This week's section (Matthew 11-13) contains more content than a single bog can hold. However, we will maintain pace to complete the book in the manner it was written.
It begins with a pair of disciples sent from John the Baptist with an important question:
“Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
John was in prison, and his ministry stopped, except for the visitation of his remaining disciples. He sent them to Jesus with a question, to which he knew the answer, wanting his disciples to hear and re-align themselves to Christ.
“And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
The answer finished with a tender rebuke spoken as a beatitude. Many were to be offended (skandalizō) by Jesus’ miracles and the message (Matthew 13:57). This is a frequent word in this book and is at the center of Peter’s eventual denial (Matthew 26:30-35,69-74).
To the Pharisees, nothing was more offensive than Jesus' application of the Law with mercy.
In Matthew 12:1-8, Jesus and the disciples took advantage of the law, which permitted personal consumption of a neighbor's grain (Deuteronomy 23:25). Hunger mercifully overrides the eighth commandment (Exodus 20:15).
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
However, the Pharisees held that it did not override the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8), which prohibited work on the Sabbath.
Then Jesus repeats for them a second time Hosea 6:6 (Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:17), which instructs us to add mercy to judgement. And in Matthew 12:9-14, Jesus is merciful to a man on a Sabbath, which infuriates the Pharisees.
Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? . . . But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
In Matthew 12:15-21, Jesus is identified as God’s chosen servant with His quiet, but infuriating effective, efforts among the Gentiles.
. . . until he brings justice to victory;
Then in Matthew 12:22-32, the Pharisees again, without denying the miracles, challenge the source of Jesus’ power as He continues to cast out demons. This is the second time (Matthew 9:33-34) that this blasphemous charge is spoken
“It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”
In response to this blaspheme (blasphēmia) of himself and in accordance with the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:12), He forgives them. Jesus continues to do this, even on the cross (Luke 23:34).
He warns, however, that similar actions against the Holy Spirit cannot be similarly forgiven. Instead, such sin must always be punished.
And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Many attempt to comfort the repentant by explaining that if they are repentant, they cannot have possibly committed this sin, because the repentant are always forgiven (1 John 1:9). They describe this sin as the high-handed ongoing rejection of the Holy Spirit, which would indeed lead the unrepentant to damnation (Matthew 25:31-46). However, the brevity of the action (“a word”) and the tense of the verb, do not support this. In fact, in Matthew 12:33-37, explains that every word will be judged and accounted for. Even the careless ones.
“ . . . I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
So, this shocking statement must be understood within the proclaimed Gospel. Our Redeemer does not simply erase sin, but rather takes it upon Himself (Matthew 8:17). So, for the repentant, this grievous sin and all others, is propitiated by the work of Christ on the cross, where He is punished instead. There is no sin, where the work of Christ on the cross is not sufficient.
What then, is the difference between our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit? Nothing. We are taught in WSC #6 that "these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory". They are only positionally different. Jesus had relinquished this authority temporally, permitting Him to forgive their sin personally. The Holy Spirit had not and would not similarly forgive such evil.
In Matthew 13:36, Jesus retires to the house to explain the meaning of the parables and to explain their new assignment.
Then he left the crowds and went into the house.
In Matthew 13:44-46,51-52, Jesus describes the task of a scribe in the new Kingdom.
“Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
They are to find the treasures both old and new. When they find them, they are to bring them out for their guests.
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