Mat 12 | Comm | STEP | 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.

Matthew 12

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 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." 3 He said to them, "Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread 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 innocent? 6 I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7 And 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 of the Sabbath." 9 And he went on from there, and went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, "What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value 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.

14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might destroy him. 15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all, 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This 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 Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel or cry out; nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, till he sends forth justice to victory; 21 and in his name will the Gentiles hope."

22 Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and he healed him, so that the mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard this they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons." 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, 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, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s 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. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, 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; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! how can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The 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 tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." 39 But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but 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 the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something 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."

46 While he was still talking to the people, behold, his mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." 48 But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he 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."