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Thursday, March 28th, 2024
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 3 of 5
Devotional: July 23rd

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Matthew 12:22-37

The Pharisees hated the Lord Jesus because they were jealous of His power as well as His authority over the multitudes. They challenge the origin of His power as they cannot dispute the miracles themselves. As they have already done before (Matthew 9:34; Matthew 10:25) they attribute to the prince of the devils the power of the Holy Spirit whom God had bestowed on His Beloved (v. 18; cf. Mark 3:29-30). This was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, a sin which could not be forgiven. No, the work of the Lord was, on the contrary, the proof of His victory over Satan, "the strong man". He had "bound" him when in the wilderness by means of the Word, and now was taking away his captives (see Isaiah 49:24-25). Then the Lord Jesus shows these Pharisees that they were themselves under the dominion of Satan: bad trees bring forth bad fruit.

"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (v. 34). If it is Christ who fills our heart, it will be impossible for us not to speak of Him. "My heart is inditing a good matter . . .": so sing the sons of Korah in Psalms 45:1-17. "I speak of the things which I have made touching the king". Conversely, evil thoughts buried deep down within us will rise to our lips sooner or later. And for every word, even an idle one, we will one day have to give account.

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