Matthew 12

Controversy Over Sabbath-Labor

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!3 But He said to them, Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.7 But if you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless.8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

Controversy Over Sabbath-Healing

9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?that they might accuse Him.11 Then He said to them, What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.13 Then He said to the man, Stretch out your hand. And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

Pharisees Plan to Destroy Christ

14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known,17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: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 declare justice to the Gentiles.19 He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.

Pharisees Blaspheme the Holy Spirit

22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, Could this be the Son of David?24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.29 Or how can one enter a strong mans house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

Pharisees Commit the Unpardonable Sin

31 Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Pharisees Demand a Sign

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.39 But He answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.43 When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.44 Then he says, I will return to my house from which I came. And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.

Jesus and the True Brethren

46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.47 Then one said to Him, Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, Who is My mother and who are My brothers?49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, Here are My mother and My brothers!50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.

MATTHEW 12

A Question about the Sabbath

(Mark 2.23-28; Luke 6.1-5)

1  t One Sabbath, Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields.t His disciples were hungry and began picking and eating grains of wheat.

2 Some Pharisees noticed this and said to Jesus, “Why are your disciples picking grain on the Sabbath? They are not supposed to do this!”

3  t Jesus answered:
You surely must have read what David did when he and his followers were hungry. 4 t He went into the house of God, and then they ate the sacred loaves of bread that only priests are supposed to eat. 5 t Haven't you read in the Law of Moses that the priests are allowed to work in the temple on the Sabbath? But no one says they are guilty of breaking the law of the Sabbath. 6 I tell you there is something here greater than the temple. 7 t Don't you know what the Scriptures mean when they say, “Instead of offering sacrifices to me, I want you to be merciful to others?” If you knew what this means, you would not condemn these innocent disciples of mine.

8 So the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath.

A Man with a Paralyzed Hand

(Mark 3.1-6; Luke 6.6-11)

10 where there was a man whose hand was paralyzed. Some Pharisees wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, so they asked him, “Is it right to heal someone on the Sabbath?”
11  t Jesus answered, “If one of your sheep fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn't you lift it out? 12 People are worth much more than sheep, and so it is right to do good on the Sabbath.”

13 Then Jesus told the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man did, and it became as healthy as the other one.

14 The Pharisees left and started making plans to kill Jesus.

God's Chosen Servant

17 So God's promise came true, just as Isaiah the prophet had said,

18  t “Here is my chosen servant!
I love him,
and he pleases me.
I will give him my Spirit,
and he will bring justice
to the nations.

19 He won't shout or yell
or call out in the streets.

20 He won't break off a bent reed
or put out a dying flame,
but he will make sure
that justice is done.

21 All nations will place
their hope in him.”

Jesus and the Ruler //of the Demons

(Mark 3.20-30; Luke 11.14-23; 12.10)

23 The crowds were so amazed they asked, “Could Jesus be the Son of David?”t

24  t When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “He forces out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons!”

25 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them:
Any kingdom where people fight each other will end up ruined. And a town or family that fights will soon destroy itself. 26 So if Satan fights against himself, how can his kingdom last? 27 If I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons, whose power do your own followers use to force them out? Your followers are the ones who will judge you. 28 But when I force out demons by the power of God's Spirit, it proves that God's kingdom has already come to you.

29 t How can anyone break into a strong man's house and steal his things, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can take everything.
30  t If you are not on my side, you are against me. If you don't gather in the harvest with me, you scatter it.

31-32 t I tell you any sinful thing you do or say can be forgiven. Even if you speak against the Son of Man, you can be forgiven. But if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you can never be forgiven, either in this life or in the life to come.

A Tree and Its Fruit

(Luke 6.43-45)

37 On that day they will be told they are either innocent or guilty because of the things they have said.

A Sign from Heaven

(Mark 8.11,12; Luke 11.29-32)

38  t Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a sign from heaven.”

39  t But Jesus replied:
You want a sign because you are evil and won't believe! But the only sign you will get is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 t He was in the stomach of a big fish for three days and nights, just as the Son of Man will be deep in the earth for three days and nights. 41 t On the day of judgment the people of Nineveht will stand there with you and condemn you. They turned to God when Jonah preached, and yet here is something far greater than Jonah.

42 t The Queen of the Southt will also stand there with you and condemn you. She traveled a long way to hear Solomon's wisdom, and yet here is something much greater than Solomon.

Return of an Evil Spirit

(Luke 11.24-26)

45 it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits even worse than itself. They all come and make their home there, and the person ends up in worse shape than before. That's how it will be with you evil people of today.

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

(Mark 3.31-35; Luke 8.19-21)

47 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to talk with you.”t
48 Jesus answered, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “These are my mother and my brothers! 50 Anyone who obeys my Father in heaven is my brother or sister or mother.”