12One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them.G1722G1565G2540G2424G4198G4521G1223G4702G1161G846G3101G3983G2532G756G5089G4719G2532G2068 2Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: "Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!"G1161G5330G1492G2036G846G2400G4675G3101G4160G3739G1832G3756G1832G4160G1722G4521 3Jesus said, "Really? Didn't you ever read what David and his companions did when they were hungry,G1161G2036G846G314G3756G314G5101G1138G4160G3753G846G3983G2532G3326G846 4how they entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat?G4459G1525G1519G3624G2316G2532G5315G740G4286G3739G2258G3756G1832G846G5315G3761G3326G846G1508G3441G2409 5And didn't you ever read in God's Law that priests carrying out their Temple duties break Sabbath rules all the time and it's not held against them?G2228G314G3756G314G1722G3551G3754G4521G2409G1722G2411G953G4521G2532G1526G338 6"There is far more at stake here than religion.G1161G3004G5213G3754G5602G2076G3187G2411 7If you had any idea what this Scripture meant—'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual'—you wouldn't be nitpicking like this.G1161G1487G1097G5101G2076G2309G1656G2532G3756G2378G302G3756G2613G338 8The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath; he's in charge."G1063G5207G444G2076G2962G2532G4521 9When Jesus left the field, he entered their meeting place.G2532G3327G1564G2064G1519G846G4864 10There was a man there with a crippled hand. They said to Jesus, "Is it legal to heal on the Sabbath?" They were baiting him.G2532G2400G2258G444G2192G5495G3584G2532G1905G846G3004G1487G1832G2323G4521G2443G2723G846 11He replied, "Is there a person here who, finding one of your lambs fallen into a ravine, wouldn't, even though it was a Sabbath, pull it out?G1161G2036G846G5101G444G2071G1537G5216G3739G2192G1520G4263G2532G1437G5124G1706G1519G999G4521G2902G3780G2902G846G2532G1453 12Surely kindness to people is as legal as kindness to animals!"G4214G3767G444G1308G4263G5620G1832G4160G2573G4521 13Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out and it was healed.G5119G3004G444G1614G4675G5495G2532G1614G2532G600G5199G5613G243 14The Pharisees walked out furious, sputtering about how they were going to ruin Jesus.G1161G5330G1831G2983G4824G2596G846G3704G622G846 15Jesus, knowing they were out to get him, moved on. A lot of people followed him, and he healed them all.G1161G2424G1097G402G1564G2532G4183G3793G190G846G2532G2323G846G3956 16He also cautioned them to keep it quiet,G2532G2008G846G3363G4160G3363G4160G846G5318 17following guidelines set down by Isaiah:G3704G4137G3588G4483G1223G2268G4396G3004 18Look well at my handpicked servant; I love him so much, take such delight in him. I've placed my Spirit on him; he'll decree justice to the nations.G2400G3450G3816G3739G140G3450G27G1519G3739G3450G5590G2106G5087G3450G4151G1909G846G2532G518G2920G1484 19But he won't yell, won't raise his voice; there'll be no commotion in the streets.G2051G3756G2051G3761G2905G3761G5100G191G846G5456G1722G4113 20He won't walk over anyone's feelings, won't push you into a corner. Before you know it, his justice will triumph;G4937G2563G2608G3756G2608G2532G5188G3043G4570G3756G4570G2193G302G1544G2920G1519G3534 21the mere sound of his name will signal hope, even among far-off unbelievers.G2532G1722G846G3686G1679G1484G1679 22Next a poor demon-afflicted wretch, both blind and deaf, was set down before him. Jesus healed him, gave him his sight and hearing.G5119G4374G846G1139G5185G2532G2974G2532G2323G846G5620G5185G2532G2974G2532G2980G2532G991 23The people who saw it were impressed—"This has to be the Son of David!"G2532G3956G3793G1839G2532G3004G2076G3385G3778G5207G1138 24But the Pharisees, when they heard the report, were cynical. "Black magic," they said. "Some devil trick he's pulled from his sleeve."G1161G5330G191G2036G3778G1544G3756G1544G1140G1508G1722G954G758G1140 25Jesus confronted their slander. "A judge who gives opposite verdicts on the same person cancels himself out; a family that's in a constant squabble disintegrates;G1161G2424G1492G846G1761G2036G846G3956G932G3307G2596G1438G2049G2532G3956G4172G2228G3614G3307G2596G1438G2476G3756G2476 26if Satan banishes Satan, is there any Satan left?G2532G1487G4567G1544G4567G3307G1909G1438G4459G2476G3767G846G932G2476 27If you're slinging devil mud at me, calling me a devil kicking out devils, doesn't the same mud stick to your own exorcists?G2532G1487G1473G1722G954G1544G1140G1722G5101G5216G5207G1544G5124G1223G846G2071G5216G2923 28"But if it's by God's power that I am sending the evil spirits packing, then God's kingdom is here for sure.G1161G1487G1473G1544G1140G1722G4151G2316G686G932G2316G5348G1909G5209 29How in the world do you think it's possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man and walk off with his possessions unless you tie him up first? Tie him up, though, and you can clean him out.G2228G4459G1410G5100G1525G1519G2478G3614G2532G1283G846G4632G3362G4412G1210G2478G2532G5119G1283G846G3614 30"This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you're not on my side, you're the enemy; if you're not helping, you're making things worse.G5607G3361G3326G1700G2076G2596G1700G2532G4863G3361G3326G1700G4650 31"There's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven. But if you deliberately persist in your slanders against God's Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives.G1223G5124G3004G5213G3956G266G2532G988G863G444G1161G988G4151G863G3756G863G444 32If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you're sawing off the branch on which you're sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.G2532G3739G302G2036G3056G2596G5207G444G863G846G3739G1161G302G2036G2596G40G4151G863G3756G863G846G3777G1722G5129G165G3777G1722G3195 33"If you grow a healthy tree, you'll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you'll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree.G2228G4160G1186G2570G2532G846G2590G2570G2228G4160G1186G4550G2532G846G2590G4550G1063G1186G1097G1537G2590 34"You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words.G1081G2191G4459G1410G5607G4190G2980G18G1063G1537G4051G2588G4750G2980 35A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard.G18G444G1537G18G2344G2588G1544G18G2532G4190G444G1537G4190G2344G1544G4190 36Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously.G1161G3004G5213G3754G3956G692G4487G3739G1437G444G2980G591G3056G4012G846G1722G2250G2920 37Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation."G1063G1537G4675G3056G1344G2532G1537G4675G3056G2613 38Later a few religion scholars and Pharisees got on him. "Teacher, we want to see your credentials. Give us some hard evidence that God is in this. How about a miracle?"G5119G5100G1122G2532G5330G611G3004G1320G2309G1492G4592G575G4675 39Jesus said, "You're looking for proof, but you're looking for the wrong kind. All you want is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. The only proof you're going to get is what looks like the absence of proof: Jonah-evidence.G1161G611G2036G846G4190G2532G3428G1074G1934G4592G2532G3756G4592G1325G846G1508G4592G4396G2495 40Like Jonah, three days and nights in the fish's belly, the Son of Man will be gone three days and nights in a deep grave.G1063G5618G2495G2258G5140G2250G2532G5140G3571G1722G2785G2836G3779G5207G444G2071G5140G2250G2532G5140G3571G1722G2588G1093 41"On Judgment Day, the Ninevites will stand up and give evidence that will condemn this generation, because when Jonah preached to them they changed their lives. A far greater preacher than Jonah is here, and you squabble about 'proofs.'G435G3536G450G1722G2920G3326G5026G1074G2532G2632G846G3754G3340G1519G2782G2495G2532G2400G4119G2495G5602 42On Judgment Day, the Queen of Sheba will come forward and bring evidence that will condemn this generation, because she traveled from a far corner of the earth to listen to wise Solomon. Wisdom far greater than Solomon's is right in front of you, and you quibble over 'evidence.'G938G3558G1453G1722G2920G3326G5026G1074G2532G2632G846G3754G2064G1537G4009G1093G191G4678G4672G2532G2400G4119G4672G5602 43"When a defiling evil spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn't find anyone,G1161G3752G169G4151G1831G575G444G1330G1223G504G5117G2212G372G2532G2147G3756 44it says, 'I'll go back to my old haunt.' On return it finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant.G5119G3004G1994G1519G3450G3624G3606G1831G2532G2064G2147G4980G4563G2532G2885 45It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits more evil than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse off than if he'd never gotten cleaned up in the first place. "That's what this generation is like: You may think you have cleaned out the junk from your lives and gotten ready for God, but you weren't hospitable to my kingdom message, and now all the devils are moving back in."G5119G4198G2532G3880G3326G1438G2033G2087G4151G4191G1438G2532G1525G2730G1563G2532G2078G1565G444G1096G5501G4413G3779G2071G2532G5026G4190G1074 46While he was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers showed up. They were outside trying to get a message to him.G2089G846G1161G2980G3793G2400G3384G2532G846G80G2476G1854G2212G2980G846 47Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and brothers are out here, wanting to speak with you."G1161G5100G2036G846G2400G4675G3384G2532G4675G80G2476G1854G2212G2980G4671 48Jesus didn't respond directly, but said, "Who do you think my mother and brothers are?"G1161G611G2036G2036G846G5101G2076G3450G3384G2532G5101G1526G3450G80 49He then stretched out his hand toward his disciples. "Look closely. These are my mother and brothers.G2532G1614G846G5495G1909G846G3101G2036G2400G3450G3384G2532G3450G80 50Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys my heavenly Father's will is my brother and sister and mother."G1063G3748G302G4160G2307G3450G3962G3588G1722G3772G846G2076G3450G80G2532G79G2532G3384
