Chapter 12

About that time Jesus passed on the Sabbath through the wheatfields; and His disciples became hungry, and began to gather ears of wheat and eat them.

But the Pharisees saw it and said to Him, 'Look! your disciples are doing what the Law forbids them to do on the Sabbath.'

'Have you never read,' He replied, 'what David did when he and his men were hungry?

how he entered the House of God and ate the Presented Loaves, which it was not lawful for him or his men to eat, nor for any except the priests?

And have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath without incurring guilt?

But I tell you that there is here that which is greater than the Temple.

And if you knew what this means, 'It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice', you would not have condemned those who are without guilt.

For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.'

Departing thence He went to their synagogue,

where there was a man with a shrivelled arm. And they questioned Him, 'Is it right to cure people on the Sabbath?' Their intention was to bring a charge against Him.

'Which of you is there,' He replied, 'who, if he has but a single sheep and it falls into a hole on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?

Is not a man, however, far superior to a sheep? Therefore it is right to do good on the Sabbath.'

Then He said to the man, 'Stretch out your arm.' And he stretched it out, and it was restored quite sound like the other.

But the Pharisees after leaving the synagogue consulted together against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Aware of this, Jesus departed elsewhere; and a great number of people followed Him, all of whom He cured.

But He gave them strict injunctions not to blaze abroad His doings,

that those words of the Prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled,

'This is My servant whom I have chosen, My dearly loved One in whom My soul takes pleasure. I will put My spirit upon Him, and He will announce justice to the nations.

He will not wrangle or raise His voice, nor will His voice be heard in the broadways.

A crushed reed He will not utterly break, nor will He quench the still smouldering wick, until He has led on Justice to victory.

And on His name shall the nations rest their hopes.'

At that time a demoniac was brought to Him, blind and dumb; and He cured him, so that the dumb man could speak and see.

And the crowds of people were all filled with amazement and said, 'Can this be the Son of David?'

The Pharisees heard it and said, 'This man only expels demons by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of demons.'

Knowing their thoughts He said to them, 'Every kingdom in which civil war has raged suffers desolation; and every city or house in which there is internal strife will be brought low.

And if Satan is expelling Satan, he has begun to make war on himself: how therefore shall his kingdom last?

And if it is by Baal-zebul's power that I expel the demons, by whose power do your disciples expel them? They therefore shall be your judges.

But if it is by the power of the Spirit of God that I expel the demons, it is evident that the Kingdom of God has come upon you.

Again, how can any one enter the house of a strong man and carry off his goods, unless first of all he masters and secures the strong man: then he will ransack his house.

'The man who is not with me is against me, and he who is not gathering with me is scattering abroad.

This is why I tell you that men may find forgiveness for every other sin and impious word, but that for impious speaking against the Holy Spirit they shall find no forgiveness.

And whoever shall speak against the Son of Man may obtain forgiveness; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, neither in this nor in the coming age shall he obtain forgiveness.'

'Either grant the tree to be wholesome and its fruit wholesome, or the tree poisonous and its fruit poisonous; for the tree is known by its fruit.

O vipers' brood, how can you speak what is good when you are evil? For it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks.

A good man from his good store produces good things, and a bad man from his bad store produces bad things.

But I tell you that for every careless word that men shall speak they will be held accountable on the day of Judgement.

For each of you by his words shall be justified, or by his words shall be condemned.'

Then He was accosted by some of the Scribes and of the Pharisees who said, 'Teacher, we wish to see a sign given by you.'

'Wicked and faithless generation!' He replied, 'they clamour for a sign, but none shall be given to them except the sign of the Prophet Jonah.

For just as Jonah was three days in the sea-monster's belly, so will the Son of Man be three days in the heart of the earth.

There will stand up men of Nineveh at the Judgement together with the present generation, and will condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and mark! there is One greater than Jonah here.

The Queen of the south will awake at the Judgement together with the present generation, and will condemn it; because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and mark! there is One greater than Solomon here.

'No sooner however has the foul spirit gone out of the man, then he roams about in places where there is no water, seeking rest but finding none.

Then he says, 'I will return to my house that I left;' and he comes and finds it unoccupied, swept clean, and in good order.

Then he goes and brings back with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they come in and dwell there; and in the end that man's condition becomes worse than it was at first. So will it be also with the present wicked generation.'

While He was still addressing the people His mother and His brothers were standing on the edge of the crowd desiring to speak to Him.

So some one told Him, 'Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and desire to speak to you.'

'Who is my mother?' He said to the man; 'and who are my brothers?'

And pointing to His disciples He added, 'See here are my mother and my brothers.

To obey my Father who is in Heaven--that is to be my brother and my sister and my mother.'