When is Religion Evil? (Matthew 12:15-50)

This part of Matthew starts with a reading of a prophetic text, indicating that Jesus is the Messiah. It ends with the Jewish leaders asking Jesus for a sign, proof, that He is that Messiah. The problem lies in the middle, where Jesus frees a man from a possession, something the crowds interpreted as a sign that Jesus was the Messiah. The Jewish leaders saw THAT as a sign that Jesus was of the devil.

Jesus points out the ridiculous nature of that accusation. The devil could hardly be an effective enemy if he is divided against himself. The real problem is what the accusations expose about the religious leaders. They expose the evil in their hearts. They accuse Jesus of being evil out of jealousy over the crowds. They do not want to lose power or influence to Jesus. They are not into religion to help people be reconciled to God, but to benefit themselves. And that sort of evil just grows.

It is not out of place that Matthew turn to the story of Jesus’ family at the end of this chapter. When Jesus declares that His true family is the family of God, it is a comment on real religion. Not even religion. Jesus came to offer a restored relationship with God, not a correction or fresh interpretation of religion.