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 out through the ripe grain on the Sabbath. And his disciples, being hungry, began to separate the grain and to eat.

Then the Pharisees, seeing this, said to him, “Behold, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbaths.”

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

how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, 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 Sabbaths the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath, and they are without guilt?

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

And if you knew what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would never have condemned the innocent.

For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

(Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11)

And when he had passed from there, he went into their synagogues.

And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand, and they questioned him, so that they might accuse him, saying, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbaths?”

But he said to them: “Who is there among you, having even one sheep, if it will have fallen into a pit on the Sabbath, would not take hold of it and lift it up?

How much better is a man than a sheep? And so, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbaths.”

Then he said to the man, “Extend your hand.” And he extended it, and it was restored to health, just like the other one.

Then the Pharisees, departing, took council against him, as to how they might destroy him.

God’s Chosen Servant

(Isaiah 42:1–9)

But Jesus, knowing this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he cured them all.

And he instructed them, lest they make him known.

Then what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled, saying:

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased. I will place my Spirit over him, and he shall announce judgment to the nations.

He shall not contend, nor cry out, neither shall anyone hear his voice in the streets.

He shall not crush the bruised reed, and he shall not extinguish the smoking wick, until he sends forth judgment unto victory.

And the Gentiles shall hope in his name.”

A House Divided

(Mark 3:20–27; Luke 11:14–23)

Then one who had a demon, who was blind and mute, was brought to him. And he cured him, so that he spoke and saw.

And all the crowds were stupefied, and they said, “Could this be the son of David?”

But the Pharisees, hearing it, said, “This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons.”

But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself will become desolate. And every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

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

And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your own sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has arrived among you.

Or how can anyone enter into the house of a strong man, and plunder his belongings, unless he first restrains the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

Whoever is not with me, is against me. And whoever does not gather with me, scatters.

The Unpardonable Sin

(Mark 3:28–30)

For this reason, I say to you: Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.(b)

(c)

And anyone who will have spoken a word against the Son of man shall be forgiven. But whoever will have spoken against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven, neither in this age, nor in the future age.(d)

Good and Bad Fruit

(Luke 6:43–45)

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree evil and its fruit evil. For certainly a tree is known by its fruit.

Progeny of vipers, how are you able to speak good things while you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

A good man offers good things from a good storehouse. And an evil man offers evil things from an evil storehouse.

But I say to you, that for every idle word which men will have spoken, they shall render an account in the day of judgment.(e)

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

The Sign of Jonah

(Jonah 3:1–10; Luke 11:29–32)

Then certain ones from the scribes and the Pharisees responded to him, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”(f)

And answering, he said to them: “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign. But a sign will not be given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

For just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.(g)

(h)

The men of Nineveh shall arise in judgment with this generation, and they shall condemn it. For, at the preaching of Jonah, they repented. And behold, there is a greater than Jonah here.

The Queen of the South shall arise in judgment with this generation, and she shall condemn it. For she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, there is a greater than Solomon here.

An Unclean Spirit Returns

(Luke 11:24–26)

Now when an unclean spirit departs from a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and he does not find it.

Then he says, ‘I will return to my house, from which I departed’. And arriving, he finds it vacant, swept clean, and decorated.

Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and live there. And in the end, the man becomes worse than he was at first. So, too, shall it be with this most wicked generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

(Mark 3:31–35; Luke 8:19–21)

While he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak with him.

And someone said to him: “Behold, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, seeking you.”

But responding to the one speaking to him, he said, “Which one is my mother, and who are my brothers?”(i)

And extending his hand to his disciples, he said: “Behold: my mother and my brothers.

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

Footnotes

(a)12:4 The loaves of proposition:So were called the twelve loaves which were placed before the sanctuary in the temple of God.(Challoner)

(b)12:31 Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is nothing other than final impenitence.(Conte)

(c)12:31 The blasphemy of the Spirit:The sin here spoken of is that blasphemy, by which the Pharisees attributed the miracles of Christ, wrought by the Spirit of God, to Beelzebub the prince of devils. Now this kind of sin is usually accompanied with so much obstinacy, and such wilful opposing the Spirit of God, and the known truth, that men who are guilty of it, are seldom or never converted: and therefore are never forgiven, because they will not repent. Otherwise there is no sin, which God cannot or will not forgive to such as sincerely repent, and have recourse to the keys of the church.(Challoner)

(d)12:32 Nor in the world to come:From these words St. Augustine (De Civ. Dei, lib. 21, c. 13) and St. Gregory (Dialog., 4, c. 39) gather, that some sins may be remitted in the world to come; and, consequently, that there is a purgatory or a middle place.(Challoner)

(e)12:36 Every idle word:This shows there must be a place of temporal punishment hereafter where these slighter faults shall be punished.(Challoner)

(f)12:38 A sign:That is, a miracle from heaven. St. Luke 11. 16.(Challoner)

(g)12:40 The Jews counted any part of a day as a whole; so three days and three nights need not be 24 hours times 3. Also, Christ was taken prisoner on Thursday evening, and then confined in a subterranean prison overnight (first night in the heart of the earth). He died on Friday about the ninth hour, and was buried in a tomb before sunset (the first day). He then remained dead to the world for Friday night (the second night) and Saturday daytime (the second day) as well as Saturday night (the third night). He arose early on Sunday after first light (the third day). Therefore, His statement that He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth is true.(Conte)

(h)12:40 Three days, etc:Not complete days and nights; but part of three days, and three nights taken according to the way that the Hebrews counted their days and nights, viz., from evening to evening.(Challoner)

(i)12:48 Who is my mother?:This was not spoken by way of slighting his mother, but to show that we are never to suffer ourselves to be taken from the service of God, by any inordinate affection to our earthly parents: and that which our Lord chiefly regarded in his mother, was her doing the will of his Father in heaven. It may also further allude to the reprobation of the Jews, his carnal kindred, and the election of the Gentiles.(Challoner)

(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”