John
Burnett: 43 “Now when the unclean spirit goes out
of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.
44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’;
and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 Then
it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself,
and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse
than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil
generation.” He was talking of that current
generation but with the technology we have today, people have invented new ways
to do evil. I cannot imagine what it will be like during the tribulation
when the Holy Spirit is removed and the anti-christ has free reign until
Christ’s return.
46 While He was still speaking to the
crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak
to Him. 47 Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your
brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.”[a] 48 But [b]Jesus answered the one who
was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And
stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My
brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father who is in
heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.” I
will have to do more study tonight but I do know that I am thankful to be an
adopted brother of Jesus Christ.
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Allen Michaels: 43 “When an impure spirit
comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not
find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’
When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then
it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they
go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the
first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus was describing the
attitude of the nation of Israel and the religious leaders in particular. Just
cleaning up our lives without filling them with God leaves plenty of room for
Satan to enter and set up camp. The book of Ezra records how the people rid
themselves of idolatry, but failed to replace it with love for God and
obedience to him. This should be our next read. Ridding our lives of sin is the
first step. We must also take the second step; filling our lives with God’s
Word and the Holy Spirit. Unfilled and complacent people are easy targets for
Satan.
What is the point
of Jesus' grim story about a vacant house being occupied by some evil
force? If you knew that someone had a life-threatening disease, would you
let that person into your house without proper protection? Sin and evil
are like deadly viruses. They are especially contagious when we get close
to them and allow them to infect us. Jesus warned his followers about leaving
their homes and lives unprotected from destructive and evil forces. It's
not enough, however, to simply" clean house" by banishing evil
thoughts and breaking with bad habits. Something has to take their place
to fill the void that has been created.
46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his
mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone
told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to
you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my
brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my
mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my
Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Jesus was not denying his
responsibility to his earthly family. On the contrary, he will criticize the
religious leaders for not following the Old Testament command to honor their
parents coming up in chapter 15, verses 1-9. He provided for his mother’s
security as he hung on the cross; 25 Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his
mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. 26 When
Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to
her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” 27 And he said to this
disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into
his home. (John 19:25-27 NLT). His mother and brothers were also present in the upper
room at Pentecost; 14 They all met together and were constantly united in
prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the
brothers of Jesus. (Acts 1:14 NLT). Instead Jesus was pointing out that spiritual
relationships are as binding as physical ones, and he was paving the way for a
new community of believers (the universal church), our spiritual family.
Below is some more info on
Matthew 12:46-50 that I found online;
Who do you relate to as
your closest family and friends? God did not intend for us to be alone,
but to be with others. He gives us many opportunities for developing
relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Why does
Jesus seem to ignore his own relatives when they pressed to see him? His love
and respect for his mother and his relatives is unquestionable. Jesus
never lost an opportunity to teach his disciples a spiritual lesson and truth
about the kingdom of God. On this occasion when many gathered to hear
Jesus he pointed to another higher reality of relationships, namely our
relationship with God and with those who belong to God.
What is the essence of
being a Christian? It is certainly more than doctrine, precepts, and
commandments. It is first and foremost a relationship – a relationship of
trust, affection, commitment, loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, thoughtfulness,
compassion, mercy, helpfulness, encouragement, support, strength, protection,
and so many other qualities that bind persons together in mutual love and
unity. God offers us the greatest of relationships - union of heart, mind, and
spirit with himself, the very author and source of love (1 John 4:8, 16). God's
love never fails, never forgets, never compromises, never lies, never lets us
down nor disappoints us. His love is consistent, unwavering, unconditional, and
unstoppable. Nothing can deter him from ever leaving us, ignoring us, or
treating us unkindly. He will love us no matter what. It is his nature to
love. That is why he created us - to be united with him and to share in
his love and unity (1 John 3:1). God is a trinity of persons - Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit - and a community of love. That is why Jesus challenged
his followers and even his own earthly family to recognize that God is the true
source of all relationships. God wants all of our relationships to be rooted in
his love.
Jesus is God's love
incarnate - God's love made flesh (1 John 4:9-10). That is why Jesus
describes himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep and
the shepherd who seeks out the sheep who have strayed and lost their way.
God is like the father who yearns for his prodigal son to return home and then
throws a great party for him when he repents and comes back. Jesus offered up
his life on the cross for our sake, so that we could be forgiven and restored
to unity with God. It is through Jesus that we become the adopted
children of God - his own sons and daughters. That is why Jesus told his
disciples that they would have many new friends and family relationships in his
kingdom. Whoever does the will of God is a friend of God and a member of his
family.
An early Christian martyr
once said that "a Christian's only relatives are the saints" --
namely those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and made sons and
daughters of God. Those who have been baptized into Christ and who live
as his disciples enter into a new family, a family of "saints" here
on earth and in heaven. Jesus changes the order of relationships and
shows that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and blood. Our
adoption as sons and daughters of God transforms all our relationships and requires
a new order of loyalty to God first and to his kingdom of righteousness and
peace. Do you want to grow in love and friendship? Allow God's Holy Spirit to
transform your heart, mind, and will to enable you to love freely and
generously as he loves.
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