Jesus is not acting like John, the Baptist thought he would, “Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else? Jesus is not acting like the Pharisees thought he would, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” They complain about the disciples of Jesus, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” Even his mother and brothers may be disappointed in him when he says, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” We are so accustomed to who Jesus is that we forget the offense of his life. We think that following Jesus is following an insider, a company man, a conformist—hardly!
Jesus tells the disciples of John to go back and tell John that good news is being preached against a background of God’s miraculous presence. Jesus endorses the life of John, but says that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John, the Baptist. Jesus loves the life of John, but Jesus will not live the life of the reclusive prophet. Jesus lives in the towns, comes to dinner, joins the people. It is fine for John, the Baptist to be the voice crying in the wilderness; Immanuel, God with us, has to come to town.
The cry against Korazin and Bethsaida is scary. The fact is that miracles and the voice of the Christ cannot coerce belief and repentance. Some can look Jesus squarely in the eye and say, “No, thank you.” So, for those, Jesus promises judgment. For those who are weary and heavy laden, he promises rest. Interesting choices: judgment or rest. We choose rest.
When Jesus will not protect the Sabbath from the spirit of love and compassion, the Pharisees decide they should kill him. This is the first cold breeze off the chilly hearts of the Pharisees in Matthew. The plot will now turn more toward confrontation, leading to the cross.
The second servant song from Isaiah sings the beauty of Jesus in our ears: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not put out, till he leads justice to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.” Isaiah 42:1-4 Does it get any better than this?
We listen as the Pharisees attribute the work of Jesus to the devils. It is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit to attribute the ministry of Jesus to unholy spirits. A word spoken against the Son of Man can be forgiven; a word spoken against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven. We must be careful how we marginalize the miraculous in the ministry of Jesus. It is the work of the Holy Spirit.
We almost hold our breath when the Pharisees and teachers of the law come to Jesus and ask for a miraculous sign. Where have they been? Or is it true that one of the problems with miracle and unbelief is that unbelief always wants to see another miracle. Instead of responding, “My Lord and My God,” unbelief says, “Do it again.” Jesus says for these folks only the sign of Jonah will be for them. Three days in the belly of a fish sounds like the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
The problem with these religious do-gooders is that cleaning the heart perpetually means they have a clean – sort of —, but empty heart. The evil keeps pouring back in. They are never clean, never pure. The better way is to seek and do the will of the Father in heaven, becoming the very family of Jesus.
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