But Jesus knew their thoughts

It is important, in seeking to make an application of this statement about Jesus,  to get our theology straight. Most people in church have the correct theology about His Deity, but I hear over and over “Jesus could do such and such a thing,  because He is God.” In particular here “He could know their thoughts because He is God.” In this and all such thoughts,  if Jesus did these  things because He is God, then we can applaud and admire Him for it, but we could never expect to be like Him. In 1 John 4:3 John tells us that “every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” And saying that Jesus was not operating as a spirit filled man, rather that He was operating as God, is in effect denying that He came in the flesh.

When Jesus became flesh He in fact emptied Himself of His godhead (John 1:14; Philippians 2:7 ESV).  And He is our example of the Spirit filled man, and we are to follow Him and His example. So when I came across this morning's verse in my readings (Matthew 12:25), I thought to myself “I want to do that too!” And I felt the Lord asking me why I wanted it. Motives are important! Immediately the passage about Simon the sorcerer came to mind. Simon wanted to purchase the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit with money. We don't know His motives, but Peter could say that he was poisoned by bitterness (Acts 8:9-23). So yes motives are important!

But there is another question we need to ask, and that is how did He do this? Well it seems to me that this was a “word of knowledge” (1 Corinthians 12:8). As to the Lord's question to me, often we do not know our motives, and even when we think we do, they are likely mixed. So what I did is to ask myself why Jesus wanted it. Now what I know is that everything He does, He does in love. And even though the ones to whom He would speak would likely not hear, He wanted to speak so that those who do have ears to hear would understand why what they were thinking is wrong. In other words Jesus' motives were Kingdom motives.

Father, You Word encourages us to pursues love and to seek spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1). I know Lord that when I seek these things my motives are not always 100% pure. Help me Lord to be as zealous to have a pure heart,  as I am to receive Your gifts. Purify my heart Lord where it needs purifying, and  then and only then please help me to know how to give an answer as You did,  even before the question is asked, and I will give You all the glory in Jesus Name Amen