Give credit where it is due (A divided kingdom, Mark 3:23-27, Matthew 12:24-30)

Give credit where it is due (A divided kingdom, Mark 3:23-27, Matthew 12:24-30)

No one likes it when someone else receives the credit for their hard work, there is nothing worse than you are putting out all the effort and someone else getting the credit for it. You feel betrayed, you feel taken advantage of and it can make you angry. This is our human nature to want credit for the work that we do but what if it happens to God, what if someone tries to give the credit for something that God did to someone else? Well, we see the answer to this immediately following this parable of the divided kingdom in Matthew 12, after trying to give the devil credit for the works of the Holy Spirit Jesus says something profound in verses 30-32. Jesus says, you can talk about me, and it will be forgiven but when you speak against the works of the Holy Spirit it will not be forgiven. God did not like that someone was taking to take credit away from the Holy Spirit and placing it in the hands of someone who does not deserve it.

Why is this important for us to know in the modern church? It is important because it is easy to fall into the spirit of religious elite-ness just like the Pharisees and Sadducees did in the day of Jesus. It is easy to look around and say they do not worship like we do so it is not of God, they do not read the same translation of the Bible we do so it is not of God, they do not dress and act like we do so it is not of God, and our way is the way of God and everyone else is wrong and are not of God. Jesus dealt with this among His own disciples when in Mark 9:38-39 they rebuked someone for casting out demons in Jesus’ name simply because they were not a part of their click. Jesus told them that this was foolish to do so because those individuals are on their side as well. When we get to the place to where we think we have everything figured out and we have all the answers to life’s problems then we should run to the alter with fear and trembling to repent for our arrogance. There are heresies that need to be called out for what they are but casting shade on a brother or sister of Christ that simply is not a part of your click is a dangerous game to be played.