Matthew Chapter 12 Summary

I spent a long time last night thinking about the lesson arc of this chapter and all its themes. For me, there is something almost miraculous how much is hidden in Christ’s words so I never feel like I have all their meanings. In the next chapter, Christ tells his apostles that everything he says is a symbol for something deeper. This chapter is a perfect example of symbols within symbols connected with symbols.

Christ starts with a discussion about whether or not it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath; making the point that physical needs take precedence over religious laws. He makes his point telling a man to stretch out his hand, healing him. The topic then seemingly changes to casting out demons. He says that a house divided against itself cannot stand and that you must bind a strong man before spoiling his goods. Then the topic seems to change again too good trees bearing good fruit, speaking against the spirit, and the people wanting a sign to prove he is the Christ. Then we have the story of the unclean spirit who leaves a man and returns. The chapter ends with Christ declaring that those who do his father's will are his family.

While there seem to be a number of different topics here, there are actually six clear themes or symbols tightly woven into each other throughout the course of this chapter. When I do the Greek analysis of Matthew, I often think that Matthew as the tax collector obsessed with keeping records and taking complete notes as he followed Christ around. I know all the theories about the origins of the Synoptic Gospels (Q and the rest), but I find it hard to believe the Matthew, the Gospel writer, could have woven together such complicated ideas out of seemingly disconnected verses as tightly as this without following Christ's words exactly.

First, there is an economic theme, which always seems so un-religious but is pervasive in Matthew. But throughout the chapter, especially in the Greek, people producing and protecting their physical goods is held up as an example of good. The ox falling in the ditch in the Sabbath, a strong man protecting his goods, the good tree bearing good friut, the good treasure from the heart, the Queen of Sheba and Solomon, and Christ family being those who produce God's will are all examples of how production or preservation of value are what good is.

This production and preservation comes from being unbound (freed from burden) and its destruction from being bound. The chapter starts with a discussion of being bound by religious laws, then a strong man is bound to spoil his goods; then being forgiven or "unbound" (in Greek, the term "forgiven" means "leave alone" and "let go" and "unbound") for everything except speaking against the spirit; and then Jonah being bound within the fish and Christ within the earth. Finally, the chapter ends finally with the bonds of family.

Tied to this theme of bound and unbound is the theme of what is hidden inside being bound and generating what is seen on the outside. Religious laws (outside) are generated by what God wants (mercy not sacrifice); physical needs (inside) create good actions (outside); kingdoms fall (outside) when they are divided inside; the spirit of God (inside) cannot be spoken against while Christ's acts (outside) can be; the tree (inside) generates the fruitp; a man's heart (inside) determines what comes out of him, and Jonah and Christ going inside creates a change outward sign.

Next, this inside this inside/outside theme is the theme of a "house" as the symbol of what is inside. In Greek, a house is both the physical building and the family unit, like the House of David. David goes into the house of God to eat forbidden bread; a house cannot be divided against itself; a strong man must be bound to break into his house, an unclean spirit returns to the house he has left. And finally, Christ belongs to the house (family) of those who do God's will.

Next, there is the theme of demons, which are symbolic of the worthless ideas and desires inside of us. Demons cannot be divided against themselves; demons bind a strong man to take his good and (in the same story) demons are bound by Christ to take away those they possess; evil words and the desire for a sign are demons, demons go out in the world and then return to their house.

Finally, there is the theme of conflict, which is tied both to the strength of house and the battle between the productive and valuable and the destructive and worthless. The conflict between religious law and higher law, the conflict within a house destroying it, between men and demons who bind them, the conflict between the productive and useless, the worthless spirits are always looking for openings to take advantage of the productive (returning to the ordered house), and the conflict between natural families and the families that produce what God wants.

I could throw in another couple of themes about spirit and judgment but spirit is just another form of insider and judgment is the discernment of what is worthwhile and what is worthless.

So economic value is created and preserved by freedom. Freedom allows what is worthwhile inside of people to change the world on the outside. Worthless spirits inside us handicap our ability to be productive, but these spirits are recognized by what they produce outside. And there is this constant battle where what is worthless and useless tries to take advantage of what is useful and productive.