ANOTHER LOOK AT SPIRITUAL PERCEPTION

Turn with me to Matthew 16:1-12.

Frequently in our studies of various Gospel accounts we have looked at the area of spiritual perception, or the lack there of. That is because there is so much written about in the New Testament. In our passage for today we are going to look at two groups of people who were lacking in spiritual perception. The one group had a terminal problem in this area, while the other group merely had a temporary problem.

I find it interesting how many times in the Gospel of Matthew that there is a grouping of twos. In the closing words of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus referred to two roads, one broad and the other narrow, leading to two gates, again one broad and the other narrow and hard to find. Then He referred to two trees, one bearing good fruit and the other bearing bad fruit. And finally He closed the Sermon with a statement about two foundations, one made of sand, and the other built on a rock. During His final week on earth Christ told a parable of two sons, one who worked in his father’s vineyard, and the other who did not. And I’m quite sure that there are many other examples to be had. That is because there are really only two sets of people in this world; one set is terminally blind to the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, while those the other group were at one point temporarily blind to the Gospel, until the Holy Spirit quickened them from the dead and enabled them to perceive the truth of that message.

This morning we continue on in our series that I’ve title Perceptions of Jesus. In Today’s passage we are going to look at two sets of characters, who bring two distinct demands and or questions, and who receive two different outcomes.

Let’s read our passage together.

TWO SETS OF CHARACTERS

THE TERMINALLY BLIND

THE PHARISEES

THE SADDUCEES

THE TEMPORARILY BLIND

THE ELEVEN

THE TWELFTH

TWO DEMANDS

THE TERMINALLY BLIND

“VALIDATE YOUR CLAIM!”

A demand for signs is still a frequent thing today. Often folks will say such a thing as: “If God would only show me a sign then I would know what I should do.” The time for signs and wonders was a relatively short period of time. At best is lasted for about 40 years, from around AD 30 to AD 70. And it can be argued that the period was actually much shorter. Signs and wonders were used to validate the claim of the Gospel of Christ at a time when the written Word was not yet finished.

Because believers today have the complete revelation of God, which we call the Bible, we no longer need signs and wonders.

2 Peter 1:3–4 NASB95PARA

seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

We have in our hands everything that we need. The real question is do we really believe that.

THE TEMPORARILY BLIND —

“WHAT DOES HE MEAN?”

TWO OUTCOMES

THE TERMINALLY BLIND

A MOCKING REPLY

A REFUSAL TO COMPLY

THE TEMPORARILY BLIND

A LOVING REBUKE

A TEACHING MOMENT

THE DOCTRINE OF THE PHARISEES & SADDUCEES

THE LEGALISTIC PHARISEES — ADD TO THE WORD OF GOD

Revelation 22:18 NASB95PARA

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;

THE LIBERAL SADDUCEES — TAKE AWAY FROM THE WORD OF GOD

Revelation 22:19 NASB95PARA

and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

This morning we have looked at two sets of people who have differing spiritual perception: the terminally blind, and the temporarily blind. In both cases, in our present text, they failed to properly perceive the fulness of Christ. The Pharisees and Sadducees would continue in their blindness — their issue was terminal. However, for the apostles, even within our passage we see them beginning to perceive things through spiritual eyes, with spiritual perception.

Today, if you find yourself in a position of spiritual blindness, it may not be a terminal issue. As long as you still have breath there is a strong possibility that God may grant you true spiritual perception. If you are truly seeking God then you will find Him. Search with all your heart. Ask God, through Christ Jesus, to remove the blinders that are on your eyes and to enable you to perceive the message of the cross of Christ. For God demonstrated His love for His people in such a powerful way. He put forward Jesus, the eternal Son of God, to become man, to live the perfect life that we cannot live, to die on the cross as the substitute for us, at which time all of the sin of believers was laid on Him. And by His death we are healed. He not only died in our place, but He was raised from the dead giving His people victory over sin and death. And all who call upon Him, in true faith, will be saved.

Believer, there will be times when we are dull to the message as well. Spiritual dullness may be the outcome of sin in our lives that needs to be dealt with. It may also be that the Lord is leading us along slowly, knowing that we can only handle so much at one time. Be persistent in seeking to understand God’s Word, and His ways. Be persistent in seeking to be doers of the Word and not hearers only.

Let’s pray.

Closing Song: No. 351 — Amazing Love