Thought for January 8th. “I ALSO WILL DENY …”

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Matthew’s gospel records how Jesus started training his disciples for their work when he would no longer be with them. Today’s ch. 10 starts, “And he called to him his 12 disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal every disease and every affliction.” What are “unclean spirits”?

The parable in Ch. 12 v.43-45 illustrates that it means an unclean mind – and that there is no value in clearing out from the brain ‘unclean’ ways of thinking and then putting nothing positive in their place. Ways of thinking show themselves in resultant actions; aimless ways of thinking and doing lead to no future in this life, and, most particularly, in the future life Jesus offers; spiritual thinking are an essential part of the ‘spirit’ of our minds.

Jesus gives his 12 disciples a foretaste of the powers of healing they will have when he is no longer with them: they are told to go “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick … “ [v.6-8] He says, “if anyone will not receive you and listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house … “[v.14] adding, “it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah” than for that town. [v.15]

This is because the people of that town had witnessed divine power as well as hearing the divine message. God’s principle, as Jesus explained, is that “everyone to whom much is given, of him much will be required” [Luke 12 v.48] This is why, as we will read tomorrow (11 v.23), Capernaum which had witnessed so many of his miracles, would have no future. On the other hand, Sodom, where Lot went to live, and it seems witness, the destruction of which we will soon read in Genesis 19, was a city which Abraham initially thought could have “fifty righteous” [18 v.24] – Jesus said the “day of judgment” will be “more bearable” for them. What about, for us?

Today, with such an abundance of evidence of the intricate marvels of creation – but a widespread determined attitude to say that everything in some way, sort of created itself, what must God’s attitude be/? There is no doubt as to God’s attitude! We quoted it 2 days ago from the Psalms, but it bears quoting again. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds …” (Psa, 14]

Finally, in our chapter in Matthew, we see how Jesus bluntly states the two options; there is no middle way! “everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before by Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” [v.32] Food for really serious thought.