Watch what you say!
Rev. Sudha Mehta©
Jesus heals a blind mute man photo from Pinterest
Matthew 12: 22 Then was brought to him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, so that the blind and dumb both spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.(AKJV)
The day came when they brought a blind and mute man to Jesus. In this case the blindness and muteness was caused by a demon.
It is notable that every single person that came to Jesus for healing or deliverance left having received. That is not to say that everyone was healed, rather that everyone that came to Him for a healing received. The cause of the illness did not matter.
Born blind . . . no problem for the Healer. Unable to walk or talk . . . a hemorrhage for many years rendering you unclean . . . epileptic seizures . . . deaf . . . arms or legs twisted and contorted . . . paralyzed . . . driven mad by demons . . . or . . . just plain DEAD . . . Nothing was a problem for Jesus.
Jesus raises the dead photo from Patheos.com
The problem Jesus did have was hard-hearted and stiffnecked people! People that were so blinded by manmade traditions that they refused to see beyond their own noses. This blindness of heart, this stiffnecked refusal to see the truth right in front of them was something there was no cure for, no healing that even Jesus could offer.
These people only had harsh words for Him. Words that revealed their own stone-cold heart that would not allow the love of God to penetrate even though this love was revealed time and time in the form of words accompanied by signs and wonders.
When John the baptist was arrested and thrown into prison, before he was so abruptly beheaded, he began to doubt a bit. Wanting affirmation that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask:
John the Baptist in prison photo from jw.org
Matthew 11: 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said to him, Are you he that should come, or do we look for another?(AKJV)
The response Jesus gave was not one that was just words . . . He pointed to His deeds. The miracles spoke loud and clear. Furthermore He pointed to the fact that the poor were hearing the Gospel. In His day this was a marvel for the poor were entirely neglected by the Religious Elite. He added that a person not offended at Him was blessed, but the one who was offended was not.
I want to be blessed!
Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered and said to them, Go and show John again those things which you do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whoever shall not be offended in me.(AKJV)
His response to John is also a call for all of us to be open-eyed and not blinded by our own presumptions about God. Repeatedly, through words and deeds Jesus revealed Himself. He taught through the OLD Testament Scriptures revealing God’s plan for man and how the Scriptures spoke of Him. However, nothing was sufficient for the “Educated, Religious Elite” who had predetermined that they knew better. Not just that, they were also determined that no one else should believe or follow Jesus.
You know what causes such hardness of heart . . . don’t you?!
It comes from Pride and a quest for power. Pride and arrogance that believes that everyone else is wrong . . . and that you know best! The same Pride that caused Satan’s heart to swell and go to war against God Almighty rose in the hearts of these men. The very idea of the crowds following this man called Jesus was a threat to them. They controlled the masses and held the seats of honor everywhere they went. They loved the idea of being the revered “Religious Leaders” who had all the answers to life, and believed they were the only ones with true knowledge and God given understanding to interpret the Word of God.
So, reasoning with them was pretty much useless!
Time and again, they found reason to obstruct Jesus in His ministry. Having seen Him in action they were looking for any opportunity to destroy Him. They were self-appointed judge and jury in search of a “crime” against God committed by God Himself! Ironic . . . isn’t it?!
Jesus confronts the pharisees photo from stpaulsmarietta.org
So, when Jesus healed the Blind Mute in Matthew 12: 22-24, they . . . the Super-Righteous-and-Never-Wrong Leaders decided that the only way Jesus could have healed this person would have been with the help of Beelzebub (another name for Satan). Choosing to disbelieve these Pharisees condemned Jesus and the Holy Spirit indwelling Him. They made their choice when they accused Him of colluding with and using the power of Beelzebub (SATAN) to do His work. In this accusation, they also made Jesus LESS powerful than Satan. Rather than acknowledging the work of God the Holy Spirit, who was the active resident Power in Jesus at this time, they gave credit to Satan who was nothing more than a fallen angel.
Matthew 12: 25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come to you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathers not with me scatters abroad.
Jesus called out their folly openly. Just using common sense He pointed to their illogical assumptions and showed them to be fools. He pointed out the dreadful danger of their foolish and rash assumptions.
Matthew 12: 31 Why I say to you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven to men. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.(AKJV)
The only sin in the Bible that CANNOT ever be forgiven is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit!
However, on the bright side, it is also clearly tied in with the condition of one’s heart! It is always about the heart as you will see in the Scripture as we continue.
I have had many come to me over the years terrified that they have accidentally blasphemed the Holy Spirit. They come believing that they are now hell-bound with no recourse.
Understand that you have to utterly reject God and turn away from Him in order to truly blaspheme the Holy Spirit. If you have done so, you won’t care that you can’t be forgiven.
If you are scared and repentant, you have not committed the unpardonable sin. Your heart has not become stone-cold. Jesus is more than willing to receive you back. Your genuine repentance is proof enough that you are not heading to Hell for mistaken words.
It is not His desire that anyone should perish:
Matthew 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.(AKJV)
You and I, regardless of age, are His little ones.
Humankind gets to choose where they want to spend their eternity. God never wants any of us to perish, it is a free choice. If some choose the devil, then God, the Giver of free-choice to mankind, must by His own law allow them to go. BUT . . . my friend you must know it is never His desire.
Jesus speaks to crowd photo from davidwpendergrass,blogspot.com
Matthew 12: 33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.(AKJV)
Notice verse 36 But I say to you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.(AKJV)
He did say it all comes from the heart. Your words reveal the condition of your heart! How many idle/careless/useless/worthless/evil words does “Every” mean? . . . You and I will give account for every word we utter! How many words have you and I spoken until this very moment that have been idle/careless/useless/ worthless/evil? How many words have we uttered that we, you and I, will hang our heads in shame over?
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment:(AKJV)
It is my prayer that I be so cognizant of His presence that I hold my tongue before I utter anything to anyone that will cause pain to my God. It is my desire that the Words I speak bring Him high honor.
Will you join me?
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