| 12 | Matthew | ||
| 1 | ONCE ABOUT THAT TIME Jesus went through the cornfields on the Sabbath; and his disciples, feeling hungry, began to pluck some ears of corn and eat them. | Plucking Grain on the Sabbath Mt.12.1-8 (Galilee) -[ Mt.12.1-8 → ] - Mk.2.23-28, Lk.6.1-5 | |
| 2 | The Pharisees noticed this, and said to him, 'Look, your disciples are doing something which is forbidden on the Sabbath.' | ||
| 3 | He answered, 'Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry? | ||
| 4 | He went into the House of God and ate the consecrated loaves, though neither he nor his men had a right to eat them, but only the priests. | ||
| 5 | Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and it is not held against them? | ||
| 6 | I tell you, there is something greater than the temple here. | ||
| 7 | If you had known what that text means, "I require mercy, not sacrifice", you would not have condemned the innocent. | - I desire mercy, and not sacrifice Mt.12.7 - Hs.6.6 | |
| 8 | For the Son of Man is sovereign over the Sabbath.' | ||
| 9 | He went on to another place, and entered their synagogue. | The Man with a Withered Hand Mt.12.9-14 (Capernaum) -[ Mt.12.9-14 → ] - Mk.3.1-6, Lk.6.6-11 | |
| 10 | A man was there with a withered arm, and they asked Jesus, 'Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?' (Their aim was to frame a charge against him.) | ||
| 11 | But he said to them, 'Suppose you had one sheep, which fell into a ditch on the Sabbath; is there one of you who would not catch hold of it and lift it out? | ||
| 12 | And surely a man is worth far more than a sheep! It is therefore permitted to do good on the Sabbath.' | ||
| 13 | Turning to the man he said, 'Stretch out your arm.' He stretched it out, and it was made sound again like the other. | ||
| 14 | But the Pharisees, on leaving the synagogue, laid a plot to do away with him. | ||
| 15 | Jesus was aware of it and withdrew. Many followed, and he cured all who were ill; | The Chosen Servant Mt.12.15-21 (Capernaum) - | |
| 16 | and he gave strict injunctions that they were not to make him known. | ||
| 17 | This was to fulfil Isaiah's prophecy: | ||
| 18 | 'Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, on whom my favour rests; I will put my Spirit upon him, And he will proclaim judgement among the nations. | - Behold, my servant whom I have chosen Mt.12.18-21 - Is.42.1-4 | |
| 19 | He will not strive, he will not shout, Nor will his voice be heard in the streets. | ||
| 20 | He will not snap off the broken reed, Nor snuff out the smouldering wick, Until he leads justice on to victory. | ||
| 21 | In him the nations shall place their hope.' | ||
| 22 | THEN THEY BROUGHT HIM a man who was possessed; he was blind and dumb; and Jesus cured him, restoring both speech and sight. | Jesus and Beelzebul Mt.12.22-32 (Capernaum) -[ Mt.12.22-32 → ] - Mk.3.20-30, Lk.11.14-23, Lk.12.10 | |
| 23 | The bystanders were all amazed, and the word went round: 'Can this be the Son of David?' | ||
| 24 | But when the Pharisees heard it they said, 'It is only by Beelzebub prince of devils that this man drives the devils out.' | ||
| 25 | He knew what was in their minds; so he said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself goes to ruin; and no town, no household, that is divided against itself can stand. | ||
| 26 | And if it is Satan who casts out Satan, Satan is divided against himself; how then can his kingdom stand? | ||
| 27 | And if it is by Beelzebub that I cast out devils, by whom do your own people drive them out? If this is your argument, they themselves will refute you. | ||
| 28 | But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out the devils, then be sure the kingdom of God has already come upon you. | ||
| 29 | 'Or again, how can anyone break into a strong man's house and make off with his goods unless he has first tied the strong man up before ransacking the house? | ||
| 30 | 'He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. | ||
| 31 | 'And so I tell you this: no sin, no slander, is beyond forgiveness for men, except slander spoken against the Spirit, and that will not be forgiven. | ||
| 32 | Any man who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but if anyone speaks against the Holy Spirit, for him there is no forgiveness, either in this age or in the age to come. | ||
| 33 | 'Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; you can tell a tree by its fruit. | A Tree and Its Fruits Mt.12.33-37 (Capernaum) -[ Mt.12.33-37 → ] - Mk.8.11-12, Lk.11.29-32 | |
| 34 | You vipers' brood! How can your words be good when you yourselves are evil? For the words that the mouth utters come from the overflowing of the heart. | ||
| 35 | A good man produces good from the store of good within himself; and an evil man from evil within produces evil. | ||
| 36 | 'I tell you this: there is not a thoughtless word that comes from men's lips but they will have to account for it on the day of judgement. | ||
| 37 | For out of your own mouth you will be acquitted; out of your own mouth you will be condemned.' | ||
| 38 | At this some of the doctors of the law and the Pharisees said, 'Master, we should like you to show us a sign.' | ||
| 39 | He answered: 'It is a wicked, godless generation that asks for a sign; and the only sign that will be given it is the sign of the prophet Jonah. | ||
| 40 | Jonah was in the sea-monster's belly for three days and three nights, and in the same way the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the bowels of the earth. | - Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale Mt.12.40 - Jn.1.17 | |
| 41 | At the Judgement, when this generation is on trial, the men of Nineveh will appear against it and ensure its condemnation, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and what is here is greater than Jonah. | ||
| 42 | The Queen of the South will appear at the Judgement when this generation is on trial, and ensure its condemnation, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and what is here is greater than Solomon. | ||
| 43 | 'When an unclean spirit comes out of a man it wanders over the deserts seeking a resting-place; and finding none, | The Return of the Unclean Spirit Mt.12.43-45 (Capernaum) -[ Mt.12.43-45 → ] - Lk.11.24-26 | |
| 44 | it says, "I will go back to the home I left." So it returns and finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and tidy. | ||
| 45 | Off it goes and collects seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they all come in and settle down; and in the end the man's plight is worse than before. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.' | ||
| 46 | He was still speaking to the crowd when his mother and brothers appeared; they stood outside, wanting to speak to him. | The Mother and Brothers of Jesus Mt.12.46-50 (Capernaum) -[ Mt.12.46-50 → ] - Mk.3.31-35, Lk.8.19-21 | |
| 47 | Someone said, 'Your mother and your brothers are here outside; they want to speak to you.' | ||
| 48 | Jesus turned to the man who brought the message, and said, 'Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?'; | ||
| 49 | and pointing to the disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. | ||
| 50 | Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, my sister, my mother.' | ||
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