While reading a few scriptures today I realized that Jesus proved himself logical in Matthew Chapter 12, while the lawyers and his persecutors did not prove themselves logical in this debate.
In verse 22 the people bring a man who was blind and mute to Jesus. Jesus heals him, "so that he could both talk and see."
So we have something unusual happening here, and people start trying to explain what caused this supernatural event from their limited human perspectives, backgrounds and biases/worldview filters.
Some people "were astonished and said, 'Could this be the Son of David?'" They are thinking from a perspective of something beyond human power, spiritual, and they have the background of a promise from God about a savior coming through a human lineage of King David. They are thinking in line with what the Bible reveals about a God who cares and made a promise which He is able and willing to keep. They open their minds to think, wow, maybe we are blessed to be alive at the time God is keeping his promise of a savior! So they give credit for the supernatural power displayed to this God they have read about and have maybe been expecting.
But another group of people come from a worldview of religion that they can control. They are comfortable with believing in a set of rules to obey rather than a living God who is involved with their life, can talk to them and have a relationship with them. They were more comfortable with rules that only demand good external behavior, but do not criticize inward thoughts and attitudes. They were threatened, but not teachable. If they opened their mind to say, "Oh no, this does look like it could be God come down to earth to overcome disease and evil!" They had to admit that their external form of religion was wrong and they would have to admit it to God and relinquish their power of holding control over others as leaders of the church and the law. Those that did not want to do that, resisted and had to use an illogical defensive argument about the devil working at cross purposes to his own welfare. The devil working against himself rather than to admit the other explanation which has a logical foundation.
They say, "It is only by Beelzebul (another name for the devil), the prince of demons, that this fellow (Jesus) drives out demons." (vs 24) This is not logical because if the devil went around telling his demons to evict the humans they move into, the devil would be harming his own kingdom and purposes. He would be destroying his own works and 'family' so to speak. Logically, that which is evil and unclean brings about evil thoughts, actions, speech and results, and that which is good brings out good from itself and good results. Just like apple trees bear apples and camels produce camels.
Jesus goes on to explain that the Pharisees, his attackers are not using logic or rational arguments against him in verses 25-28.
In verse 22 the people bring a man who was blind and mute to Jesus. Jesus heals him, "so that he could both talk and see."
So we have something unusual happening here, and people start trying to explain what caused this supernatural event from their limited human perspectives, backgrounds and biases/worldview filters.
Some people "were astonished and said, 'Could this be the Son of David?'" They are thinking from a perspective of something beyond human power, spiritual, and they have the background of a promise from God about a savior coming through a human lineage of King David. They are thinking in line with what the Bible reveals about a God who cares and made a promise which He is able and willing to keep. They open their minds to think, wow, maybe we are blessed to be alive at the time God is keeping his promise of a savior! So they give credit for the supernatural power displayed to this God they have read about and have maybe been expecting.
But another group of people come from a worldview of religion that they can control. They are comfortable with believing in a set of rules to obey rather than a living God who is involved with their life, can talk to them and have a relationship with them. They were more comfortable with rules that only demand good external behavior, but do not criticize inward thoughts and attitudes. They were threatened, but not teachable. If they opened their mind to say, "Oh no, this does look like it could be God come down to earth to overcome disease and evil!" They had to admit that their external form of religion was wrong and they would have to admit it to God and relinquish their power of holding control over others as leaders of the church and the law. Those that did not want to do that, resisted and had to use an illogical defensive argument about the devil working at cross purposes to his own welfare. The devil working against himself rather than to admit the other explanation which has a logical foundation.
They say, "It is only by Beelzebul (another name for the devil), the prince of demons, that this fellow (Jesus) drives out demons." (vs 24) This is not logical because if the devil went around telling his demons to evict the humans they move into, the devil would be harming his own kingdom and purposes. He would be destroying his own works and 'family' so to speak. Logically, that which is evil and unclean brings about evil thoughts, actions, speech and results, and that which is good brings out good from itself and good results. Just like apple trees bear apples and camels produce camels.
Jesus goes on to explain that the Pharisees, his attackers are not using logic or rational arguments against him in verses 25-28.
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