. "And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!
Jesus, in the immediate preceding verses is charged with being in the possession of and operating under the power of Beelzebul. He now names this mythical god that they identify Him with as none other than Satan. Jesus asks, “How can Satan cast out Satan?” This kind of thinking is absurd because No ruler would destroy his own unity and powerbase. This statement would be rationalizing that Satan would be providing the ammunition to destroy his own defenses and kingdom. Jesus reaffirms this absurdity by stating parabolically, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” We all have heard the cliché: divide and conquer; this is an exact example of that saying. This would be to commit governmental suicide. As Matthew records, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste.” Mark records: “And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”
The argument is made from the greater to the lesser starting with the kingdom and then focusing on the house and then individually toward Satan. Mark so plainly records, “And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!”
# posted by Castusfumus : 6:03 PM
