In our study of Matthew chapter twelve, we look at the fact that, at some point, we all have to make a decision concerning the identity and authority of Jesus Christ. At this point in Jesus' earthly ministry, he has shown the religious leaders his credentials to be the Messiah as well as demonstrating his authority through signs and miracles. Now, they will have to make a choice to either believe him or to deny him and that is the same choice that we all must face.
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One Shabbat during that time, Yeshua was walking through some wheat fields. His talmidim were hungry, so they began picking heads of grain and eating them. On seeing this, the P'rushim said to him, "Look! Your talmidim are violating Shabbat!"
At the end of chapter 11, Jesus spoke of giving people rest and this goes to the heart of the matter of the Sabbath. In Exodus 35:1-3, Moses revealed the Law of the Sabbath to the people and they were told that it was to be a day without work. The Hebrew word that is translated as "work" is "m@la'kah and it speaks of an occupation or business. Shabbat (the Hebrew word for Sabbath) means intermission or break and gives the idea of taking a rest from the struggles to get ahead in this world. In this case, Jesus was being accused of allowing his disciples to harvest and thresh grain (work) on the Sabbath. According to the traditional law of the Jews (halakah), even picking heads of grain and rubbing them in their hands to separate the grain from the chaff constituted harvesting which would have been a commercial venture. This religious tradition (halakah) was formed as extra protection so that the people would not accidentally break the real Law of Moses. In this passage, we see an open break between Jesus and the religious traditions (halakah) of the Pharisees. It is at this point that the religious leaders will have to make a choice between their traditions and the actual word of God. The original command concerning the Sabbath contained just a few words but, by this time, the rules had been expanded to cover every possible aspect of life on that day.
But he said to them, "Haven't you ever read what David did when he and those with him were hungry? He entered the House of God and ate the Bread of the Presence!" -- which was prohibited, both to him and to his companions; it is permitted only to the cohanim.
Jesus answered the charge with a little history lesson for the Pharisees and the events that Jesus spoke of are recorded in 1 Samuel 21:1-6. On each Sabbath, twelve loaves of fresh bread were set on a table in the Holy Place. At that time, the old bread was removed and was given to the priests to eat. In Leviticus 22:10 & 11, we see that, even though the bread was given to the priests to eat, it was lawful for other Israelites to be given it to eat. David must have entered the tabernacle on the Sabbath to get the bread and so it was also accepted that he had not broken the Law in getting food for his men. It was widely accepted in religious tradition that David had not broken the Law concerning the consecrated bread because of the fact that him and his men had been kept from relations with women and they were on a mission for King Saul. To their way of thinking, this equated David and his men with being priests and so they accepted his actions. Why did Jesus bring up David and his actions? In effect, Jesus was pointing them back to the Scriptures and away from their traditions.
"Or haven't you read in the Torah that on Shabbat the cohanim profane Shabbat and yet are blameless?
Jesus continues with the fact that the priests (who were compensated for their efforts) worked on the Sabbath. In this, he goes on to point out that, under the letter of the Law, the priests would be guilty of breaking the Sabbath but were not put to death. With both of these examples, he was trying to get them to see the spirit of the Law and not their perceptions of what God meant.
I tell you, there is in this place something greater than the Temple!
Jesus goes on to tell his accusers that the temple, which represented their religious efforts, is not above God but, what did he mean? He was simply pointing out the fact that he was God and that they had elevated their religious efforts to a place that was even above the Word of God.
If you knew what `I want compassion rather than animal-sacrifice' meant, you would not condemn the innocent.
Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 to them and points out the fact that they may have known the words but they did not understand the spirit of the words. Those words had been given to Israel when they had turned to chase other gods while keeping up their religious obligations. This was a reminder to the Pharisees that God had never approved of mere religious rituals but was pleased when they simply acknowledged him for who he is. The Sabbath tradition includes inviting others to your home for fellowship and a meal while we see that nobody had shown this kind of hospitality to the disciples. We see that the disciples were referred to as innocent and this points to the fact that the guilty were those who did not invite the disciples to their home for a meal.
For the Son of Man is Lord of Shabbat!"
In Judaism, "Son of Man" was a term that was used to point out the difference between God and man but it also pointed to Jesus Christ although that was veiled from them. In this case, Jesus is pointing out the fact that the Word of God concerning the Sabbath was to be above the traditions of men. This was a major break with the religious leaders as Jesus was, in effect, telling them that their rules had no authority and so they were looking at losing their position in society. They were being forced to make a decision about who had the superior authority concerning the things of God. So, what does this have to do with our lives in Christ today? This same type of religious attitude is among the church and I give you an example. One time, I was scheduled to mow the yard at the church for the week but had worked long hours all six days even late into the night. I had Sunday off and so, after the morning worship service, I changed clothes and proceeded to mow the grass. At service that evening, I was approached by an elder of the church who informed me that my mowing on Sunday was an abomination and put me at risk of going to hell. Long story short, I soon left the fellowship of that congregation as I knew that the leaders did not have a firm grasp on the Word of God.
Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue. A man there had a shriveled hand. Looking for a reason to accuse him of something, they asked him, "Is healing permitted on Shabbat?"
After their confrontation out in the field, Jesus went into the local synagogue and found a man with a shriveled hand. This man had been planted there by the religious leaders as a trap for Jesus as they were looking for a legal reason to kill him. The very fact that the man was there shows us that the religious leaders knew that Jesus had the power to heal and that he was a man of compassion. They had seen Jesus in action (or at least heard about what he had been doing) and knew that he would not be able to say no to this man. They ask the question about legality of healing on the Sabbath and, once again, it shows us that they did not understand the spirit of the Law. The Pharisees prohibited healing on the Sabbath unless it was a matter of life and death. Since the man before them was in no danger of death at the moment, healing him would not have been allowed under the Law according to their interpretation.
But he answered, "If you have a sheep that falls in a pit on Shabbat, which of you won't take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore, what is permitted on Shabbat is to do good." Then to the man he said, "Hold out your hand." As he held it out, it
Their religious traditions made exceptions and Jesus used their own traditions to show why it would be right to heal the man. He could have debated the nature of work and pointed out the fact that he was not conducting business in healing the man but was, in fact, going about God's work. Instead, Jesus went back to the fundamental principle of good and evil. The reference to "do good" speaks of God because, in Judaism, goodness is a characteristic of God. Once again, Jesus was pointing them to the words and nature of God instead of their religious traditions.
became restored, as sound as the other one.
The religious leaders had no answer for the words of Jesus so he turned his attention to the man in need of healing. We notice a few things about this and the first is that Jesus did not put on some kind of dramatic show but, instead, simply told the man to hold out his hand. This would have been a huge contrast between the way that the Pharisees made a big show of their religious virtue and the way that Jesus demonstrated his power. We also see that it required faith on the part of the man that needed the healing. He had been caught in the middle and maybe he knew about Jesus and maybe he did not. In either case, he simply believed that Jesus could do it and obeyed his instructions. It is also important to note that the healing was not based on the quantity of the man's faith but only on the presence of faith. There are some fakes out there today that will have "healing services" but when someone is not healed they blame it on insufficient faith.
But the P'rushim went out and began plotting how they might do away with Yeshua.
This open break with religious tradition could not be tolerated by the leaders or they risked losing their power and position. They had to find a legal way to eliminate Jesus.
Aware of this, he left that area. Many people followed him; and he healed them all
We notice that Jesus did not stay in that area and attempt to change their minds but went on about his business. News of him continued to spread and large crowds that needed healing followed him. We don't know how many people he healed only that he took care of them all. That is a reminder to us all that the healing (both spiritual and physical) that Jesus offered is freely available to all.
but warned them not to make him known.
The people that Jesus healed were instructed to keep it quiet and, once again, this is a huge difference between Jesus and the religious leaders. The Pharisees made sure that everyone knew how pious and powerful they were while Jesus humbly went about exercising his power for the good of others.
This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Yesha`yahu the prophet, "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will announce justice to the Gentiles. He will not fight or shout, no one will hear his voice in the streets;
Why did Jesus tell those he cured to be quiet about it? We see that this description of the Messiah was given to Isaiah and it spoke of this. The first part speaks of the fact that Jesus is the Chosen One of God and similar words were spoken by the Father at Jesus' baptism. We also remember that, at that baptism, the Spirit descended like a dove (see Matthew 3:16).
he will not snap off a broken reed or snuff out a smoldering wick until he has brought justice through to victory. In him the Gentiles will put their hope."
This last part of the quote from Isaiah 42 speaks of the fact that Jesus would keep and, in fact, restore the Law. The phrase "bruised reed" is from the Hebrew words "ratsats" which means to crack and "qaneh" which speaks of a measuring rod. As we saw in the field and synagogue, Jesus tried to get the religious leaders to abandon their religious traditions that had been added to the Law of Moses. When accused of breaking the Law, he merely pointed them back to the Scriptures and their original intent. The idea of bringing justice to victory speaks of establishing a particular right or privilege and Isaiah spoke of the fact that Jesus would open the door so that we all might be saved. In effect, Jesus will force us all to make an individual decision concerning who he is and what he has done.
Then some people brought him a man controlled by demons who was blind and mute; and Yeshua healed him, so that he could both speak and see. The crowds were astounded and asked, "This couldn't be the Son of David, could it?" But when the P'rushim heard of it, they said, "It is only by Ba`al-Zibbul" -- the ruler of the demons -- "that this man drives out demons."
After witnessing Jesus heal the demon possessed man, the people recognized the possibility that Jesus could be the promised Messiah. Meanwhile, the religious leaders said that the power behind Jesus' actions was Satan.
However, knowing what they were thinking, Yeshua said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not survive. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself; so how can his kingdom survive?
We see here that Jesus recognized the motives of the religious leaders and he answered them with a question pointing out the fact that a kingdom that is fighting a civil war cannot stand.
Besides, if I drive out demons by Ba`al-Zibbul, by whom do your people drive them out? So, they will be your judges!
Jesus went on to ask about the religious leaders that were doing spiritual battle with demons. Although the Pharisees and Sadducees were not doing so, there was a group of religious leaders at the time that were participating in the spiritual battles.
But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you! "Or again, how can someone break into a strong man's house and make off with his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? After that he can ransack his house.
Jesus goes on to point out the fact that his power was from God and so the kingdom of heaven was being manifested among them. He further points out the fact that he is able to drive the demons out because of the fact that God is stronger than Satan and all of his demons.
"Those who are not with me are against me, and those who do not gather with me are scattering.
Jesus shows us here that there are only two options which are either accepting him or opposing him. It seems that these days people want to say that there are many ways to have a relationship with God but, here, Jesus makes it quite clear that he is the only way.
Because of this, I tell you that people will be forgiven any sin and blasphemy, but blaspheming the Ruach HaKodesh will not be forgiven. One can say something against the Son of Man and be forgiven; but whoever keeps on speaking against the Ruach HaKodesh will never be forgiven, neither in the `olam hazeh nor in the `olam haba.
The phrase because of this refers to the fact that Jesus knew that the religious leaders understood that he was sent by God but they willfully misled the people by proclaiming that he was sent by Satan. This gives us the definition of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit which has become known as the "unforgivable sin". Basically, what we see is that they had witnessed a miracle and knew that it was from God but they made a conscious decision to mislead people and declare that the miracle was the work of the devil.
"If you make a tree good, its fruit will be good; and if you make a tree bad, its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. You snakes! How can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what overflows from the heart. The good person brings forth good things from his store of good, and the evil person brings forth evil things from his store of evil.
Throughout the Bible, man is compared to trees and the same is true here. A tree produces one kind of fruit and it is either good or bad. The same is true of all men as we are either producing fruit for the kingdom or we are not. Jesus goes on to show that our words are like the fruit of a tree and they can either be good or bad but, like the tree, they come out of a specific type of tree.
Moreover, I tell you this: on the Day of Judgment people will have to give account for every careless word they have spoken; for by your own words you will be acquitted, and by your own words you will be condemned."
The words that are referred to in this passage is speaking about our response to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we reject him, we will be condemned on Judgement Day but, if we accept him confessing that he is the Son of God, then, we will be saved and found not guilty of our sins.
At this some of the Torah-teachers said, "Rabbi, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." He replied, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign? No! None will be given to it but the sign of the prophet Yonah.
In this passage, we see that some of the religious leaders wanted to control Jesus by demanding that he perform a sign for them. Jesus' reply was that these leaders were causing people to stray from the truth and the will of God; turning to idolatry.
For just as Yonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea-monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the depths of the earth. The people of Ninveh will stand up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they turned from their sins to God when Yonah preached, but what is here now is greater than Yonah.
Jonah did not have a heart that was established by the love as God as he chose to disobey by going to Tarsus instead of Nineveh. In this, we see that Jonah's disobedience led to death and the grave but he was resurrected after three days. Here, Jesus is telling the religious leaders that it is not a sign of their choosing but, instead, the sign would be the death, burial, and resurrection of himself. The people of Nineveh did not receive a sign but instead a message of judgement and not the message of repentance that Jonah was told to share and yet the people repented in sackcloth and ashes. Jesus contrasts the people of Nineveh (those that did not hear the message of repentance) with the religious leaders who had not only heard John the Baptist preaching the message of repentance but had also seen the signs that Jesus was performing.
The Queen of the South will stand up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Shlomo, but what is here now is greater than Shlomo.
Jesus gives another example of this queen who went to Jerusalem seeking the wisdom of Solomon which speaks of applying the word of God to your daily life. She did not request a sign but simply wanted to apply the word of God to her life. He also points out that he, as the Son of God, is much greater than Solomon and so these religious leaders had much greater wisdom right in front of them and yet they were demanding a sign.
"When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it travels through dry country seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says to itself, `I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house standing empty, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they come and live there -- so that in the end, the person is worse off than he was before. This is how it will be for this wicked generation."
Jesus now compares these religious leaders with an unclean spirit which is one that seeks their own will instead of the will of God. This unclean spirit finds a house that is clean and this spirit brings even more evil to this person making the situation worse than it was before.
He was still speaking to the crowd when his mother and brothers appeared outside, asking to talk with him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, asking to talk with you." But to the one who had informed him he replied, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" Pointing to his talmidim, he said, "Look! Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants, that person is my brother and sister and mother."
Now, we see that his earthly family members were standing outside and the Greek word used here speaks of a remoteness that is more remote than we would think. You would think that his earthly family would be very close to him and wanting to follow him but, here, we see that they were not following the will of God. When Jesus was told of their desire to talk to him, he pointed out that his true family were those that were seeking the will of God and not their own desires.
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