Matthew 9:32-34
As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
When I was a serious cyclist, I was a fan of professionals until one by one, they were caught cheating by doping. Now I get to experience the same dismay by watching pastors fall. It is enough to cause cynicism when seeing a dynamic preacher, wondering when their collapse will take place. This jaded attitude is possibly behind the reaction of the Pharisees to a great miracle by Jesus. Perhaps they saw something similar in a charlatan and are reacting accordingly. More probably, they were seeing the power of God and it was convicting them that they were unworthy of this blessing so they lashed out against it.
We should guard against an overriding cynicism and skepticism when seeing someone being used by God in mighty ways. We should also guard against giving them undue credit for God’s work. May we never fall into the Pharisees’ trap of mistaking the miraculous work of God for that of Satan. Jesus had strong words for such blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in chapter 12. Today, may we have a proper perspective on the power of God, the fallibility of man, and our propensity for getting the two mixed up. Let God be true and every man a liar and may we know the difference.
Dear Lord, thank you for the Holy Spirit which gives us discernment. May we trust the Lord to guide us as we interact with fallen man. In Jesus’ name. Amen.