121 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath , and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat . 2 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, "Look , Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath ." 3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he became hungry , he and his companions e , 4 how he entered the house of God , and they ate the consecrated bread , which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone ? 5 "Or have you not read in the Law , that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent ? 6 "But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here . 7 "But if you had known what this means , ' I DESIRE COMPASSION , AND NOT A SACRIFICE ,' you would not have condemned the innocent . 8 "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath ."
9 Departing from there , He went into their synagogue . 10 And a man was there whose hand was withered . And they questioned Jesus, asking , " Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath ?"-so that they might accuse Him. 11 And He said to them, " What man is there among you who has a sheep , and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath , will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 " How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep ! So then , it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath ." 13 Then He said to the man , "Stretch out your hand !" He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal , like the other .
14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired e against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
15 But Jesus , aware of this, withdrew from there . Many followed Him, and He healed them all , 16 and warned them not to tell who He was. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet : 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 SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES . 19 " HE WILL NOT QUARREL , NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS . 20 " A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY . 21 " AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE ."
22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw . 23 All the crowds were amazed , and were saying , "This man cannot be the Son of David , can he?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said , "This man casts out demons only e e by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons ." 25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste ; and any 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 "If I by Beelzebul cast out demons , by whom do your sons cast them out? For this e reason e they will 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 anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property , unless e 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 e I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people , but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven . 32 " Whoever e speaks a word against the Son of Man , it shall be forgiven him; but whoever e speaks against the Holy Spirit , it shall not be forgiven him, 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 the tree is known by its fruit . 34 " You brood of vipers , how can you, being evil , speak what is good ? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart . 35 " The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good ; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil . 36 "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak , they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment . 37 "For by your words you will be justified , and by your words you will be condemned ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 12:1-37
Commentary on Matthew 12:1-8
(Read Matthew 12:1-8)
Being in the corn-fields, the disciples began to pluck the ears of corn: the law of God allowed it, Deuteronomy 5:14. No law must be understood so as to contradict its own end. And as Christ is the Lord of the sabbath, it is fit the day and the work of it should be dedicated to him.
Commentary on Matthew 12:9-13
(Read Matthew 12:9-13)
Christ shows that works of mercy are lawful and proper to be done on the Lord's day. There are more ways of doing well upon sabbath days, than by the duties of worship: attending the sick, relieving the poor, helping those who need speedy relief, teaching the young to care for their souls; these are doing good: and these must be done from love and charity, with humility and self-denial, and shall be accepted, Genesis 4:7. This, like other cures which Christ wrought, had a spiritual meaning. By nature our hands are withered, and we are unable of ourselves to do any thing that is good. Christ only, by the power of his grace, cures us; he heals the withered hand by putting life into the dead soul, works in us both to will and to do: for, with the command, there is a promise of grace given by the word.
Commentary on Matthew 12:14-21
(Read Matthew 12:14-21)
The Pharisees took counsel to find some accusation, that Jesus might be condemned to death. Aware of their design, as his time was not come, he retired from that place. Face does not more exactly answer to face in water, than the character of Christ drawn by the prophet, to his temper and conduct as described by the evangelists. Let us with cheerful confidence commit our souls to so kind and faithful a Friend. Far from breaking, he will strengthen the bruised reed; far from quenching the smoking flax, or wick nearly out, he will rather blow it up into a flame. Let us lay aside contentious and angry debates; let us receive one another as Christ receives us. And while encouraged by the gracious kindness of our Lord, we should pray that his Spirit may rest upon us, and make us able to copy his example.
Commentary on Matthew 12:22-30
(Read Matthew 12:22-30)
A soul under Satan's power, and led captive by him, is blind in the things of God, and dumb at the throne of grace; sees nothing, and says nothing to the purpose. Satan blinds the eyes by unbelief, and seals up the lips from prayer. The more people magnified Christ, the more desirous the Pharisees were to vilify him. It was evident that if Satan aided Jesus in casting out devils, the kingdom of hell was divided against itself; how then could it stand! And if they said that Jesus cast out devils by the prince of the devils, they could not prove that their children cast them out by any other power. There are two great interests in the world; and when unclean spirits are cast out by the Holy Spirit, in the conversion of sinners to a life of faith and obedience, the kingdom of God is come unto us. All who do not aid or rejoice in such a change are against Christ.
Commentary on Matthew 12:31-32
(Read Matthew 12:31-32)
Here is a gracious assurance of the pardon of all sin upon gospel terms. Christ herein has set an example to the sons of men, to be ready to forgive words spoken against them. But humble and conscientious believers, at times are tempted to think they have committed the unpardonable sin, while those who have come the nearest to it, seldom have any fear about it. We may be sure that those who indeed repent and believe the gospel, have not committed this sin, or any other of the same kind; for repentance and faith are the special gifts of God, which he would not bestow on any man, if he were determined never to pardon him; and those who fear they have committed this sin, give a good sign that they have not. The trembling, contrite sinner, has the witness in himself that this is not his case.
Commentary on Matthew 12:33-37
(Read Matthew 12:33-37)
Men's language discovers what country they are of, likewise what manner of spirit they are of. The heart is the fountain, words are the streams. A troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring, must send forth muddy and unpleasant streams. Nothing but the salt of grace, cast into the spring, will heal the waters, season the speech, and purify the corrupt communication. An evil man has an evil treasure in his heart, and out of it brings forth evil things. Lusts and corruptions, dwelling and reigning in the heart, are an evil treasure, out of which the sinner brings forth bad words and actions, to dishonour God, and hurt others. Let us keep constant watch over ourselves, that we may speak words agreeable to the Christian character.