No Neutrality

(Here is another great devotional thought by Pastor Smith of Mt. Zion Baptist Church sent to my mailbox 10/1/07.)

Matt. 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

The Pharisees, as usual, were criticizing the Savior. A man who was possessed of a devil, and was blind and dumb was brought to Jesus. Jesus healed the man. When the Pharisees heard the people’s praise of Jesus, they began to claim that He cast out devils by the power of the prince of the devils. Obviously, they would not rejoice in this miracle or in the wonderful healing this man had received. They must find something wrong with what had occurred. They could not deny that Jesus was doing a good thing, so they accused Him of doing something good by the power of evil. It seems there will always be those around who are bent on trying to find fault. The Pharisees were obsessed with this occupation. Jesus refuted their allegations by teaching that their position was not logical. If He were casting out devils by the power of Satan, the enemy’s kingdom would not stand. He then gave us this powerful statement, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” With this declaration, Jesus clearly drew lines between two kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. Everyone who is not with Him (God’s kingdom) is against Him (Satan’s kingdom). Those who are not gathering people to Jesus (God’s kingdom) are driving people away (Satan’s kingdom). The Pharisees wanted to keep themselves looking good as the religious leaders and supposed men of God, while trying to make Jesus look bad. Jesus wanted them to understand that there was no middle ground. If they were not supporting Him, they were against Him. We have all seen those who seek to remain neutral on important spiritual matters. They do not want to take a stand for or against issues. The clever work of the devil is to make things appear to be gray—neither black nor white, neither right nor wrong. However, Jesus will not allow us to do this. He wants us to see things as they are. He wants us to line up on the side of right (God’s side), and be committed to the strait and narrow way. A person who is not supporting Jesus’ cause is advancing the devil’s cause. A person who is critical of God’s work is promoting Satan’s work. Neutrality is a myth. God is looking for those who will take a stand for Him, His truth, and what is right.