Who is the accuser of our brethren?

Who is the accuser of our brethren?


In Matthew 12:1-50 we read: "At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of G-d, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day. And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; And charged them that they should not make him known: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of G-d, then the kingdom of G-d is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." We believers who do the will of our Father are Jesus' brethren!

In Revelation 12:7-12 we read: "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our G-d, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our G-d day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Here in Revelation 12:10 Satan is referred to as "the accuser of our brethren." The word "accuse" is defined, "(1) to charge with, or declare to have committed a crime, (2) to find at fault; to blame . . ." Do we have any examples of Satan accusing "our brethren before G-d" (Rev. 12:10)? Yes, we find such in Job 1:6-11; 2:1-6. Job was a man who was perfect and upright, and one who feared G-d and eshewed evil! G-d himself testified to this fact. However, it did not matter to Satan or Job's "friends". They all accused Job of being "wrong" anyway. Here we see a true picture of Satan as "the accuser of our brethren." Satan also tempts and accuses mankind. Under Satan's influence, even Christian friends can become "accusers of our brethren" and as they share in the devil's work and they will also receive Satan's "reward"!. We see people carrying out the work of the devil in both the Old and New Testaments. Job's brethren falsely accused him (4:7-9). The Pharisees falsely accused Jesus here in this Chapter and throughout His ministry. Among the sins characteristic of the "last days" is that some of us will also be "false accusers" (2 Tim. 3:3). Anyone can accuse anyone of anything! Job said to his accusers many thousands of years ago, "I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you and shake mine head at you" (16:4). Likewise the Pharisees' accusation against our Lord shows that anyone is able to dredge up any kind of accusation against another - even against the Son of G-d! Denominational churches today accuse all the other churches of being wrong or not as "correct" as they are. Some of the religious "leaders" today go as far as saying only their group will go to heaven! "Christians" are actually killing one another because they beLIEve the others are "wrong". I have watched as innocent people are destroyed because some "kind soul" decides to point out their shortcomings. Often Satan gets us to do his dirty work and we become the accusers of our brethren, I have seen this happen even while we are gathered together in His name! We are to be known for our love which means we are to accept others just as they are. We are to get the beam out of our eye before we try to help others remove the speck in theirs. G-d starts a work in us and He and He alone (not some "accuser of the brethren") brings it to completion! Jesus did not accuse anyone - not even the woman caught in the very act of adultery!

In Zechariah 3: "And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel." Joshua, the high priest, represented Israel. Joshua comes before G-d and the Accuser of the Brethren points out the sinful nature of Joshua’s robe, but G-d calls for a robe of righteousness to be placed upon him. Jesus Christ, our High Priest represents us. We are clothed and covered in His righteousness. Verse 3: "Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by." Joshua, the high priest, was accused and resisted by the Devil. Satan cannot resist our High Priest. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: What happens? Satan cannot resist Him. The DEBT is paid in full. Satan has no legal grounds to accuse us before a holy G-od because Jesus Christ has fully settled forever all that a holy G-d could have against us, and it is paid in full. We are not only forgiven; we are justified. We are declared righteous. But, in spite of this Satan and many religious people still will try to accuse even the righteousness of G-d in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Accusations hurt people. Even a child is up-set when they are told that they have done something wrong especially when they have not done so. Job's "friends" hurt him deeply with their words (Job 16:1-2). Job felt the inward pain that comes to one who is falsely accused as have many brethren today who have faced such satanic accusations. Accusations hurt people's reputations. It is evident that Paul's reputation suffered in the eyes of some of his brethren in the church at Corinth because of false accusations made by his enemies there (2 Corinthians 10:2, 10). The accussors of the brethren even turned Paul's refusal of support from the church into an accusation (cf. 2 Cor. 11:7-9; 12:13).

Here in Matthew 12 the first religious leaders' accusation on so trifling an incident shows how minutely they observed Jesus' disciples. This minor infraction should simply have ignored; but not by these bitter,self righteous religious leaders, finding no genuine sins in the conduct of Jesus and his disciples, they attempted to make a "mountain out of this molehill". Their charge was completely false. G-d's law did not prohibit the preparation and eating of food on the Sabbath day. Jesus' disciples had only violated the Pharisees' religious "interpretation" of G-d's law; and such interpretations were held even more sacred by the Pharisees than G-d's law itself. In the Pharisees' view, the disciples were guilty of threshing wheat! Such nit-picking, and magnification of trifles would also have made them guilty of irrigating the land, if they had accidentally knocked off a few drops of dew while passing through the fields! The Pharisees were out to "get" Jesus; and any trumped up charge was better than none. Religious "leaders" today still continue to point out where others are "wrong" so they can feel morally superior.

The fact that the Pharisees had approved David's unlawful conduct was well known; and, if they had not approved it, they could have easily turned Jesus' words against Him (Matthew 5:19). That they did not so respond proves that they had approved of David's unlawful conduct. Thus, their hypocrisy was open for all to see. Jesus' quotation from Hosea 6:6 was a plain reference to the corruption and guilt of the Pharisees, and suggests that a proper attitude of mercy in their hearts would have rejected the criticism of this action before it was made. The real trouble was not in Jesus and his disciples but in the hearts of the Pharisees. Judge not lest ye be judged! I have often watched the self righteous pick at some minor infraction of their self-righteous doctrine of concern and forget Jesus' command that we love one another and not judge anything before time!

Jesus here states that the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath - here Jesus takes the whole matter out of the context of their law, and their interpretations, and their opinions, and their doctrines and even out of the Law of Moses. In Mark 2:27-28 we read: "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." In Colossians 2:16 we read: " Therefore do not let anyone judge (or accuse) you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day." Who is the "Son of Man"? This term is employed as a synonym for man e.g. "G-d is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? " (Numbers 23:19). "Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil." (Isaiah 56:2). The Prophet Ezekiel is addressed by G-d as "son of man" more than ninety times, e.g. "And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee." (Ezekiel 2:1). It is also used in Daniel where Gabriel said: "So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision." (Daniel 8:17). Jesus had the right to set aside all of the laws; and, in the final analysis, His disciples needed no permission except Jesus' to do whatever He permitted. The Sabbath could be ignored and rejected utterly, unless Jesus commanded it (which he did not); for Paul said, "He took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross" (Colossians 2:14). We are no longer under the law - we are completely free in Jesus - He only commanded us to love (not accuse or judge) one another!

Then the religious leaders asked Him: "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? that they might accuse Him." Their question, Matthew declared, sprang not from a desire to learn, but from hope of another chance to accuse Jesus. I watch with great interest how the devil uses self righteous people to accuse others of "wrong-doing" - (I was walking with a brother who was smoking when another brother saw us and said to me: "Do you hang out with people who smoke?" I answered back: "I even hang out with people who judge.") And he said unto them, What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? The Pharisees had to agree based upon Exodus 23:4,5 and Deuteronomy 22:4.

Jesus then answered: "How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day." Jesus continued to prove that his conduct and that of his apostles was completely correct and lawful. He did not lay claim to any "excusable violations," but he claimed strict and wholehearted compliance with the law, the whole law. He said, "Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I came not to destroy but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17). Certainly, healing was allowable on the Sabbath day, or upon any other day. That principle was honored by the Pharisees, as it applied to animals; but, in their blindness, they rejected the same principle when applied by Jesus to a man! When Jesus healed the withered arm these religious leaders became so enraged that they went out and took counsel on how they might destroy Him. Jesus obviously would not obey them - or their doctrines. Jesus chose to obey G-d and G-d alone. Religious people hate everyone they can not control. Jesus was only doing what His Father wanted and the Prophets had prophesied that He would do. Religious people are under the law and literally hate anyone who is free of their doctrines. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed!

Jesus knew their thoughts- a knowledge only G-d could have. Jesus clearly warns all religious leaders then and now: "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth." In the great conflict between life and death, good and evil, the kingdom of G-d and of Satan, Jesus' true church and Babylon there is no middle ground; there is no neutral position; either you to join and submit to Jesus or you become one of the antichrists and divide His flock. Choose to hear and obey Jesus or you will become a co-worker with Satan; there was and still simply is no other alternative. As Bob Dillon sang: "You're gonna have to choose to serve somebody - it may be the devil or it may be the Lord. But, you're gonna have to serve somebody!"

Therefore, I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. From the gospel of Mark comes, "Whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of AN ETERNAL SIN; because they said, He hath an unclean spirit" (Mark 3:29,30). Significantly, Mark spoke not of "the" but "an" eternal sin, showing that the transgression under consideration in this place is one of a class of sins designated as "eternal." "For, as touching those who were once enlightened, and tasted the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of G-d and the powers of the age to come, and then fall away, it is impossible to renew them" (Hebrews 6:4-6). Concerning apostates, "The last state is become worse with them than the first" (2 Peter 2:20,21), indicating a condition worse than being lost, and which is fulfilled only by being lost without possibility of recovery. Now of this general condition, variously described as death while one lives, a sin unto death, the quenching of the Spirit, worse than being a sinner, and impossible to renew, and for which there is no need to pray - all such sins qualify for Mark's description, "an eternal sin." When you persist in saying that what G-d is doing is what the devil is doing - you are blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Seven different sins against the Holy Spirit may be noted in these references: (1) lusting against (Galatians 5:16);(2) resisting (Acts 7:51), (3) grieving (Ephesians 4:30); (4) lying to (Acts 5:3); (5) insulting (Hebrews 10:24); (6) blaspheming against (Mark 3:29); and (7) quenching (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

Speech is one of the greatest advantages of mankind; and the greater the gift, the greater the sin of perverting it to unworthy purposes. It would be impossible to sum up all the sins of mankind in the area of sinful speech. It must appear even to casual thought of it that words, as used by millions, constitute the bulk of human shame and wickedness. James said, "If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also" (James 3:2). Beyond everything else, man should watch what he says. One's words can justify when they confess Christ, or teach the truth, or serve to make peace, bestow a blessing, or give encouragement; but on the other hand, when words condemn, subvert the truth, utter accusations, prejudice, hatred, or malice, or divide the Body of Christ - then such words only bring condemnation to those who speak them.

The religious leaders now demand a visual sign to prove Jesus was really of G-d comes from the same group who had already accused Jesus of being in league with the devil and who had already seen many miraculous signs. But, now they were demanding a sign of their own choosing. Luke stated that they sought a "sign from heaven" (Luke 11:16). Jesus was first asked for a sign by the tempter in Matthew chapter 4 - where Jesus refused to turn stones into bread or to jump from the pinnacle of the temple or to worship the tempter. Here the Pharisees' request for a sign was simply a renewal of Satan's temptations of the Lord in the wilderness. Christ always refused to perform wonders for his enemies like Herod or the tempter or the religious Pharisees. He did work miracles for the benefit of John's disciples (Luke 7:18-22), and raised Lazarus that the people might believe (John 11:42). Jesus did so many signs and miracles that if they were all recorded the books would fill the earth!

“Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe”. That is how the apostle Thomas answered the Savior's disciples when they told him that they saw the risen Lord (John. 20:25). But there are not and cannot be such proofs, for the Christian faith is beyond the grasp of carnal thoughtl. Nothing in the Christian faith, be it the very existence of G-d, the resurrection of Jesus or any other truths, can be proven logically: one can only accept them or reject them purely on the basis of faith. “No one has seen G-d at any time”, (John. 1:18). Nobody has ever proved the existence of G-d. And nobody has ever born witness to the resurrection of Jesus in such a way that it might become an obvious fact for all of mankind. Nevertheless, regardless of the seeming lack of proofs of the Christian faith, millions of people came, still come and will come to Christ; they believed, believe and will believe in His resurrection; they accepted, accept and will accept the existence of G-d. Why? Because they have personally encountered G-d in their lives, and no additional proofs were/are/or will be necessary for them.

Let us look at what happened to the two disciples returning from Jerusalem to Emmaus, who did not recognize Jesus in the traveler they had met on the way, The Lord walked with them and conversed with them during their entire journey, entered the house with them, and only when He was breaking bread did they finally recognize Him. But immediately He became invisible. The disciples then said: “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the way?” (Luke. 24:32). With joy they went and told the disciples of their encounter with the risen Lord. It is striking that the disciples did not recognize Jesus when He was next to them. Their physical eyes did not help them to see the risen G-d. But with the inner eyes of their soul they recognized Him. As soon as they knew this, He became invisible to them, for physical sight is not necessary when the heart is alive with faith. That is what happened and happens to Christians when they come to believe in G-d. They have not seen Him, but their hearts are aflame with love for Him. Jesus spoke about such people when He said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (John. 20:29). They are blessed, for they did not seek logical proofs, but the fire of faith which G-d places in people’s hearts. We believe in the resurrection of Jesus not because we saw G-d, but because we have felt His real presence in our hearts.

The "adulterous generation" refers the missing 42nd generation in Matthew Chapter 1 - Peter said we are that chosen generation - 1 Peter 2:9. The relation of the Jews to G-d was represented as a marriage contract with G-d as the husband and the Jewish people as his wife (Isa. 57:3; Hosea 3:1; Ezek. 16:15). Hence, their apostasy and idolatry are often represented as adultery. We Christians are to be His virgin bride not part of the great whore Babylon or her harlot daughters - Christ is not divided!

The "sign of the prophet Jonah" refers to the resurrection of Jesus, the greatest and most wonderful miracle of all time. Jesus' announcement of this "sign" at that time was actually a prophecy of his death, burial and resurrection. The Old Testament had plainly indicated the Messiah would rise from the dead (Psalms 16:10. Here Jesus again lays claim to Messiahship; but His enemies could not or would not see what He meant!

The Bible states that "G-d prepared" a great fish (Jonah 1:17). In the book of Jonah is related also how G-d "prepared" a gourd (Jonah 4:6), a worm (Jonah 4:7), and a sultry east wind (Jonah 4:8)! G-d knew that it would take Jonah three days and nights to finally agree to preach to Ninevah! When Jonah eventually agreed the great fish vomited out a very bleached out Jonah on the shore and and when the changed Jonah walked out of that stinking mess and began to reach - Ninevah saw the living "ghost" and quickly repented!

The question of "three days and three nights," as signifying the time of our Lord's remaining in the tomb, is one of the most widely discussed issues in the New Testament. Please read my teaching on "Easter" - Jesus was crucified the day before the Passover Sabbath (Mark 15:42). (2) The Jews always honored the day before the Passover (15th of Nisan) as a special "high" Sabbath, no matter what day of the week it fell upon (Exodus 12:6; Leviticus 23:7; Numbers 28:16-18). John's gospel plainly says it was "the preparation of the Passover" (John 19:14), and that it was "an high day" (John 19:31). These Scriptures plainly show that the ordinary Sabbath was not meant. Thus, Jesus was crucified on the day before the "high day," or first day of Passover. Since the Passover (15th of Nisan) in the year 30 A.D. fell on Thursday, the "day before" would make it Wednesday on which Jesus was crucified.Jesus said he would rise "after three days" (Mark 8:31). "After three days" he would rise again (Mark 9:31; 10:34). "This is now the third day since these things were done" (Luke 24:31). .

The heart of the earth is a figurative expression for the grave which is also called "the lower parts of the earth" (Psalms 63:9; Ephesians 4:9).

Jesus here speaks of the one judgment - "the judgment" was a constant theme of Jesus' teaching. Jesus' view of the judgment envisioned a day of wrath toward which all the world is moving, a day on which G-d shall rise in righteous anger and cast evil out of his universe. "It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). The judgment is a simultaneous judgment of all nations and conditions of men, regardless of the specific times in which they lived. The Queen of the South, the men of Nineveh, and the people of Jesus' generation are spoken of as all appearing simultaneously for judgment, though, of course, their lives were separated by many centuries in time. Paul referred to that occasion as "that day" (2 Timothy 4:8). Thus, it may be logically concluded that "the judgment" of Scripture is a specific occasion, a cataclysmic day, upon which every man ever born on earth shall appear before the judgment seat of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here." Solomon offered at the dedication of the temple "twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred twenty thousand sheep" (2 Chronicles 7:5). Christ offered his own blood within the holiest place of all for full payment for all of the sins of all mankind (Hebrews 9:14).

This parable of a wandering demon applies to the Jewish nation, which is "the man." The "going out" represents the spiritual rebirth of Israel under the preaching of John the Baptist. The "swept and garnished" period (in next verse) referred to the lack of any infilling of the Holy Spirit which could have produced fruits of repentance.. Dry places were supposed to be attractive to demons, who were thought to take advantage of people who borrowed water, and were said to take up residence in crumbs, or fragments of food. Jesus flaunted all those superstitions by borrowing water from the woman at the well of Samaria (John 4), by commanding the disciples to gather up the fragments after the feeding of the five thousand, and the four thousand, and by himself frequenting desert places. No house can remain long empty, unused, swept, garnished, or idle. Alas, such is a true description of the spiritual condition of many people who think they are Christians. They are "good," but "good for nothing." Their righteousness consists of emptiness, denominational doctrines, superficial decoration, and negative goodness. However, without the ongoing infilling of the Holy Ghost the life of a man will eventually revert to a condition worse than at the first. The evil spirit cast out of a man is ever lurking and seeking an opportunity to return with seven companions worse than himself, and to take over and plunge the soul in greater wickedness than ever. Jesus clearly saw that the religious leaders then and now would be able to deceive and command the believers to reject Him as the Messiah and Teacher. (John 10:27; 1 John 2:27) What state is worse than being unsaved? It is the apostasy from which it is impossible to be renewed (Hebrews 6:4-6).

If the mother of Jesus in this passage was his literal mother, then there is no reason to suppose that his brothers were not his literal brothers. Whoever delivered that message apparently expected Jesus to drop everything and honor the intrusion. He did no such thing. He plainly declared that the ties of flesh and blood would not take precedence over the spiritual ties of the kingdom itself. Mary was never set forth by Jesus as the "Mother of G-d," Jesus treatment of His family here is based on the fact that Mary and his brothers were interfering with His Ministry work as an adult. Relationship to Jesus does not depend on fleshly kinship but on being born again. "As many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of G-d, even to them that believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of G-d" (John 1:12,13). I remember when I felt Jesus arm on my shoulder and saw His finger pointing to "Our Father" - we are all His brethren - that is just one more reason we should not accuse one another.

In Philippians 1:6 we read: "Being confident of this very thing, that He (and not you) which has begun a good work in you (and everyone else) will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Dear one, you should treat others as you would like to be treated (Matt. 7:12) and judge others by their fruits, and not by any accusations of what you have heard (Matt. 7:20; Gal. 2:14). The devil is "the accuser of our brethren." It is bad enough that he is involved in such activity. You should not want to be a part of the devil's work. If someone wants you to pray for something that is bothering them do so; but you never need to point out what they are doing wrong in "your" opinion. Paul said that he was chief of all the apostles but he also said that he was chief of all the sinners.

In Romans 14:10 we read: “Why do you criticize and pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you look down upon or despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of G-d. (12) And so each of us shall give an account of himself - give an answer in reference to judgment - to G-d. (13) Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother.” (The Amplified Bible) As we have read, the scriptures tell us not to tear down our brethren through criticism or judgment, as this can pose a serious stumbling-block and cause irreparable damage to their faith. Among G-d’s warnings to us in scripture, there are none more somber or serious than His warning to not become a stumbling block to His followers. “...whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt. 18:6). There’s an old saying that “We tend to judge others by their actions, and we judge ourselves by our intentions.” The truth is, we cannot rightly judge anyone else, because we do not know the contents of their heart. We should be content to judge only ourselves and seek to bring our own lives in alignment with G-d’s Word (1 Corinthians 11:31). A person with an accusing or critical spirit usually dwells on the negative, seeks for flaws in others rather than looking for any good. They’re simply a complainer, usually always upset, and generally have a problem or a negative comment about something. They often have little control over their tongue, their temper, and have tendencies for gossip and slander, which Paul said were sins “worthy of death” (Rom. 1:29-32).

The devil always tries to create a complaining or critical attitude in people to stir up turmoil and strife within the body of Christ (Eph. 6:12). We must always be on guard that none of us will be used as a tool of the devil to bring harassment or discouragement upon our brothers or sisters through accusations or criticisms, as the Bible warns us not to “give place” to the devil (Eph. 4:27). Remember that Satan is specifically called “the accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10). Are you also an accuser of the brethren? The Bible says that the reason that we are to come together as a church is, not to criticize, but to “exhort” (encourage) one another (Hebrews 10:25). “Cursing the darkness” won’t change anything, but we must light a candle and “expose the light” of G-d’s Word. By sharing the truth of G-d’s Word, and encouraging people to live in its truth, people will change. Love and encouragement is a “motivational force.” A Christian’s tongue should never be used for anything but good. “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word, nor unwholesome or worthless talk (ever) come out of your mouth; but only such speech as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (G-d’s favor) to those who hear it” (Ephesians 4:29 The Amplified Bible). Remember this dear one, the Bible doesn’t promise peace to those who dwell on the faults of others! It says that the Lord will keep them in perfect peace, whose minds are stayed on Him! (Isaiah 26:3).

Concerning Satan, the Lord Jesus Christ said; he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44. A very interesting question is asked in Romans 8:33 “who can lay anything to the charge of G-d’s elect?” No child of G-d, should ever take over Satan’s work as the Accuser of the brethren. We all should be exceedingly careful about laying anything to the charge of G-d’s elect - we need to heed 2 Corinthians 2:10-11. We should not be ignorant of Satan’s devices, forgiving one another rather than accusing one another. A Christian supposedly is one who has put on the new man and has put off the old man. And of course when the Christian puts off the old man, he puts away lying, and he speaks only the truth in love. Those who have put on the new man are tenderhearted, forgiving (not accusing) one another, even as G-d, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven them. Ephesians 4:15-32. Dear one, please leave the judgment of your brother/sister to G-d and use your words to heal, encourage. bless and pray rather than accuse, curse, destroy and/or to tear down. We should all be rejoicing and exalting and giving thanks in all things rather than murmuring, grumbling, accusing and complaining about a brother or sister. We all need to learn to play well together - by doing it Christ’s (not Satan's) way.

Shalom! Selah!