Matthew 12:27-32

²⁷ And if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them? Because of this, they will be your judges.

²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I expel demons, then that proves that the kingdom of God has arrived among you.

²⁹ How else can someone enter a strong person’s house and steal his stuff, unless he first ties up the strong person? Then he can really plunder his house.

³⁰ The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters.

³¹ Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will potentially be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

³² And the one who speaks a word against the Son of Man will potentially be forgiven, but the one who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

_________________________________________

gather or scatter?

Jesus warned the Pharisees to stop criticizing what the Holy Spirit was doing. Jesus had utilized the Holy Spirit’s power to tie up Satan and plunder his kingdom, gathering those he was rescuing into God’s kingdom. By criticizing Jesus’ work, the Pharisees were placing themselves in a dangerous status before God. They were blaspheming (spreading a bad stink) against the Holy Spirit.

Some people had not yet made their mind up about Jesus’ person, but trusted their eyes enough to believe he was doing God’s work. But the Pharisees had gone beyond that. They were calling his rescue a work of the devil.

Jesus told his enemies that they had two choices: either join him and his kingdom work (gather with him) or face the consequences. Those consequences included permanent loss of forgiveness. The fate of such people is destruction in Gehenna hell.

LORD, may we have the wisdom to join you in your work, and to stay away from those who dare to criticize it.