The Gospel According to St. Matthew

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- Chapter 12 -

(1 Samuel 21:1–7; Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5)

At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grainfields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and eat them.

But when the Pharisees saw that, they said to Jesus, “See, your disciples do what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath.”

But Jesus said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was hungry, and the men who were with him?

He went into the house of God and ate the bread of the presence, which was unlawful for him to eat and unlawful for those who were with him, but lawful only for the priests.

Have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath but are guiltless?

But I say to you that one greater than the temple is here.

If you had known what this meant, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

(Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11)

Then Jesus left from there and went into their synagogue.

Behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” so that they might accuse him of sinning.

Jesus said to them, “What man would there be among you, who, if he had just one sheep, and if this sheep fell into a deep hole on the Sabbath, would not grasp hold of it and lift it out?

How much more valuable, then, is a man than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Then Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored to health, just like the other hand.

But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him. They were seeking how they might put him to death.

God’s Chosen Servant

(Isaiah 42:1–9)

As Jesus perceived this, he withdrew from there. Many people followed him, and he healed them all.

He commanded them not to make him known to others,

that it might come true, what had been said through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

“See, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved one, in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will announce judgment to the Gentiles.

He will not strive nor cry aloud; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

He will not break any bruised reed; he will not quench any smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory,

and in his name the Gentiles will have certain hope.”

A House Divided

(Mark 3:20–27; Luke 11:14–23)

Then someone blind and mute, possessed by a demon, was brought to Jesus. He healed him, with the result that the mute man spoke and saw.

All the crowds were amazed and said, “Can this man be the Son of David?”

But when the Pharisees heard of this miracle, they said, “This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.”

But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is made desolate, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.

But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

How can anyone enter the house of the strong man and steal his belongings without tying up the strong man first? Then he will steal his belongings from his house.

The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters.

The Unpardonable Sin

(Mark 3:28–30)

Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

Whoever speaks any word against the Son of Man, that will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, that will not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.

Good and Bad Fruit

(Luke 6:43–45)

Make a tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.

You offspring of vipers, since you are evil, how can you say good things? For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

The good man from the good treasure of his heart produces what is good, and the evil man from the evil treasure of his heart produces what is evil.

I say to you that in the day of judgment people will give an account for every idle word they will have said.

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

(Jonah 3:1–10; Luke 11:29–32)

Then certain scribes and Pharisees answered Jesus and said, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

But Jesus answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign. But no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the stomach of the big fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation of people and will condemn it. For they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and see, someone greater than Jonah is here.

The Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn it. She came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and see, someone greater than Solomon is here.

An Unclean Spirit Returns

(Luke 11:24–26)

When an unclean spirit has gone away from a man, it passes through waterless places and looks for rest, but does not find it.

Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ Having returned, it finds that house swept out and put in order.

Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all come in to live there. Then the final condition of that man becomes worse than the first. It will be just like that with this evil generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

(Mark 3:31–35; Luke 8:19–21)

While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.

Someone said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you.”

But Jesus answered and said to him who told him, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?”

Then he stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, “See, here are my mother and my brothers!

For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, that person is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

(1 Samuel 21:1–7; Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5)

At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, “Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”

But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him:

how he entered into God’s house and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? (a)

Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?

But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.

But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ (b) you wouldn’t have condemned the guiltless.

For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

(Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11)

He departed from there and went into their synagogue.

And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” so that they might accuse him.

He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won’t he grab on to it and lift it out?

Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.”

Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other.

But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how they might destroy him.

God’s Chosen Servant

(Isaiah 42:1–9)

Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,

and commanded them that they should not make him known,

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations.

He will not strive, nor shout, neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.

In his name, the nations will hope.”(c)

A House Divided

(Mark 3:20–27; Luke 11:14–23)

Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him; and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.

All the multitudes were amazed, and said, “Can this be the son of David?”

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.”

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come upon you.

Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.

“He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters.

The Unpardonable Sin

(Mark 3:28–30)

Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

Whoever 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 that which is to come.

Good and Bad Fruit

(Luke 6:43–45)

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.

You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

The good man out of his good treasure (d) brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.

I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

(Jonah 3:1–10; Luke 11:29–32)

Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.

The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here.

An Unclean Spirit Returns

(Luke 11:24–26)

“When an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, and doesn’t find it.

Then he says, ‘I will return into my house from which I came;’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

Then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

(Mark 3:31–35; Luke 8:19–21)

While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.

One said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you.”

But he answered him who spoke to him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

He stretched out his hand toward his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers!

For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

Footnotes

(a)12:4 ℘ 1Samuel 21:3-6

(b)12:7 ℘ Hosea 6:6

(d)12:35 TR adds “of the heart”