Lord of the Sabbath
1. At that time Jesus went on the Sabbaths through the grain; and His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears [of grain], and to eat.
2. And the Pharisees seeing said to Him, “Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not permitted to do on a Sabbath.”
3. But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him?
4. How he entered into the house of God, and ate the bread [that was] set out, which it was not permitted for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, except for the priests alone?
5. Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbaths the priests in the temple profane and are guiltless?
6. And I say to you that a greater than the temple is here.
7. But if you had known what [this] is—I desire mercy and not sacrifice—you would not have condemned the blameless.
8. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
At the end of the previous episode Jesus said, “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Through these words Jesus gave the world a new way of regarding the Sabbath. From now on, Sabbath peace could be found by resting in Jesus. In so doing, people would experience more than physical rest. They would also have “rest for their souls” (11:29).
As the next episode begins, the theme of the Sabbath continues. As it is written, “At that time, Jesus went through the corn fields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears of corn and ate” (12:1). When the religious leaders see the disciples plucking corn, they are outraged. “Look,” they say to Jesus, “Your disciples are doing what it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath” (12:2).
It is true that the Sabbath commandment, as given in the Hebrew scriptures, forbids any kind of work on the Sabbath. As it is written, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work” (Exodus 20:8-10).
Moreover, there is a specific teaching that could be applied to plucking corn on the Sabbath. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest time, you shall rest” (Exodus 34:21). A strict interpretation of this teaching, then, would include plucking corn—even a single ear of corn—as “harvesting.” This is why the religious leaders said to Jesus when they saw His disciples plucking and eating corn on the Sabbath day, “Your disciples are doing what it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath” (12:2).
While it is easy to scoff at overly strict interpretations of what constitutes Sabbath work, it should be kept in mind that the Hebrew scriptures are clear about the importance of observing the Sabbath. This is especially the case when we realize that the punishment for violating the Sabbath is death. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “The seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death” (Leviticus 35:2). Out of the fear of God, and especially out of their fear of incurring God’s wrath and punishment, the religious leaders went to great length to establish what came to be known as “fences” or ‘hedges” around the law.
Using their own reasoning, they explained how the Sabbath law prohibiting work might be applied to a wide variety of situations requiring human effort. In addition to the Sabbath day regulations recorded in the Hebrew scriptures, their extensive list amounted to over fifteen hundred additional ways that the Sabbath might be violated. Their list included prohibitions not only against plowing and harvesting, but also against squeezing lemons, plucking fruit, clapping hands, tearing paper, writing, carrying, hammering, and even making mental calculations.
Over time, these strict observations of Sabbath law, which were intended merely to be hedges and fences serving to protect against an actual violation of the Sabbath commandment, were seen as violations of the commandment forbidding work on the Sabbath. Therefore, when the religious leaders saw the disciples plucking grain, they saw this as a sin against the Sabbath commandment. Their human reasoning, which had been a safeguard against violating a commandment, had gradually taken on sacred significance. Any deviation from what was originally a defending hedge or a protecting fence was now equated with a blasphemous violation of God’s law.
In their determination to enforce the letter of the law, as they understood it, the religious leaders had forgotten its spirit. The Sabbath is intended to be a day of rest, both physical and spiritual. It is a day to remember that God alone is the doer of all things. In this state of rest, we trust in God and let nothing disturb us. The fires of self-love, the flames of hatred, and the burning lusts of frustrated ambition are not kindled on this day. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “You shall not kindle a fire on the Sabbath” (Exodus 35:3).
We this in mind, the Sabbath can be a time to remain peaceful, content, and assured of God’s loving protection of our souls. On the Sabbath, we can spend time enjoying the tranquility and peace of His presence. This is the kind of peace that Jesus was referring to in the previous chapter when He said, “Come to Me … and you will have rest for your souls” (11:28-29).
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice”
Up to this point in the Gospel According to Matthew, Jesus has preached, healed, and shown His wondrous power in numerous ways. He has also done things that upset the religious authorities, such as forgiving sins and eating with sinners. And now, in allowing His disciples to pluck corn to eat on the Sabbath, the religious authorities are even more upset.
Undaunted, Jesus tells the religious leaders that even David, when He was hungry, went into the house of God and ate the showbread. Through these words, Jesus is reminding them that the preservation of human life challenges their strict observance of this Sabbath commandment (see 12:3 and 1 Samuel 21:1-6). Jesus then incites their further indignation by referring to Himself as being even greater than their holiest place of worship. As Jesus puts it, “I say to you, in this place there is One greater than the temple” (12:6).
This must have confused and infuriated the religious leaders. In their minds, there was nothing holier than the Sabbath day, and nothing greater than the temple. Is Jesus declaring Himself to be greater than the temple? If so, what could this mean? Without any further explanation of His assertion, Jesus returns to an ongoing theme of His ministry—His emphasis on mercy, compassion and forgiveness over mandatory rituals and animal sacrifices.
Earlier in this gospel, when He was accused of eating with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus said, “They who have strength have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (9:12). Then, quoting from the Hebrew scriptures, Jesus said, “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice’” (9:3 see also Hosea 6:6). And now, as the religious leaders confront Jesus about what they consider a Sabbath violation, Jesus again returns to the theme of mercy over sacrifice. He says to the religious leaders, “If you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless” (12:7).
In the literal sense, Jesus is simply saying that if the religious leaders focused on compassion rather than the strict enforcement of their religious traditions, they would have been less condemning and more forgiving. They would not have condemned the “guiltless,” in this case, the disciples who had been plucking corn on the Sabbath so that they could eat. Nor would they have condemned Jesus who permitted them to do so.
The lesson contained in this episode is clear. Our focus should always be on the spirit of the law, not just the letter of the law—the inner meaning, not just the literal meaning. This is precisely what Jesus, as the Son of Man, comes to bring—that is, a deeper understanding and more merciful application of the law. The words that Jesus speaks deepen and supersede the merely literal, condemning, and often arbitrary regulations enforced by the religious leaders.
And yet, as Jesus said in an earlier episode of this gospel, “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (8:20). Throughout the gospels, Jesus will often refer to Himself as the “Son of Man.” While this refers to His humanity, it also refers to the divine truth He came to teach, even though it was not received. This is what Jesus means when He says that that the Son of Man—the divine truth—has nowhere to lay its head.
Nevertheless, despite rejection, Jesus’ words remain true. As He says, “The Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath” (12:8). This means that His words take precedence over human reasoning, especially the reasoning of the religious leaders. He who is our place of rest understands what it means to keep the Sabbath holy. He is, indeed, Lord, even of the Sabbath. 1
A practical application
In this episode, Jesus confronts the strict interpretations of the Sabbath law as taught by the religious leaders. While it’s easy to ridicule the rigorous fences and hedges of the Pharisees, there is a Pharisee in each of us with rigorous expectations in certain areas. As a practical application, then, be aware of those areas in your life where a rule of your own making becomes a heavy burden, a needless weight on your conscience. For example, you may have decided that you will exercise three times a week. But you are not feeling well. Instead of pushing yourself to exercise “Because it’s a rule,” give yourself some grace. Do not beat yourself up with pointless guilt. As Jesus says, “If you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless” (12:7). In other words, instead of laying down the law, give yourself a little grace. 2
Jesus Heals a Withered Hand
9. And passing on thence, He came into their synagogue.
10. And behold, there was a man having a dried-up hand, and they asked Him, saying, “Is it permitted to cure on the Sabbaths?”—that they might accuse Him.
11. And He said to them, “What man shall there be of you who shall have one sheep, and if it shall fall into a pit on the Sabbaths, will not [take] hold of it, and raise [it out]?
12. Therefore of how much more value is a man than a sheep? So then it is permitted on the Sabbaths to do well.”
13. Then He says to the man, “Stretch forth thy hand.” And he stretched [it] forth; and it was restored, well like the other.
14. And the Pharisees took counsel against Him, going out, that they might destroy Him.
Jesus has just declared Himself to be the “Lord of the Sabbath.” In so doing, He has made it clear that there is no harm in plucking grain and eating it, even if this takes place on the Sabbath. In so doing, Jesus was teaching that the law of mercy is higher and more important than the rigorous regulations handed down by the religious authorities. In effect, the divine truth that Jesus teaches about the Sabbath is higher than the human reasonings of the religious authorities. In this regard, then, Jesus is truly the “Lord of the Sabbath.”
In that episode, Jesus reminded them that the Lord desires mercy, not sacrifice. The prophet Micah had said something similar when he spoke about the excessive focus on ritual sacrifices that had predominated in temple worship. “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams?” said Micah, “or ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (Micah 6:7). Micah then spoke about matters that transcend every form of ritual sacrifice. He said, “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
As the next episode begins, Jesus goes directly into a synagogue. It’s still the Sabbath. And Jesus has already made His position clear about plucking corn on this holy day. According to Jesus, it’s allowable to pluck corn on the Sabbath, especially if a person is hungry. It’s not the same as harvesting an entire crop. Jesus also reminds them that God Himself is a God of mercy, a God who says, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
Clearly, the religious leaders have their own views on what constitutes “harvesting” on the Sabbath. Seeing that Jesus does not accept their viewpoint, the religious leaders now challenge Him with a different question about what constitutes work on the Sabbath. This time their question is about healing. They ask Jesus, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (12:9).
The religious leaders already know the answer to their question. Amidst the fifteen hundred laws that listed forbidden activities on the Sabbath, people were forbidden to heal a toothache, or set a broken bone, or even induce vomiting. To heal a broken arm, or gargle to relieve a toothache, the individual had to wait until the Sabbath had ended before healing could be attempted. 3
Jesus, however, introduces a new, more merciful way of understanding what it means to heal on the Sabbath. He says, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Then, of how much more value is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (12:12). To further emphasize this point, Jesus turns to a man with a withered hand and says, “Stretch out your hand” (12:13). And as soon as the man stretches out his hand, it is healed.
Jesus could have healed the man’s withered hand on any other day. Why, then, on the Sabbath? At the literal level, Jesus is challenging their rigid fixation on merely human interpretations of the law. While the Sabbath is intended to provide rest from work, the religious leaders had turned it into another form of servitude—a fearful, slavish obedience to non-divine regulations. In so doing, they were increasing the burdens of the people, not reducing them.
More deeply, the healing of the man’s withered hand represents the way the Lord can restore us from the inside out, renew our energy, and increase our ability to do good. Additionally, a withered hand, which can also be translated “a dried-out hand” symbolizes a lack of truth. When we are without the revitalizing waters of truth, our power to do good is like a withered hand, so dried-out that it cannot perform useful services.
But when we respond to the Lord’s command, as this man does when Jesus says, “Stretch out your hand,” an inner healing takes place. We feel empowered, ready to go forth, endowed with renewed capacity to serve in the name of the Lord. This is the internal empowerment that can take place whenever we stretch out our hand so that it might be healed by the Lord. 4
One would think that the religious leaders would be impressed by the miraculous way Jesus healed the man’s withered hand. One might even imagine that the religious leaders would be happy for the man who could now return to normal activities, with the full use of both hands. On the contrary, the religious leaders are outraged by what appears to them to be a flagrant disregard for their strict traditions—especially their prohibitions against healing on the Sabbath. Because of this, they take counsel against Jesus, deliberating on “how they might destroy Him” (12:9). The irony is intense: the religious leaders take counsel to injure the One who has come to heal, and to destroy the One who has come to save.
A Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax
15. But Jesus knowing [it], withdrew from thence; and there followed Him many crowds, and He cured them all;
16. And admonished them that they should not make Him manifest,
17. That it might be fulfilled what was declared by Isaiah the prophet, saying,
18. “Behold, My Servant whom I have laid hold of; My Beloved, in whom My soul is well pleased; I will put My spirit into Him, and He shall pronounce judgment to the gentiles.
19. He shall not contend, nor cry; neither shall anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20. A bruised reed He shall not break, and smoldering flax He shall not quench, until He put forth judgment to victory.
21. In His name the Gentiles shall hope.”
22. Then one demon-possessed was brought to Him, blind and mute; and He cured him, so that the blind and mute both spoke and saw.
23. And all the crowds were amazed, and said, “Is not this the Son of David?”
24. But the Pharisees hearing said, “This [Man] does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub the ruler of the demons.”
25. But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself, shall not stand.
26. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?
27. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast [them] out? Therefore, they shall be your judges.
28. But if I cast out demons in the spirit of God, certainly the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
While the religious leaders are secretly plotting His destruction, Jesus withdraws from the synagogue and openly continues His Sabbath work. As it is written, “And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all” (12:15). It is noteworthy that Jesus does not confine his object lesson to healing just one person’s hand on the Sabbath. He heals “great multitudes.” It seems that He has a specific point to make, and He could not be making it more dramatically or in a more conspicuous way. He has said that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, and now He demonstrates it repeatedly: He heals the multitudes.
At the same time, Jesus cautions the crowd of followers to not make Him known. Perhaps Jesus means that they should not make these miraculous healings known to the religious leaders who have already determined to destroy Him. If they were to find out that Jesus is doing even more healings, it would only fan the flames of their hatred, and hasten their determination to bring about His immediate destruction.
The ruthless determination of the religious leaders to destroy Jesus is in sharp contrast to Jesus’ emphasis on Jesus’ life-giving teachings and on mercy. Jesus did not come to pick a fight with the religious establishment, or even to quarrel with them. His mission is to teach the truth to all who have ears to hear. All of this is in fulfillment of the prophecy given through the prophet Isaiah where it is written, “Behold My servant whom I have chosen…. He will not quarrel, nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets” (12-18-19; see Isaiah 42:1-2).
As Isaiah’s prophecy continues, it is written that “a bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not snuff out until He will cause judgment to be victorious” (12:20; see also Isaiah 42:3-4). In quoting the words of the prophet Isaiah, Matthew is showing how ancient prophecy is now being fulfilled through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. While many were expecting a mighty king who would crush all adversaries, Jesus has come as a servant who is unwilling to break a bruised reed or snuff out a smoldering wick.
In the spiritual sense, a “bruised reed” is a person who may have false beliefs that are based merely on a literal understanding of the Word. Without a deeper understanding of scripture, it’s possible to believe that God is angry and determined to punish them for their misbehavior. Similarly, a person whose reasoning is based solely on the evidence of the senses may have a false understanding of physical reality. Without a deeper understanding of science, it’s possible to believe that the sun rises and sets, and that the earth is flat. At least, that’s how it appears to someone who has only a shallow, superficial understanding of reality. This kind of understanding, because it is lacking in depth, is compared to a hollow reed which is weak, feeble, and easily broken. It is for this reason that it is written, “A bruised reed He will not break.” 5
The Lord never breaks a bruised reed. This means that the Lord allows us to remain in whatever belief we might have, however mistaken it might be, while gradually, imperceptibly guiding us towards a less clouded sight of the truth. He does not quarrel, nor cry out, nor is His voice heard in the streets. Meanwhile, He does everything He can to gently bend, steer, and guide us in ways that will lead us towards the greatest joy.
Likewise, the Lord will not snuff out the smoking flax. While this is also related to a simple misunderstanding of physical and spiritual reality, it relates to our affections more so than to our intellect. In this regard, the smoking flax is an initial love for learning, a rudimentary affection for truth, even the least bit of curiosity. Rather than snuff this out, the Lord breathes upon it, gradually bringing it to life until it at first becomes a little flame and eventually a brilliant blaze.
This is also true of motives that might initially be selfish and self-serving, for example the desire to be honored, to have a good reputation, or to become wealthy. While these desires arise from our unregenerate nature, the Lord can work from within, gradually showing us that these external motivations can gradually be left behind in exchange for the more satisfying and more enduring rewards of a deeply spiritual life. Although necessary in the beginning, at least to get us started and keep us motivated, they can also serve as means to a greater end. Therefore, the Lord never snuffs them out. Rather, He uses them to silently bend us towards higher states where we do what is good without any thought of reward but only out of love. 6
The quotation from Isaiah, which describes the bruised reed and the smoking flax, is given to emphasize the true nature of God. He works so quietly and so gently from within that we remain unaware of His silent leading. Nevertheless, wonderful changes are continually taking place, most of which are beyond our conscious awareness. And every change is designed to deepen our love for others and sharpen our discernment so that we might come to the point where we can be victorious over the evil desires that would destroy our love and triumphant over the false teachings that would extinguish our faith.
The goal is to bring us into a state where love and understanding work together within us so harmoniously that our judgments are clear and unclouded. As Isaiah puts it, “A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not snuff out until He will cause judgment to be victorious” (12:20). 7
A blind, mute, demon-possessed man is healed
In the midst of the many healings Jesus is performing on the Sabbath, a man who is blind, mute, and demon-possessed is brought to Him. Much to the amazement of the multitudes, Jesus heals the man’s triple handicap immediately. But when the religious leaders hear about it, their response is predictably cynical. They say, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons” (12:24).
This is now the second time that the religious leaders have publicly accused Jesus of casting out demons by the ruler of the demons (see also 9:34). The first time, Jesus did not respond. But this time it is different. Jesus contradicts them, saying, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself, shall not stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?” (12:25-26).
In other words, Jesus is saying that self-will cannot cast out self-will. Ego cannot cast out ego. Satan cannot cast out Satan. If, for example, we try to cast out selfishness by powerful exertions of self-will—leaving out God, our efforts can never succeed. The simple fact is that only the Spirit of God can cast out the spirit of selfishness, and only the Spirit of God can cast out demons. As Jesus says, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (12:28).
A practical application
In this episode, a powerful quotation from the prophet Isaiah reveals the true nature of God. He is gentle, quiet, primarily working from within to lead us heavenwards, step by step, bending but never breaking. The implication is that we should strive to emulate the Lord’s behavior. For example, we need to understand that people come from different backgrounds, have been raised differently, and have a different set of experiences. Because of this, they will have differing ideas about God, religion, and spiritual life. We should never try to destroy another person’s belief or snuff out an ambitious desire. At the same time, we should be aware of false beliefs that could be harmful, and selfish tendencies that could lead to unhappiness. This, of course, applies to ourselves as well as to others. As a practical application, then, look for whatever is good in another person’s belief, gently bending, if necessary, while doing it so softly that it does not come across as a correction. Do the same if you happen to observe desires that appear to be self-serving. It’s better to be ambitious than to be without any desire for achievement. Once again, practice bending those desires, if necessary, without breaking them. In this way you will be co-operating with the Lord in quietly leading His people to judgments that will bring victory over false beliefs and selfish desires. 8
Neutrality Is Not an Option
29. “Or how can anyone enter into the house of the strong [one] and plunder his vessels, unless he first bind the strong [one]? And then he will plunder his house.
30. He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathers not with Me, scatters.
31. Wherefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men; but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven men.
32. And whoever says a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall say [it] against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that to come.
33. Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten; for from the fruit the tree is known.
34. Brood of vipers, how can you speak good [things], being wicked? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
35. The good man out of the good treasure of the heart puts forth good [things]; and the wicked man out of the wicked treasure puts forth wicked [things].
36. But I say unto you, that every idle saying which men shall speak, they shall render a word concerning it in the day of judgment.
37. For out of thy words thou shalt be justified, and out of thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
At the end of the previous episode, Jesus was accused of casting out demons by the spirit of Satan. In response, Jesus said, “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?” (12:26). And He added, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (12:28). These “demons” come in many forms. They can be anger, irritation, impatience, annoyance, and the many disturbances that not only take away our inner peace, but often lead to our acting out against others.
The Lord’s goal, then, as He works through His Word and silently from within is to deliver us from these demons and bring us into the blessings of inner peace and lasting joy. These states of peace and joy are the inner rewards that comes to everyone who trusts in God and lives according to His commandments. As Jesus says, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (12:28).
Jesus then says, “How can anyone enter into a strong man’s house, and plunder his goods, except he first bind the strong man, and then he will plunder his house?” (12:29). Jesus has just spoken about how the Spirit of God can cast out demons and how, when this happens, the kingdom of God comes upon us. And yet, Jesus also knows that this is not a permanent state. Spiritual development takes time. There are times of progress, and there are times when we backslide. Jesus compares this tendency to backslide to a situation where a thief enters the house of a strong man, binds that man, and steals his goods. As Jesus says, “How can anyone enter into a strong man’s house, and plunder his goods, except he first bind the strong man, and then he will plunder his house?” (12:29).
In the prologue to the Ten Commandments, God says, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:1-2). In weak moments, when negative thoughts and feelings invade our minds, we are returning to the “house of bondage.” This captivity, or “spiritual bondage,” is what Jesus is referring to when He talks about the invader who has entered the strong man’s house, tied him up, and stolen his possessions.
It is, therefore, necessary to remain steadfast in our devotion to God, to remain with Him always and not depart from His company. There is no middle way when it comes to the path of devotion. We can’t afford weak moments when we drop our guard, or make half-hearted endeavors to do what is right. It’s all or nothing. We are either with the Lord, or we are not. Any chink in our armor, and any weakness of character is an opening for the hells to burst through. Therefore, Jesus says, “He that is not with Me is against Me” and He adds, “he that gathers not with Me scatters abroad” (12:30).
Jesus knows that the corrupt religious leaders have been leading the people astray—scattering them—through their misleading and false teachings. Therefore, Jesus says to them, “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven” (12:31). The blasphemy here referred to is the one which the religious leaders are committing at this very moment. They have just witnessed a great miracle of healing, and yet they refuse to attribute such a miracle to the Spirit of God. Instead, they attribute it to Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. Thus, they interpret good as evil, attributing the power of healing to the demonic rather than to the divine.
In interpreting good as evil, the religious leaders leave themselves without any hope for salvation or forgiveness, simply because they refuse to accept it. While God is pure mercy, love and forgiveness, none of these qualities can be experienced or received unless there is a sincere desire to receive them, and a willingness to live according to them. Jesus is the embodiment of these qualities. To reject Him is to reject all that He would freely give us.
In our own lives we do the same thing whenever we refuse to see the wonders that God is working in our lives at every moment, even when things appear to be going against our wishes. In practical terms, then, “to sin against the Holy Spirit” is to interpret the circumstances of our lives and the intentions of others as having some evil origin—similar to the way the religious leaders attributed evil motives to Jesus. We refuse to see any possible goodness that might be there, or how a particularly unpleasant situation could possibly turn out for the best. Whenever we do this, we sin against the Holy Spirit. We deny that God is working with us always, in every circumstance, to refine our spirits so that we might eventually be able to realize the greatest possible happiness.
Jesus then returns to the theme of being either for Him or against Him—either for good or against it. We cannot have it both ways; and neutrality is not an option. As Jesus says, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for from the fruit the tree is known” (12:33).
It’s as if Jesus is saying, “Look, I just healed a man whose hand was withering away. It was dried out and without any power. Can’t you see that what I have done is good? Or, do you see everything I do as evil because you are evil?” Jesus puts it even more directly than this. He says, “O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (12:34).
Whatever is in our heart will eventually come out through our words and actions. As Jesus says, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (12:35). There is no escape from this timeless spiritual principle. Jesus says, “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned” (12:35-37).
These are serious warnings. Is it possible that the religious leaders will take these warnings to heart? Will they repent and change their ways? Or will they remain entrenched in their stubborn desire to destroy Jesus, interpreting the good that He does as evil? The next episode will provide some important clues.
The Sign of the Prophet Jonah
38. Then answered some of the scribes and Pharisees, saying, “Teacher, we will to see a sign from Thee.”
39. But He answering said to them, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
41. The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, [One who is] more than Jonah [is] here.
42. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, because she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, [One who is] more than Solomon [is] here.
43. And when the unclean spirit has come out from the man, he passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find [it].
44. Then he says, ‘I will return into my house, whence I came out’; and coming, he finds [it] empty, swept, and adorned.
45. Then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in, they dwell there; and the last [things] of that man are worse than the first. So shall it also be to this wicked generation.”
As the next episode begins, it seems that the religious leaders might be relenting somewhat in their campaign to destroy Jesus. Addressing Him as “Master,” they say, “We want to see a sign from You” (12:38). But, Jesus, who knows their every thought, is not fooled by their pretended interest. “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign,” Jesus says, “and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the Prophet Jonah” (12:39). Jesus goes on to recount how Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a whale, just as “the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (12:40).
While the story of Jonah traditionally signifies Jesus’ burial and resurrection, it also represents the wonder of human regeneration. The only real sign of regeneration is the living experience of inner change. This is a change that comes over people gradually, almost imperceptibly. As they strive to keep the commandments, putting away selfish concerns and materialistic pre-occupations, they gradually become kinder, gentler, and more peaceful human beings. 9
Spending “three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish” represents the dark times of inner struggle and turmoil that we go through in the process of our regeneration. The number “three” is a symbolic term, meaning a complete cycle of time, as in “morning, noon, and night.” Because of this, it represents a full period of temptation with a “beginning, middle, and end.” 10
This process cannot be avoided or side-stepped. And there are no shortcuts. Jesus warns that a momentary change of mind will do us no good if not accompanied by a change of heart. In the case of the religious leaders, Jesus sees through their hypocritical requests for more signs of His divinity. A shallow religious faith is based on signs and miracles; deep faith comes about through a repentant heart.
Jesus then takes them back to the story of Jonah who taught repentance to the people of Ninevah. He says, “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah.” Jesus then adds, referring to Himself, “a greater than Jonah is here” (12:41). He then talks about Solomon, the great king who was a universal symbol of wisdom, adding, “a greater than Solomon is here” (12:42).
Jesus is telling them, in no uncertain terms, that no one is greater than He is. These are not the claims of an ordinary person. He then tells them a seemingly disconnected story about an unclean spirit that leaves a person and roams about looking for a place to rest. But finding no place to rest, it returns to the person, bringing along with it seven more spirits even more wicked than itself. These spirits now reenter the person and dwell there, “and the last state of that man is worse than the first” (12:43-45).
This story, which at first seems disconnected, is very much connected to what is happening. The religious leaders are requesting that Jesus perform a miracle or show them a sign. But Jesus is saying, “Look, even if I give you a sign and it causes you to temporarily believe in Me, it would do you no good. In fact, it would be worse for you because you would return to your prior condition, seven times more adamant in your unbelief.” All this is contained in Jesus’ brief statement reminding the religious leaders that a mere sign cannot fundamentally change a wicked heart. As Jesus says, “That is how it will be with this wicked generation” (12:45).
Regeneration, then, not signs and miracles, is what brings about spiritual life. And there is no regeneration without temptation. Each of us will go through numerous times of temptation in our lives, and each time it will feel like a death and a resurrection. Each time something of our selfish nature will die. At the same time, if we turn to God, applying His truth and praying for His power—something new will be born in us. This is our resurrection to new life, a gradual process that begins in this life and continues throughout eternity. This is what is meant by the miracle of regeneration—and this is “the sign of the prophet Jonah.” 11
A practical application
The “sign of the prophet Jonah” is a changed life. As a practical application, notice small changes arising in your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. For example, you might notice that you are becoming more patient in situations that might have annoyed you at one time; you might find that you are becoming less defensive, and more inclined to consider the perspectives and feelings of others; you might find yourself less invested in having things done your way, and more concerned about meeting the needs of others. These moments of new life that arise within you are a result of the regeneration process. Be aware of them, and give the credit to God for leading you into this new, changed life. They are all “the sign of the prophet Jonah” taking place within you.
Doing the Will of the Father
46. And [while] He yet spoke to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to Him.
47. And someone said to Him, “Behold, Thy mother and Thy brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to Thee.”
48. But He answering said to those that told Him, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?”
49. And stretching forth His hand to His disciples, He said, “Behold, My mother and My brothers.
50. For whoever shall do the will of My Father who is in the heavens, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
Regeneration comes about through living according to the will of God. There is no other way, and no miracle that can take its place. The path is simple and direct, and those who choose to follow it are “born again” to new life.
For this reason, this section of the narrative closes with a brief episode in which Jesus’ mother and brothers seek to speak with Him. Jesus uses this as an opportunity to introduce people to a new and higher perspective on family relationships. Stretching out His hands towards His disciples, He says, “Here are My mother and My brothers. For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (12:50).
On earth, our family relationships are based on common ancestors and blood ties, called kinships and consanguinities. In heaven, all kinships and relationships are based on our nearness or distance from our heavenly Father. Therefore, in an earlier episode Jesus invited His disciples to begin their prayers with the words “our Father in heaven.” 12
In the spiritual world, then, it is not family relationships that keep people together, or even the fact that they have common ancestors. Nor is it a legal or matrimonial contract. Rather, that which unites people is their common love for goodness, the accompanying truth, and the desire to bring that goodness and truth forth in their lives. 13
This is what draws people together in spiritual communities of love and support, and this is what makes a heavenly union between one husband and one wife. All who come together in these heavenly associations are called “sisters” and “brothers,” and “mothers,” not because of their birth into natural life, but because of their birth into spiritual life as children of God. As Jesus says, “Whoever shall do the will of My Father who is in the heavens is My brother, my sister, my mother.”
With these words, Jesus temporarily ends His discussion with the religious leaders. For the most part, the episodes in this chapter have been primarily antagonistic, beginning with the religious leaders condemning Jesus for allowing His disciples to pluck corn on the Sabbath. Then the religious leaders complained about Jesus’ healing a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath. After that, when Jesus cast out demons from a man who was blind and mute, they accused Jesus of casting out demons by the ruler of the demons. In every case, they were demonstrating a rigid adherence to their own interpretations of the law, while Jesus was demonstrating a deeper, more merciful application of the law.
Finally, Jesus raises the discussion to the highest possible level—a level beyond hair-splitting legal distinctions. He simply says, “Whoever shall do the will of My Father who is in the heavens is My brother, my sister, my mother.” In the next chapter, through a series of seven connected parables, Jesus will illustrate what it means to “do the will of the Father.”
Voetnoten:
1. AE 906: “The phrase, “Son of Man,” signifies the Lord in the divine truth or the Word which is from Him… Divine truth in its ultimate form is the Word is in the sense of the letter, within which is the spiritual sense…. The Son of Man, then, is the doctrine of truth, and in the highest sense the Lord as to the Word.” See also HH 303: “The Lord’s human, while in the world, was the divine truth…. Therefore, the phrase ‘Son of Man’ signifies the divine truth, and the ‘Father’ signifies the divine good.”
2. AC 5386: “There are spirits who raise conscientious scruples about matters that are unimportant…. Because they burden the consciences of simple people, they are called conscience-mongers. What true conscience is, they know not, because they make everything that comes up a matter of conscience; for when any scruple or doubt is suggested, if the mind is anxious and dwells on it, there are never wanting things to strengthen the doubt and make it burdensome.” See also AC 5724: “[These spirits] raise conscientious objections, introducing them where conscience has no part to play, and thereby over-burdening the consciences of simple persons. They are unaware of what ought to be a matter of conscience; for they bring conscience into everything that happens to them. These spirits also introduce a feeling of anxiety … and keep a person’s thought fixed on such anxious feelings…. They try by various methods to over-burden a person’s conscience. To do this had been the delight of their lives.”
3. For many years, the Mishnah (meaning “second”) was an orally transmitted code of oral laws, traditions, and applications based on interpretations of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) by Jewish scholars. It was “second” to the Torah. Eventually, this oral tradition was written down so that it might be preserved for future generations. The laws and traditions surrounding the Sabbath were called Mishnah Shabbat. Here are a few that relate to healing on the Sabbath. “On the Sabbath you must not induce vomiting, or straighten an infant’s limbs, or set a broken bone” (Mishnah Shabbat 22:6). “On the Sabbath you must not gargle and spit out vinegar to cure a toothache” (Mishnah Shabbat 111a).
4. AC 2072: “In the Word interior things are expressed and signified by exterior things; just as all the interior affections of the mind are expressed and signified by means of the face, interior hearing and obedience being signified by the ear, interior sight or understanding by the eye, power and strength is signified by the hand and arm.” See also AC 10130:6: “That by the touch of the hand is signified communication, transfer, and reception is because the activity of the whole body is collected into the arms and into the hands, and in the Word interior things are expressed by means of exterior ones. From this it is that by the ‘arms,’ the ‘hands,’ and especially by the ‘right hand’ is signified power.”
5. AC 50[2]: “While people are unregenerate, they are governed quite otherwise than when regenerated. While unregenerate there are evil spirits with them, who so domineer over them that the angels, though present, are scarcely able to do anything more than merely guide them so that they may not plunge into the lowest evil. At the same time, they bend people to some good. In fact, they bend people to good by means of the unregenerate desires within people, and to truth by means of the fallacies of the senses.” See also AC 1999:4: “The Lord is never willing to destroy quickly, still less immediately, the worship implanted in someone since earliest childhood. He is unwilling to destroy it because it would be an uprooting and so a destroying of the deeply implanted feeling for what is holy which is expressed in adoration and worship, a feeling which the Lord never crushes but bends. The holiness which is expressed in worship and has been inrooted since earliest childhood is such that it does not respond to violence but to gentle and kindly bending. The same applies to gentiles who during their lifetime have worshipped idols and yet have led charitable lives one with another. Because the holiness expressed in their worship has been inrooted since earliest childhood it is not removed all of a sudden in the next life but gradually. For people who have led charitable lives one with another are able to have implanted in them without difficulty the goods and truths of faith; these they subsequently receive with joy, charity being the soil itself.”
6. AC 4145:2: “All people who are being regenerated are first in mediate good, in order that it may serve for introducing genuine goods and truths; but after it has served this use, this good is separated, and people are then brought to good which flows in more directly. In this way, people who are being regenerated are perfected by degrees. For example: people who are being regenerated believe at first that the good which they think and do is from themselves, and that they also merit something; for they do not yet know … that good can flow in from some other source, nor that it can be otherwise than that they should be recompensed, because they do it from themselves. Unless at first they believed this, they would never do any good. But by this means they are initiated not only into the affection of doing what is good, but also into knowledges concerning good and also concerning merit; and when in this manner they have been led into the affection of doing what is good, they then begin to think differently and to believe differently, namely, that good flows in from the Lord, and that by the good which they do from their own they merit nothing; and at last when they are in the affection of willing and doing what is good, they altogether reject self-merit, and even have an aversion for it, and are affected with good from good. When they are in this state, good flows in directly.”
7. AE 627:7: “‘A bruised reed will He not break, and smoking flax will He not quench, and He will bring forth truth into judgment.’ The subject here is the Lord. He will not break the bruised reed signifies that He will not hurt sensual divine truth with the simple and children. The smoking flax will He not quench signifies that He will not destroy the divine truth which with the simple and children begin to live from a little good of love; for flax denotes truth, and smoking denotes that it lives from some little degree of love. And because both the reed and the flax signify truth, therefore it is also said of the Lord, that He will bring forth truth into judgment, which means, that He will bring forth intelligence in them, judgment denoting intelligence.”
8. AC 2053:2: “The truths that constitute conscience vary, that is to say, they depend on the religion of the individual. These truths the Lord is unwilling to violate provided they are not contrary to the goods of faith, because the person has taken them in and considered them holy. The Lord breaks nobody, but bends the person. This becomes clear from the consideration that every type of religious thought in the church has followers who are being endowed with conscience. The closer its truths get to the genuine truths of faith the better that conscience is. Since it is from the truths of faith such as this that conscience is formed, it is clear that it has been formed in the understanding part of a person’s mind, for the understanding part is what receives those truths. This part of a person’s mind the Lord has therefore miraculously separated from the will part.”
9. AE 706:6: “Asking for a sign here means that they wanted a convincing proof through which they would be persuaded and believe that the Lord was the Messiah and the Son of God who was to come; for the miracles which the Lord wrought in great numbers, and which they saw, were no signs to them, because miracles, as said above, are signs only to the good. Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, and this was taken for a sign, because it signified the burial and resurrection of the Lord, thus the complete glorification of His Human, three days and three nights signifying completeness.” See also DP 174: “No one knows how the Lord is leading and teaching us inwardly, just as no one knows how the soul is working so that the eye can see and the ear can hear … and countless other processes. These do not reach our notice and sensation. The same holds for the things that the Lord is doing in the inner substances and forms of our minds, which are infinitely more numerous. The Lord’s workings in this realm are imperceptible to us, but the many very real effects of these processes are perceptible.”
10. AE 532: “The number ‘three’ signifies in the Word what is full and complete, and thence an entire period, greater or less, from beginning to end.”
11. AC 8403:2, 3: “Let it be known that no one can be regenerated without temptation, and that a person undergoes very many temptations, following one after another…. A person cannot be regenerated without conflict, that is, without spiritual temptation, and a person is not regenerated by undergoing a single temptation, but only by undergoing very many of them. For there are numerous kinds of evil … that cannot be subdued on one occasion and all together. They cling stubbornly to the person, for they become deeply rooted in a person’s forebears going back many centuries and are for that reason innate in people. These evils have also been made stronger since early childhood by the evils of one’s own doing. All these evils are diametrically opposed to the heavenly good that is to be instilled and that must constitute the new life.”
12. AC 3815:2: “In heaven no other kinships or family connections exist except those of love to the Lord and of love towards the neighbor…. The countless communities that constitute heaven are quite distinct and distinguished from one another according to degrees and differences of love and of faith…. The people in these communities do not acknowledge one another because of any family relationship that had been theirs during their bodily life, but only on the basis of each person’s goodness and the accompanying truth. A parent does not acknowledge a son or daughter, a brother does not acknowledge a brother or sister, and not even a husband his wife, unless they have been governed by similar good. They do, it is true, meet when they first enter the next life, but they part company after that. This is because good itself, or love and charity, determines a person’s spiritual community. For every individual, kinship begins in the community in which each person belongs. From there, other kinds of connection spread out into all places round about.”
13. AC 4121: “In the internal sense ‘brothers’ means people who are governed by the same kind of goodness and truth, that is, they share the same affection for these. Indeed, all in the next life are grouped together in different communities on the basis of their affections; and those so grouped together in any community constitute a brotherhood…. In the next life it is goodness and truth that lie behind that which on earth is called a blood-relationship and a relationship by marriage.” See also AC 5598: “In heaven no other birth is understood than that which is called regeneration, which is brought about by means of the truth of faith and the good of charity. By this birth, from being sons of man, people become sons of the Lord. These are they who are said to be ‘born of God.’ According to the varieties of good from truth and of truth from good in this birth are the brotherhoods or relationships by blood and by marriage that are in heaven.”
