Matthew

Jesus and the Sabbath

One day, Jesus was walking through the wheat fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they started to pick some heads of wheat to crush and eat the grain.

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus:

“Look at your disciples! They are doing what is forbidden on the Sabbath!”

Jesus answered:

“Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry?

He entered the House of God and they ate the bread offered to God, even though neither he nor his men had the right to eat it, which was reserved only for the priests.

And haven’t you read in the law how, on the Sabbath, the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath, yet they are not considered guilty?

I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.

If you truly understood the meaning of the words: ‘It is mercy I want, not sacrifice’; you would not have condemned the innocent.

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

Jesus then departed from that place and entered one of their synagogues.

A man was there with a paralyzed hand, and those who wanted to accuse Jesus asked him: “Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?”

He said to them:

“What if one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath? Would you not take hold of your sheep and lift it out?

Is a human being less deserving of help 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 fully restored, just as sound as the other one.

Then the Pharisees went out and plotted to eliminate Jesus.

Since Jesus knew their plans, he left that place.

Jesus, the Servant of God

Many people followed him, and he healed everyone who was sick.

But he gave them strict orders not to let him be known.

Thus, Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled:

Here is my servant whom I have chosen,

the one I love and with whom I am pleased.

I will put my spirit upon him,

and he will proclaim my judgment

to the nations.

He will not argue or shout,

nor will his voice be heard in the streets.

The bruised reed he will not crush,

nor snuff out the smoldering wick

until he brings justice to victory.

And in him, all the nations

will put their hope.

Jesus and Satan

Then some people brought to him a man possessed by a demon who was blind and mute. Jesus healed the man, and he was able to speak and see again.

Everyone in the crowd was amazed and said:

“Could he be the Son of David?”

When the Pharisees heard this, they said:

“It is by Beelzebul, prince of the devils, that this man drives out devils.”

Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them:

“Every kingdom that is divided against itself is destroyed; and every city or family that is divided against itself will not last long.

If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided; then how can his kingdom last?

And if I drive out devils by Beelzebul, then whom do your own people use to cast them out? For this reason, they will be your judges.

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

How can anyone break into the strong man’s house and steal his belongings unless they first tie him up? Only then can they plunder his house.

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

And so I tell you this: people can be forgiven for any sin and any evil thing they say against God, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

And whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either now or in the age to come.

A healthy tree produces healthy fruit; a rotten tree produces rotten fruit. You can tell a tree by its fruit.

You brood of vipers, how can you say anything good when you are so evil? For the mouth speaks what fills the heart.

A good person brings forth good out of a store of goodness, and an evil person brings forth evil out of a store of evil.

I tell you, on the day of judgment, people will have to account for every careless word they have spoken.

Your words will reveal if you’re innocent or guilty.”

The Sign of Jonah

Then, some teachers of the law and some Pharisees spoke up:

“Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

Jesus answered them:

“An evil and unfaithful people seek a sign; but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Similarly, as Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so the Son of Man will spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

At the judgment, the people of Nineveh will rise up with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah—and there is someone greater than Jonah here.

At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you. She came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and here there is someone greater than Solomon.

When an evil spirit leaves a person, it wanders through empty wastelands searching for a place to rest but cannot find one.

Then it says, ‘I will go back to my house which I had to leave.’ So it returns and finds the house empty, clean, and in order.

Off it goes again, this time to bring back seven spirits more evil than itself. They enter and settle there, causing this person to end up in a worse state than at the beginning. This is what will happen to this evil generation.

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

While Jesus was talking to the people, his mother and brothers wanted to speak to him, so they waited outside.

So someone said to him:

“Your mother and your brothers are standing outside; they want to speak with you.”

Jesus asked:

“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

Then he pointed to his disciples and said:

“Look! Here are my mother and my brothers.

Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother.”