Are You Smarter Than a Pharisee?

I've been reading Matthew since well...since April. Face it, I am a theology geek. I was reading four commentaries, but I had to stop using Calvin. It was too much and he kept on talking about the Papists (everything started to be about the Papists)...it was getting old. I am currently on chapter 12 and this week I came across a particularly genius moment by Jesus. Let's just face it, he had his A-game on.

A little background on it is Pharisees had been following Jesus around trying to trap him and waiting for him to screw up. Earlier in Chapter 12 Jesus let's his disciples pick heads of grain because they were hungry. The Pharisees accused him of letting them work on the Sabbath and being a lawbreaker. Pretty much Jesus told them (in his own subtle way), "If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy not sacrifice," you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man in the Lord of the Sabbath." The Pharisees may not have realized it at the time, but Jesus was pretty much saying-if you knew the Law and the Prophets, like you pretend you do, you would know that God desires mercy not sacrifice and my disciples were not guilty of breaking the Sabbath and Oh yeah, I am the Lord of the Sabbath". Well, that's not exactly what he said, but it is what he means. He is the Messiah and he is Lord over the Sabbath, so you'd better recognize.

The next big Sabbath "desecration" was when they find a man with a shriveled hand and look at him and say, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" Jesus says, "C'mon if one of your sheep falls into a pit on the Sabbath you know you are going to pull it out. This man is much more valuable that a sheep. It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." And he healed the man. This got the Pharisees loin clothes in a wad, so they went out and plotted on how they were going to kill Jesus (how mature is that, right?)

There is a little blurb next about Christ being the Messiah and Matthew says he is fulfilling Isaiah's prophesy on the Servant of the Lord because Jesus warns his disciples not to tell anyone who he was.

Then we come to one of my probably now favorite stories of Jesus from Matthew. A man who was demon possessed was brought to Jesus and Jesus healed him. The people around him asked themselves, "Could this be the Son of David?" This made the Pharisees really mad. They were really intimidated by Christ because they were afraid that the people were going to start following him instead of abiding by their ridiculous man made laws. They really didn't like that the people were starting to think that Jesus could possibly be the Messiah-so what do they do? They say Jesus is exorcising demons by the power of Satan.

Let me just ask you this question. Are you smarter than a Pharisee? I hope so. I do realize I have gotten some of my "smartness" from reading Jesus next words-he pretty much lays the smack down, but the accusation is ridiculous. Why?

Jesus puts it this way, (and I paraphrase) "If a kingdom was divided against itself it would what? Fall. If a house was divided against itself it would what? Fall." Are you catching where he is going with this? He said, "If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. how then can his Kingdom stand?" Question number one: If he is driving out demons by the name of Satan would that make much sense? Answer: No. They are Satan's demons.

The next point Jesus makes a jibe at the Pharisees people. He says, "If I drive out demons by Satan then who do your people drive them out by? (Rhetorical question here) Let your people be the judge." I am not sure if this is sacrilegious or not, but I can almost picture Jesus waving his head and snapping his finger in the air. "But," He says, "If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom has come upon you." In other words, "You're in deep scubalon" (In the Greek this means doo-doo or poop, but the more colorful translation of those words).

Apparently Jesus was much smarter than the Pharisees and pretty much everyone else on the planet. I mean if you have the Holy Spirit descend on you like a dove and God shout out from heaven, "This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Let's just say I would want him on my debate team. And this is why this is one of my new favorite Jesus stories. Could you imagine the looks of the Pharisees faces when he was done with them. Someone would need to pick their jaw up off the floor. Although I have a feeling they were so high and mighty they just congratulated themselves for being outsmarted by Christ once again. And the definitely didn't heed his warnings that, "By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." In other words, they had better watch their back. They are going down.

(I do realize that they do end up getting Jesus crucified, but he did rise three days later and when he comes back he will have the final word).