Today Our Daily Bread Matthew 12

Matthew 12: 1 - 50
1 At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off heads of wheat and eating the grain. 2 Some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, "Your disciples shouldn't be doing that! It's against the law to work by harvesting grain on the Sabbath." 3 But Jesus said to them, "Haven't you ever read in the Scriptures what King David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He went into the house of God, and they ate the special bread reserved for the priests alone. That was breaking the law, too. 5 And haven't you ever read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? 6 I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! 7 But you would not have condemned those who aren't guilty if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices.' F67 8 For I, the Son of Man, am master even of the Sabbath.".
9 Then he went over to the synagogue, 10 where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Is it legal to work by healing on the Sabbath day?" (They were, of course, hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.) 11 And he answered, "If you had one sheep, and it fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you get to work and pull it out? Of course you would. 12 And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, it is right to do good on the Sabbath." 13 Then he said to the man, "Reach out your hand." The man reached out his hand, and it became normal, just like the other one.
14 Then the Pharisees called a meeting and discussed plans for killing Jesus. 15 But Jesus knew what they were planning. He left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, 16 but he warned them not to say who he was. 17 This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him: 18 "Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, and I am very pleased with him. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19 He will not fight or shout; he will not raise his voice in public. 20 He will not crush those who are weak, or quench the smallest hope, until he brings full justice with his final victory. 21 And his name will be the hope of all the world." F68
22 Then a demon-possessed man, who was both blind and unable to talk, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. 23 The crowd was amazed. "Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?" they wondered out loud. 24 But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, "No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, F69 the prince of demons." 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, "Any kingdom at war with itself is doomed. A city or home divided against itself is doomed. 26 And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. 27 And if I am empowered by the prince of demons, F70 what about your own followers? They cast out demons, too, so they will judge you for what you have said. 28 But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.
29 Let me illustrate this. You can't enter a strong man's house and rob him without first tying him up. Only then can his house be robbed! F71
30 Anyone who isn't helping me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me. 31 "Every sin or blasphemy can be forgiven – except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which can never be forgiven. 32 Anyone who blasphemes against me, the Son of Man, can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.
33 "A tree is identified by its fruit. Make a tree good, and its fruit will be good. Make a tree bad, and its fruit will be bad. 34 You 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. 35 A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned."
38 One 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 that you are from God." 39 But Jesus replied, "Only an evil, faithless generation would ask for a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so I, the Son of Man, will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41 The people of Nineveh will rise up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And now someone greater than Jonah is here – and you refuse to repent. 42 The queen of Sheba F72 will also rise up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, because she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And now someone greater than Solomon is here – and you refuse to listen to him.
43 "When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. 44 Then it says, 'I will return to the person I came from.' So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and clean. 45 Then 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."
46 As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers were outside, wanting to talk with him. 47 Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you." 48 Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" 49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, "These are my mother and brothers. 50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!"

FOOTNOTES:
F67: Hos 6:6.
F68: Isa 42:1-4.
F69: Greek Beelzeboul.
F70: Greek by Beelzeboul.
F71: Or One cannot rob Satan's kingdom without first tying him up. Only then can his demons be cast out.
F72: Greek The queen of the south.


The New Living Translation

~Lena’s Comments~

If He’s our Master, and we live in the Sabbath, then we are “working” for and with Him, at His bidding and in accordance with His call. You know how we have read that we are kings and priests unto God? Notice the priest who was on His duty “worked” on the Sabbath. IF we have entered His rest, His Sabbath lifestyle, where our whole lives and every hour and minute has been given over to His work, how could we not “work” on the Sabbath? The difference is it is not our laborious toiling to do and be, we just are (His) kings and priests. Our work is to serve Him out of our life of love, we live with Him, we don’t just visit Him, nor He us. We are in covenant. Everyday is His and everyday is ours in Him. I love how they were in the grainfields and were having their hunger satisfied in that place, with Him. The religious people said they were harvesting. They thought they were with the Lord, and then eating to be satisfied, but in actuality, that which came so naturally in following after and being with Him, they were also harvesting! That’s rest! The difference in trying to “do” and “being”. The religious were so practiced themselves in living a dual life of doing then being, doing then being, that they were puzzled by anything else. Ever feel that way? That’s our religious thinking God is giving us a glimpse of to change. Another big religious struggle we have on earth is prioritizing religious activity vs. ministry to people, as was demonstrated in Jesus’ explanation of His healing on “The Sabbath”. He actually had to say people were of a higher priority than animals! If a person leans towards things being important and people taking a back seat in the order of priority, they are dealing with religion. Religion rises its head above relationship. Relationship rises its head above religion. In each of our lives we have to choose the more important part.
I apologize, but I don’t believe Jesus means here that if we slip and say a word the world labels as a “curse word”, we are condemned. He is speaking of the heart and the issues that are flowing from it. A child can let out a “curse word” and have no clue what was said, because they are copying someone or trying themselves out in finding an identity. Jesus is speaking of the heart and what each heart holds. He has just spoken of blasphemy against God and who was for or against Him. If we are for Him, we will live that way. He outlined some of those ways above- lovers and followers of Christ, hungering after the life of God and eating of it, partakers of the earth and it’s harvest, loving God and His people. If we truly love and are for God we will be able to make it a priority to love His people which draws them towards His heart. If our hearts are not after Him, we may find our hearts being after other “things”. We may also find that people get in the way of the following after these things. Then we may begin to display jealousy and impatience, because in our hearts dwells a list of things. So, out of our hearts arise curses at what is trying to get in the way of the labor of bringing forth our own desires and plans. What we aspire to be or what we desired is interrupted either by God or people and curses flow. If our hearts are changed to desire what He does, and follow after Him and His will, that will change, because our hearts are changed. Are we blessing people who are made in His image and likeness and doing whatever it takes to win and draw them towards Him, or are we mindful of our own aspirations that we step on others to do or be something? The religious “leaders” were aspiring to be “better” and “better” and “better” at their religious practices, so they could become a somebody in that world.
Those practicing the covenant blessing of God are here to do as Jesus did, they are followers of Him, gaining understanding of Him. These are His true family. Jesus is not the Father of religion and it’s practices, satan is! Its practices promote a man, not a family, not God as Father of a worldwide family.
When a person tries to change without getting a revelation from the abundance of the heart, and just goes through a religious motion, where the outward tries to look good; yet the inward person is aspiring for self, that person will find trouble on every side. It is because this is against God and the pull of His Spirit is calling for order. Disorder must be seen and known in order to lead us towards change. When order is seen and desire comes- it is a tree of life, because THAT is what will bring change. Desire fulfilled. God’s desire fulfilled in the earth. This does not have much to do with positions in life, or homes and land obtained or treasures shown as trophies, or even prestige, all of the things people spend the majority of their lives thinking of and living for. We must gain the heart of our father and Live for and with Him in His Sabbath rest.