Matthew 12 - Prayer Tents

A Discussion about the Sabbath

12At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them.G1722G1565G2540G2424G4198G4521G1223G4702G1161G846G3101G3983G2532G756G5089G4719G2532G2068 2But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, "Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath."G1161G5330G1492G2036G846G2400G4675G3101G4160G3739G1832G3756G1832G4160G1722G4521 3Jesus said to them, "Haven't you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?G1161G2036G846G314G3756G314G5101G1138G4160G3753G846G3983G2532G3326G846 4He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat.G4459G1525G1519G3624G2316G2532G5315G740G4286G3739G2258G3756G1832G846G5315G3761G3326G846G1508G3441G2409 5And haven't you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath?G2228G314G3756G314G1722G3551G3754G4521G2409G1722G2411G953G4521G2532G1526G338 6I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple!G1161G3004G5213G3754G5602G2076G3187G2411 7But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: `I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.'G1161G1487G1097G5101G2076G2309G1656G2532G3756G2378G302G3756G2613G338 8For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!"G1063G5207G444G2076G2962G2532G4521

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

9Then Jesus went over to their synagogue,G2532G3327G1564G2064G1519G846G4864 10where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?" (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)G2532G2400G2258G444G2192G5495G3584G2532G1905G846G3004G1487G1832G2323G4521G2443G2723G846 11And he answered, "If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you work to pull it out? Of course you would.G1161G2036G846G5101G444G2071G1537G5216G3739G2192G1520G4263G2532G1437G5124G1706G1519G999G4521G2902G3780G2902G846G2532G1453 12And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath."G4214G3767G444G1308G4263G5620G1832G4160G2573G4521 13Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one!G5119G3004G444G1614G4675G5495G2532G1614G2532G600G5199G5613G243 14Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.G1161G5330G1831G2983G4824G2596G846G3704G622G846

Jesus, God’s Chosen Servant

15But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them,G1161G2424G1097G402G1564G2532G4183G3793G190G846G2532G2323G846G3956 16but he warned them not to reveal who he was.G2532G2008G846G3363G4160G3363G4160G846G5318 17This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him.G3704G4137G3588G4483G1223G2268G4396G3004 18"Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.G2400G3450G3816G3739G140G3450G27G1519G3739G3450G5590G2106G5087G3450G4151G1909G846G2532G518G2920G1484 19He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public.G2051G3756G2051G3761G2905G3761G5100G191G846G5456G1722G4113 20He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.G4937G2563G2608G3756G2608G2532G5188G3043G4570G3756G4570G2193G302G1544G2920G1519G3534 21And his name will be the hope of all the world."G2532G1722G846G3686G1679G1484G1679

Jesus and the Prince of Demons

22Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn't speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see.G5119G4374G846G1139G5185G2532G2974G2532G2323G846G5620G5185G2532G2974G2532G2980G2532G991 23The crowd was amazed and asked, "Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?"G2532G3956G3793G1839G2532G3004G2076G3385G3778G5207G1138 24But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, "No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons."G1161G5330G191G2036G3778G1544G3756G1544G1140G1508G1722G954G758G1140 25Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, "Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart.G1161G2424G1492G846G1761G2036G846G3956G932G3307G2596G1438G2049G2532G3956G4172G2228G3614G3307G2596G1438G2476G3756G2476 26And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive.G2532G1487G4567G1544G4567G3307G1909G1438G4459G2476G3767G846G932G2476 27And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said.G2532G1487G1473G1722G954G1544G1140G1722G5101G5216G5207G1544G5124G1223G846G2071G5216G2923 28But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.G1161G1487G1473G1544G1140G1722G4151G2316G686G932G2316G5348G1909G5209 29For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.G2228G4459G1410G5100G1525G1519G2478G3614G2532G1283G846G4632G3362G4412G1210G2478G2532G5119G1283G846G3614 30"Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me.G5607G3361G3326G1700G2076G2596G1700G2532G4863G3361G3326G1700G4650 31"So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.G1223G5124G3004G5213G3956G266G2532G988G863G444G1161G988G4151G863G3756G863G444 32Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.G2532G3739G302G2036G3056G2596G5207G444G863G846G3739G1161G302G2036G2596G40G4151G863G3756G863G846G3777G1722G5129G165G3777G1722G3195 33"A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.G2228G4160G1186G2570G2532G846G2590G2570G2228G4160G1186G4550G2532G846G2590G4550G1063G1186G1097G1537G2590 34You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.G1081G2191G4459G1410G5607G4190G2980G18G1063G1537G4051G2588G4750G2980 35A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.G18G444G1537G18G2344G2588G1544G18G2532G4190G444G1537G4190G2344G1544G4190 36And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.G1161G3004G5213G3754G3956G692G4487G3739G1437G444G2980G591G3056G4012G846G1722G2250G2920 37The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you."G1063G1537G4675G3056G1344G2532G1537G4675G3056G2613

The Sign of Jonah

38One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority."G5119G5100G1122G2532G5330G611G3004G1320G2309G1492G4592G575G4675 39But Jesus replied, "Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.G1161G611G2036G846G4190G2532G3428G1074G1934G4592G2532G3756G4592G1325G846G1508G4592G4396G2495 40For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.G1063G5618G2495G2258G5140G2250G2532G5140G3571G1722G2785G2836G3779G5207G444G2071G5140G2250G2532G5140G3571G1722G2588G1093 41"The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.G435G3536G450G1722G2920G3326G5026G1074G2532G2632G846G3754G3340G1519G2782G2495G2532G2400G4119G2495G5602 42The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.G938G3558G1453G1722G2920G3326G5026G1074G2532G2632G846G3754G2064G1537G4009G1093G191G4678G4672G2532G2400G4119G4672G5602 43"When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none.G1161G3752G169G4151G1831G575G444G1330G1223G504G5117G2212G372G2532G2147G3756 44Then it says, `I will return to the person I came from.' So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order.G5119G3004G1994G1519G3450G3624G3606G1831G2532G2064G2147G4980G4563G2532G2885 45Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation."G5119G4198G2532G3880G3326G1438G2033G2087G4151G4191G1438G2532G1525G2730G1563G2532G2078G1565G444G1096G5501G4413G3779G2071G2532G5026G4190G1074

The True Family of Jesus

46As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.G2089G846G1161G2980G3793G2400G3384G2532G846G80G2476G1854G2212G2980G846 47Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you."G1161G5100G2036G846G2400G4675G3384G2532G4675G80G2476G1854G2212G2980G4671 48Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"G1161G611G2036G2036G846G5101G2076G3450G3384G2532G5101G1526G3450G80 49Then he pointed to his disciples and said, "Look, these are my mother and brothers.G2532G1614G846G5495G1909G846G3101G2036G2400G3450G3384G2532G3450G80 50Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!"G1063G3748G302G4160G2307G3450G3962G3588G1722G3772G846G2076G3450G80G2532G79G2532G3384