Matthew 12
12
1Around that time Jesus was walking through fields of grain on the Sabbath day. His disciples were hungry so they started to pick ears of grain and eat them. 2When the Pharisees saw this they said to Jesus, “Look at your disciples—they're doing what isn't allowed on the Sabbath!”
3But Jesus told them, “Haven't you read what David did when he and his men were hungry? 4He went into the house of God, and he and his men ate the sacred bread that they weren't allowed to eat since it's only for the priests. 5Haven't you read in the law that on the Sabbath day the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath but are not considered guilty? 6However, I tell you that someone is here who is greater than the Temple! 7If you'd known the meaning of this Scripture, ‘I want mercy, and not sacrifice,’#12:7. Quoting Hosea 6:6. you wouldn't have condemned those who are innocent. 8For the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9Then Jesus left and went into their synagogue. 10A man was there with a crippled hand. “Does the law allow healing on the Sabbath?” they asked him, looking for a reason to accuse him.
11“Suppose you have a sheep and it falls into a hole in the ground on the Sabbath. Don't you grab hold of it and pull it out?” Jesus asked them. 12“Don't you think a human being is worth much more than a sheep? So yes, you are allowed to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man held out his hand, and it was healed, just as healthy as the other hand.
14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how to kill Jesus. 15Knowing this, Jesus left, with large crowds following him. He healed all of them, 16but instructed them not to tell people who he was. 17This fulfilled what Isaiah the prophet said:
18This is my servant whom I've chosen,
The one I love, who pleases me.
I will put my Spirit on him,
And he will tell the foreigners what's right.
19He won't argue, he won't shout out,
And nobody will hear his voice in the streets.
20He won't break a damaged reed,
And he won't extinguish a smoking wick,
Until he has proved that his judgment is right,#12:20. Or “has brought victory to justice.”
21And foreigners will put their hope in him.#12:21. Literally, “hope in his name.” These verses are a quote from Isaiah 42:1-4.
22Then a man was brought to Jesus who was demon-possessed and blind and dumb. Jesus healed him, so that the dumb man could speak and see. 23All the crowds were amazed, and asked, “This man couldn't really be the son of David, could he?”#12:23. Meaning the Messiah who was expected to come.
24But when the Pharisees heard this, they replied, “This man can only throw out demons through the power of Beelzebub, the chief of demons!”
25Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus told them, “Any kingdom that is divided against itself will be destroyed. No town or household that is divided against itself can stand. 26If Satan drives out Satan, then he's divided against himself—so how could his kingdom stand? 27If I'm throwing out demons in the name of Beelzebub, in whose name are your people throwing out demons? Your own people prove you're wrong! 28But if I'm throwing out demons through the power of the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you!
29Can you enter a strong man's house and take his belongings unless you tie him up first? If you do that then you can take everything in his house. 30Those who are not with me are against me, and those who do not gather together with me do the opposite: they are scattering. 31That's why I'm telling you that every sin and blasphemy you commit will be forgiven, except blasphemy against the Spirit which won't be forgiven. 32Those who say something against the Son of man will be forgiven, but those who say something against the Holy Spirit won't be forgiven, neither in this life nor the next. 33Either decide that the tree is good, and its fruit is good, or decide that the tree is bad and its fruit is bad—for the tree is known by its fruit. 34You viper's brood, how can you who are evil say anything good? For your mouth simply says what your mind is busy thinking about. 35A good person brings out good from their store of good things, and an evil person brings out evil from their store of evil things. 36I tell you, people will have to account for every careless thing they say on the Day of Judgment. 37For what you say will either vindicate you or condemn you.”
38Then some of the religious teachers and Pharisees came to him and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign.”
39“An evil and adulterous generation are the ones who look for a miraculous sign. The only sign they will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah,” Jesus told them. 40“In the same way Jonah was in the belly of a huge fish for three days and three nights, the Son of man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41The people of Nineveh will rise in the judgment together with this generation and they will condemn it because they repented in response to Jonah's message—and as you see, there's someone greater than Jonah here! 42The Queen of the South will be raised in the judgment together with this generation and will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon—and as you see, there's someone greater than Solomon here!
43When an evil spirit leaves someone, it wanders through deserted places looking for rest, and finds nowhere to stay. 44So it says, ‘I'll go back to the place I left,’ and when it returns it finds the place empty, all clean and tidy. 45Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits even more evil than it is, and it enters and lives there. So the person ends up worse than they were at the beginning. That's the way it will be with this evil generation.”
46While he was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers arrived and stood outside, wanting to talk to him. 47Someone came and told him, “Look, your mother and brothers are outside, wanting to talk to you.”
48“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Jesus asked. 49He pointed at his disciples, and said, “Look, they are my mother and my brothers! 50For those who do the will of my heavenly Father, they are my brother, sister, and mother!”
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Matthew 12
12
Sabbath Questions
1At that particular time Jesus went through the grainfields on the #The seventh day of the week, the day of worship.Sabbath, and His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. 2But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what #Picking grain to eat was not forbidden on the Sabbath. It was ridiculous for the Pharisees to try to equate gleaning for food with reaping a harvest (which was forbidden on the Sabbath).is unlawful on the Sabbath.” 3He said to them, “Have you not read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was hungry, he and those who accompanied him— 4how he went into the house of God, and they ate the #The bread of the Presence, the twelve fresh loaves presented each Sabbath to the Lord in the Holy Place.consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests only? 5Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break [the sanctity of] the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7And if you had only known what this statement means, ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], #I.e. more than.and not [animal] sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
Lord of the Sabbath
8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9Leaving there, He went into their synagogue. 10A man was there whose hand was withered. And they asked Jesus, “Is it lawful and permissible to heal on the Sabbath?”—they asked this so that they might accuse Him and bring charges into court. 11But He said to them, “What man is there among you who, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful and permissible to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then He said to the man, “Reach out your hand!” The man reached out and it was restored, as normal and healthy as the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, discussing how they could destroy Him.
15Being aware of this, Jesus left there. Many followed Him, and He healed all of them [who were sick], 16and warned them not to tell [publicly] who He was. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
18“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 will proclaim justice to the nations.
19He will not quarrel, nor cry out loudly;
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20A battered reed He will not break,
And a smoldering wick He will not extinguish,
Until He leads justice to victory.
21And in His name the Gentiles (all the nations of the world) will hope [with confidence].”
The Pharisees Rebuked
22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man both spoke and saw. 23All the people wondered in amazement, and said, “Could this be the Son of David (the Messiah)?” 24But the Pharisees heard it and said, “This man #A statement of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. See vv 31, 32.casts out demons only by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan) the prince of the demons.”
25Knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will [continue to] stand. 26If Satan casts out Satan [that is, his demons], he has become divided against himself and disunited; how then will his kingdom stand? 27If I cast out the demons by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan), by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you [before you expected it]. 29Or how can anyone go into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first overpowers and ties up the strong man? Then he will ransack and rob his house.
The Unpardonable Sin
30 He who is not with Me [once and for all on My side] is against Me; and he who does not [unequivocally] gather with Me scatters.
31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy [every evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things] will be forgiven people, but #Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is denying all the work of the Holy Spirit. This leads ultimately to rejecting the deity of Christ.blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Words Reveal Character
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things. 36But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak. 37For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.”
The Desire for Signs
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign (attesting miracle) from You [proving that You are what You claim to be].” 39But He replied and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation [that is morally unfaithful to God] craves and demands a [miraculous] sign; but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah; 40for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41The men of Nineveh will stand up [as witnesses] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now, something greater than Jonah is here. 42The Queen of the South (Sheba) will stand up [as a witness] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and now, something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “Now when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through waterless (dry, arid) places in search of rest, but it does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So will it also be with this wicked generation.”
Changed Relationships
46While He was still talking to the crowds, it happened that His mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him. 47Someone said to Him, “Look! Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to You.” 48But Jesus replied to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49And stretching out His hand toward His disciples [and all His other followers], He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50For #A universal offer without restriction.whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven [by believing in Me, and following Me] is My brother and sister and mother.”
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