Matthew Chapter 12
Showing all 50 verses for Matthew Chapter 12.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. "
"On a Sabbath day, Jesus and his disciples walked through some grain fields; the disciples got hungry, so they began picking heads of grain and eating them."
I let my hungry friends eat, because human need matters more than rigid rule-keeping - compassion always comes first, even on the most sacred day.
"But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. "
"When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, 'Look - your disciples are doing something that isn't lawful on the Sabbath.'"
I know that religious rules can become a trap that hardens hearts, instead of a fence that protects and helps people - watch closely when rule-following stops actually serving anyone.
"But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; "
"Jesus replied, 'Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?'"
I answer legalism with real scripture and real precedent, showing that mercy has always been part of God's law, not something opposed to it.
"How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? "
"'He went into the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which only the priests were allowed to eat - not him or the men with him.'"
I show you that even the most sacred rules have always given way to real human need and mercy - that's not something new I've invented, it's there in your own scriptures.
"Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? "
"'Or haven't you read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple do their duties - technically working - yet are counted blameless?'"
I point out that the law itself already contains exceptions built on purpose and priority, not blind uniformity - real principle always matters more than rigid literalism.
"But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. "
"'But I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.'"
I'm telling you plainly that what matters most isn't a building or a ritual, but the presence of real goodness and truth right in front of you - don't miss it while busy defending tradition.
"But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. "
"'If you had understood what this means - I want mercy, not sacrifice - you would not have condemned people who are innocent.'"
I keep coming back to this because it's the key that unlocks everything: mercy over judgement, always. If your rules make you condemn innocent people, your priorities are backwards.
"For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. "
"'For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.'"
I'm not against rest - I built it into creation for your good. But I have the authority to say what truly serves you, because rules were always meant to serve people, never the reverse.
"And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: "
"Moving on from there, Jesus went into their synagogue."
I don't avoid difficult rooms just because people are watching for a reason to accuse me - I keep doing what's right regardless of who's judging.
"And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. "
"There was a man with a withered hand there. They asked Jesus, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?' - hoping to find a reason to accuse him."
I see straight through it when people use someone else's suffering to score a point instead of to actually help them - that kind of manipulation always troubles me.
"And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? "
"Jesus said, 'If any of you has a sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn't you take hold of it and pull it out?'"
I use plain, relatable examples to show you already agree that compassion overrides rigid rule-keeping when it really matters - you know this instinctively, even if you've talked yourself out of it.
"How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. "
"'So how much more valuable is a person than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.'"
Remember this: a person is always worth more than a rule about a person. Doing good is never off-limits, whatever day it happens to be.
"Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. "
"Then Jesus said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He did, and it was completely restored, healthy just like the other one."
I ask for a small act of trust - just stretch out your hand - and meet it with full restoration. Sometimes healing starts simply by being willing to try what seems impossible.
"Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. "
"Then the Pharisees left and began plotting how they might kill Jesus."
I know that doing good sometimes provokes hatred from people invested in keeping things as they are - but that has never once stopped me from doing what's right anyway.
"But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; "
"Aware of the plot, Jesus withdrew from that place. Large crowds followed him, and he healed all of them."
I don't chase confrontation for its own sake - sometimes the wiser move is to step back, while never once stopping the good work that truly matters.
"And charged them that they should not make him known: "
"He instructed the people he healed not to make him publicly known."
I don't do good in order to be praised or build a reputation - I want the work itself to matter, not the applause that might follow it.
"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, "
"This was so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled."
Everything I do connects to a much longer story of hope that started long before I arrived - and you're part of that same story too, whether you realise it yet or not.
"Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. "
"'Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved one, in whom I delight. I will put my Spirit on him, and he will announce justice to the nations.'"
I carry a mission bigger than any single group of people - justice and good news are for absolutely everyone, with no exceptions made for background or status.
"He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. "
"'He will not quarrel or shout; no one will hear his voice raised in the streets.'"
I don't need to shout to be right or to win an argument - real strength doesn't need to prove itself through noise or aggression.
"A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. "
"'He will not break a bruised reed, or put out a smouldering wick, until he leads justice to victory.'"
If you feel like a bruised reed or a nearly-out flame, barely holding together, I will not finish you off. I am gentle with what's fragile, and patient until things are made right.
"And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. "
"'And in his name the nations will place their hope.'"
My reach is not limited to any single nation or heritage - hope in me is open to absolutely anyone who wants it, wherever they come from.
"Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. "
"Then a man who was blind and unable to speak, and troubled by a demon, was brought to Jesus. He healed him, so that the man could both speak and see."
I restore what's broken completely - sight and voice both - because I want you fully able to see clearly and speak freely, not just partially patched up.
"And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? "
"All the crowds were amazed and said, 'Could this be the Son of David?'"
I want people to genuinely wonder and ask real, honest questions about who I am - a searching question is always the start of real understanding.
"But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. "
"But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, 'This man only drives out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons.'"
I know that sometimes people can't deny the good happening in front of them, so instead they try to twist how you see where it came from - don't let cynicism blind you to real goodness.
"And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: "
"Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus said, 'Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.'"
I use plain logic, not just claims of authority, to show what's true - a house divided against itself can't stand, whether that's a nation, a family, or your own mind.
"And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? "
"'And if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom survive?'"
I'll point out plainly when an accusation against me simply doesn't hold together logically - truth and coherence matter, and I'm never afraid to reason it through with you.
"And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. "
"'And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whose power do your own followers drive them out? So they will be your judges.'"
I call out double standards directly - if you'd accept the very same action without question from your own people, be honest enough to accept it from me too.
"But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. "
"'But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.'"
When real good defeats real harm in your life, that's not just coincidence - it's a sign that something bigger and better than the world's brokenness is already at work, right here, right now.
"Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. "
"'Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and steal his belongings, unless he first ties up the strong man? Only then can he plunder the house.'"
I don't tiptoe around what's holding you captive - I confront and overpower it directly, so that what's been stolen from you can be given back.
"He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scaftereth abroad. "
"'Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.'"
I'm asking you to actually decide where you stand - staying neutral when good and harm are genuinely at stake isn't really neutral at all; it has an effect either way.
"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. "
"'So I tell you, people can be forgiven for any sin or slander they speak, but slander against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.'"
I want to reassure you first: almost anything can be forgiven. But there's real danger in deliberately calling what you know is good 'evil' - don't let stubbornness or cynicism harden your heart against the truth in front of you.
"And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. "
"'Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or the next.'"
I'm remarkably patient even with people who doubt or misjudge me personally - it's the wilful, ongoing refusal to call good good that closes a door only you yourself can close.
"Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. "
"'Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad - a tree is known by its fruit.'"
I judge things the same way you should - by what they actually produce, not by what they claim to be. Look at the fruit, and you'll know the tree.
"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. "
"'You brood of vipers! How can you say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.'"
I don't shy away from calling out harmful behaviour plainly when it matters - but I also want you to notice: what comes out of your mouth under pressure tells you the truth about what's really inside you.
"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. "
"'A good person brings good things out of the good stored up in them, and an evil person brings evil things out of the evil stored up in them.'"
I want you to pay attention to what you're storing up inside - your habits, your thoughts, what you dwell on - because it will come out one way or another. Fill your heart well.
"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. "
"'But I tell you, on the day of judgement people will have to give account for every careless word they have spoken.'"
I take your words seriously because they reveal and shape who you are - even the careless ones. This isn't about fear, it's an invitation to speak with more care and honesty.
"For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. "
"'For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.'"
I'm not setting an impossible trap for you - I'm showing you that your words already carry real weight in your relationships and your own integrity, so let them line up with the truth.
"Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. "
"Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, 'Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.'"
I notice when a request for 'more proof' is really just a way of avoiding what's already clear - more evidence rarely convinces a heart that's already decided not to believe.
"But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: "
"He answered, 'A wicked and unfaithful generation looks for a sign, but none will be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah.'"
I won't perform on demand to satisfy people who've already made up their minds - but I will point you towards the one sign that matters most: what happens through my own death and return to life.
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. "
"'For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.'"
I'm telling you plainly, well ahead of time, what's coming - my death will not be the end of the story, any more than Jonah's time in the fish was the end of his.
"The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. "
"'The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgement against this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah's preaching - and now something greater than Jonah is here.'"
I sometimes find more openness in unexpected places than among people who assume they already have it all figured out - don't let familiarity with religion stop you from actually responding to the truth.
"The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. "
"'The queen of the south will stand up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it, because she came from a distant land to hear Solomon's wisdom - and now something greater than Solomon is here.'"
I ask you to consider how much effort you'd go to for real wisdom, when it's actually right in front of you right now and costs you nothing but your attention.
"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. "
"'When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it wanders through dry, empty places looking for rest, and finds none.'"
I'm warning you that simply clearing something harmful out of your life isn't the end of the story - what fills the space left behind matters just as much.
"Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. "
"'Then it says, I will return to the house I came from. When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and tidied up.'"
I want you to understand that just tidying up on the outside, without filling your life with something genuinely good, leaves you exposed rather than protected.
"Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. "
"'Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they move in and live there. And that person's final condition is worse than the first. That is how it will be for this wicked generation too.'"
I'm not just warning you to stop doing wrong - I'm urging you to actively fill your life with something good and true, or the emptiness you leave behind can invite something even worse back in.
"While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. "
"While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak with him."
I love my family, but I never let even close relationships stop me from doing the work I am called to do.
"Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. "
"Someone told him, 'Look, your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak with you.'"
I use even an ordinary interruption as a chance to teach something important about what really connects people to me.
"But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? "
"He replied to the one who told him, 'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?'"
I'm asking you to think bigger about what real belonging means - it's not only about blood, it's about shared purpose and love.
"And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! "
"Pointing towards his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers.'"
I welcome you into a real family built on shared commitment, not just birth - if you follow this way of life, you belong with me, fully and truly.
"For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. "
"'For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.'"
I'm telling you that anyone who commits to living by love, honesty, and good will towards others is truly my family - no exceptions, no barriers, no matter your background.