Matthew 12:1–31

The Question about the Sabbath

12^*Not long afterwards Jesus was walking through some cornfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began to pick ears of corn and eat the grain. ²When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, “Look, it is against our Law for your disciples to do this on the Sabbath!”

^3*Jesus answered, “Have you never read what David did that time when he and his men were hungry? ^4*He went into the house of God, and he and his men ate the bread offered to God, even though it was against the Law for them to eat it—only the priests were allowed to eat that bread. ^5*Or have you not read in the Law of Moses that every Sabbath the priests in the Temple actually break the Sabbath law, yet they are not guilty? ⁶I tell you that there is something here greater than the Temple. ^7*The scripture says, ‘It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.’ If you really knew what this means, you would not condemn people who are not guilty; ⁸for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

The Man with a Paralysed Hand

⁹Jesus left that place and went to a synagogue, ¹⁰where there was a man who had a paralysed hand. Some people were there who wanted to accuse Jesus of doing wrong, so they asked him, “Is it against our Law to heal on the Sabbath?”

^11*Jesus answered, “What if one of you has a sheep and it falls into a deep hole on the Sabbath? Will you not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹²And a human being is worth much more than a sheep! So then, our Law does allow us to help someone on the Sabbath.” ¹³Then he said to the man with the paralysed hand, “Stretch out your hand.”

He stretched it out, and it became well again, just like the other one. ¹⁴Then the Pharisees left and made plans to kill Jesus.

God’s Chosen Servant

¹⁵When Jesus heard about the plot against him, he went away from that place; and large crowds followed him. He healed all those who were ill ¹⁶and gave them orders not to tell others about him. ¹⁷He did this so as to make what God had said through the prophet Isaiah come true:

^18*“Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,

the one I love, and with whom I am pleased.

I will send my Spirit upon him,

and he will announce my judgement to the nations.

¹⁹He will not argue or shout,

or make loud speeches in the streets.

²⁰He will not break off a bent reed,

or put out a flickering lamp.

He will persist until he causes justice to triumph,

^21*and in him all peoples will put their hope.”

Jesus and Beelzebul

²²Then some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind and could not talk because he had a demon. Jesus healed the man, so that he was able to talk and see. ²³The crowds were all amazed at what Jesus had done. “Could he be the Son of David?” they asked.

^24*When the Pharisees heard this, they replied, “He drives out demons only because their ruler Beelzebul gives him power to do so.”

²⁵Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, “Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each other will not last very long. And any town or family that divides itself into groups which fight each other will fall apart. ²⁶So if one group is fighting another in Satan’s kingdom, this means that it is already divided into groups and will soon fall apart! ²⁷You say that I drive out demons because Beelzebul gives me the power to do so. Well, then, who gives your followers the power to drive them out? What your own followers do proves that you are wrong! ²⁸No, it is not Beelzebul, but God’s Spirit, who gives me the power to drive out demons, which proves that the Kingdom of God has already come upon you.

²⁹“No one can break into a strong man’s house and take away his belongings unless he first ties up the strong man; then he can plunder his house.

^30*“Anyone who is not for me is really against me; anyone who does not help me gather is really scattering. ³¹And so I tell you that people can be forgiven any sin and any evil thing they say;^k but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.