Matthew 12:1-50 (NLT)
1 At 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.
2 But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”
3 Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
4 He 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.
5 And haven’t you 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 my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’
8 For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”
9 Then Jesus went over to their synagogue,
10 where 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.)
11 And 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.
12 And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then 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!
14 Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.
15 But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them,
16 but he warned them not to reveal 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, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public.
20 He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.
21 And his name will be the hope of all the world.”
22 Then 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.
23 The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?”
24 But 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.”
25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart.
26 And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive.
27 And 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.
28 But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.
29 For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.
30 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.
31 “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.
32 Anyone 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.
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.
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 things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.
36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.
37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
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 your authority.”
39 But 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.
40 For 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.
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.
42 The 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.
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 in order.
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 stood outside, asking to speak to him.
47 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing 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, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.
50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”
In fulfilling His kingdom purpose on earth, Jesus was continually opposed. Though He was the Son of God, doing only what He saw His Father doing, there was a continual barrage of fault-finding and questioning His every move as if He was of evil intent. He was obviously operating on a level far above those who opposed Him, as evidenced by the miracles and healings. Yet, He was continually resisted and rejected for assumed legal trivialities. For someone to demonstrate such power, they were surely in compliance with and aligned with the One who authored the legalities. And yet, because there was a challenge to their own legitimacy, their only option was to retaliate with accusations, threats, and even physical aggression. To the One who had never faltered in relation to the will and purpose of the Father’s heart, the attack was directly against His identity as a holy man of God. From the very establishment that His life had been in deference to, there was a temptation launched against Him, to question His own legitimacy and succumb to their threats. Jesus’ direction and confidence, however, didn’t come from a human perspective of a written expression of God’s heart. It came directly from the One who had inspired anything written to represent Him. His understanding of the law, the naysayers thought, was from the revelation of its origins and its greater purpose. He was never in defiance of it by doing things that appeared to men to be a violation. His actions required a much greater understanding of each of those things than those who thought themselves above Him would ever ascend to. For each attack, there was a response from a depth of perception and knowledge that further demonstrated His legitimacy. It’s interesting, though, that in Jesus’ response to those who opposed Him so vehemently, He didn’t withdraw from the temple and the people He had come to serve with His life.
As we begin to follow faithfully in the steps of the Master we’ve risen with, we’ll begin to demonstrate the power of One who will not be constrained by religious chains. As He is acknowledged and aligned with in a life of faith, confidence in His Word and Spirit will be established, allowing boldness and strength in the face of personal challenges to our legitimacy. Rather than thoughts shifting to the real threat of self-doubt, there can be a renewed enablement of power in the uninhibited demonstrations, but also in the instilled revelation of an unaltered identity with Christ. Rather than succumbing to the threats and aligning with their opposition to the Father through religious contentions, there can be a steady and faithful residence in the place to which we’ve been called to fulfill our purpose. Mouths can continue to speak, inspired by the One who initiated and established all justice, the One who knows the “whys” and the “whats” of each contention and holds us continually in a place of righteousness in our consecration to Him.