1Toho času išiel Ježiš v sobotu siatinami, a jeho učeníci súc hladní začali trhať klasy a jesť. 2A keď to videli farizeovia, povedali mu: Hľa, tvoji učeníci robia to, čo sa nepatrí robiť v sobotu. 3A on im povedal: Či ste nečítali, čo urobil Dávid, keď bol hladný, on i tí, ktorí boli s ním? 4Ako vošiel do domu Božieho a jedol chleby predloženia, ktoré sa mu nepatrilo jesť ani tým, ktorí boli s ním, krome samým kňazom? 5Alebo či ste nečítali v zákone, že v sobotu kňazi v chráme poškvrňujú sobotu a sú bez viny? 6No, hovorím vám, že tu je väčší ako chrám. 7A keby ste boli poznali, čo je to: Milosrdenstvo chcem a nie obeť, neboli by ste odsúdili nevinných. 8Lebo Syn človeka je pánom i soboty. 9A odíduc odtiaľ prišiel do ich synagógy. 10A hľa, bol tam človek, ktorý mal uschnutú ruku. A opýtali sa ho a riekli: Či sa smie v sobotu uzdravovať? Aby ho obžalovali. 11A on im povedal: Kto z vás bude taký človek, ktorý, keď bude mať jednu ovcu, a keby mu spadla v sobotu do jamy, či jej azda nepochytí a nevytiahne? 12A o koľko viac je človek než ovca! Preto sa smie v sobotu dobré robiť. 13Vtedy povedal človekovi: Vystri svoju ruku! A vystrel, a ruka bola zase zdravá jako tá druhá. 14A farizeovia vyjdúc odtiaľ radili sa proti nemu, jako by ho zmárnili. 15(a) Ale Ježiš to poznal a ušiel odtiaľ. (b) A išlo za ním mnoho zástupov, a uzdravil ich všetkých 16a zakázal im prísne, aby ho nezjavili, 17aby sa naplnilo to, čo bolo povedané skrze proroka Izaiáša, ktorý povedal: 18Hľa, môj služobník, ktorého som vyvolil, môj milovaný, v ktorom sa zaľúbilo mojej duši, položím svojho Ducha na neho, a bude zvestovať národom súd; 19nebude sa vadiť ani nebude kričať, ani nikto nepočuje na ulici jeho hlasu; 20nalomenej trstiny nedolomí a tlejúceho knotu nevyhasí, dokiaľ neprivedie súdu k víťazstvu; 21a v jeho mene dúfať budú národy. 22Vtedy mu doviedli posadlého démonom, slepého a nemého, a uzdravil ho, takže ten slepý a nemý i hovoril i videl. 23A všetky tie zástupy žasly a vravely: Či nie je toto ten syn Dávidov? 24Ale keď to počuli farizeovia, povedali: Tento nevyháňa démonov, iba Belzebúbom, kniežaťom nad démonami. 25A Ježiš vediac ich myšlienky povedal im: Každé kráľovstvo, rozdelené proti sebe, pustne; a niktoré mesto, rozdelené proti sebe, alebo tiež niktorý dom, rozdelený proti sebe, neobstojí. 26A jestli satan vyháňa satana, sám so sebou je rozdelený, a jako tedy obstojí jeho kráľovstvo? 27A jestli ja Belzebúbom vyháňam démonov, vaši synovia ich kým vyháňajú? Preto oni budú vašimi sudcami. 28Ale jestli ja Duchom Božím vyháňam démonov, vtedy nečakane prišlo k vám kráľovstvo Božie. 29Alebo jako môže niekto vojsť do domu silného a zlúpiť jeho náradie, keby prv nepoviazal toho silného? Len potom olúpi jeho dom. 30Ten, kto nie je so mnou, je proti mne, a kto neshromažďuje so mnou, rozptyľuje 31Preto vám hovorím, že každý hriech a každé rúhanie bude odpustené ľuďom, ale rúhanie sa proti Duchu nebude odpustené ľuďom. 32A kto by povedal slovo proti Synovi človeka, bude mu odpustené; ale kto by povedal proti Svätému Duchu, nebude mu odpustené ani v tomto veku ani v budúcom. 33Ale urobte strom dobrým, a urobíte i jeho ovocie dobrým; alebo urobte strom zlým, a urobíte i jeho ovocie zlým. Lebo strom sa pozná po ovocí. 34Plemä vreteníc, ako vy môžete vravieť dobré veci, keď ste zlí? Lebo čím je preplnené srdce, to hovoria ústa. 35Dobrý človek z dobrého pokladu srdca vynáša dobré veci, a zlý človek zo zlého pokladu vynáša zlé veci. 36Ale hovorím vám, že z každého prázdneho slova, ktoré povedia ľudia, vydajú počet v deň súdu; 37lebo zo svojich slov budeš ospravedlnený a zo svojich slov budeš odsúdený. 38Vtedy mu povedali niektorí zo zákonníkov a z farizeov a povedali: Učiteľu, chceme od teba vidieť znamenie. 39Ale on odpovedal a riekol im: Pokolenie, zlé a cudzoložné, vyhľadáva znamenie, ale mu nebude dané znamenie, iba znamenie proroka Jonáša. 40Lebo jako bol Jonáš v bruchu veľryby tri dni a tri noci, tak bude i Syn človeka v srdci zeme tri dni a tri noci. 41Mužovia Ninivänia povstanú na súde s týmto pokolením a odsúdia ho, lebo činili pokánie na kázeň Jonášovu, a hľa, tu je viac ako Jonáš. 42Kráľovná juhu vstane na súde s týmto pokolením a odsúdi ho, lebo prišla z ďalekých končín zeme počuť múdrosť Šalamúnovu, a hľa, tu je viac ako Šalamún. 43Ale keď vyjde nečistý duch z človeka, chodí po miestach, kde nieto vody, hľadajúc odpočinutie a nenachádza, 44vtedy hovorí: Navrátim sa do svojho domu, odkiaľ som vyšiel. A keď prijde, najde prázdny, vymetený a vyzdobený; 45vtedy ide a pojme so sebou sedem iných duchov, horších ako je sám, a vojdúc prebývajú tam, a posledné veci toho človeka bývajú horšie ako prvé. Tak sa stane i tomuto zlému pokoleniu. 46A kým ešte hovoril zástupom, hľa, prišli a stáli vonku jeho matka i jeho bratia hľadajúc príležitosť s ním prehovoriť. 47A ktosi mu povedal: Hľa, tvoja matka i tvoji bratia stoja vonku a chcú s tebou hovoriť. 48Ale on odpovedajúc riekol tomu, kto mu to povedal: Kto je moja matka, a kto sú moji bratia? 49A vztiahnuc svoju ruku na svojich učeníkov povedal: Hľa, moja matka i moji bratia! 50Lebo ktokoľvek by činil vôľu môjho Otca, ktorý je v nebesiach, ten je mojím bratom i sestrou i matkou.
Matthew Henry - Concise Commentary 1 Being in the corn-fields, the disciples began to pluck the ears of corn: the law of God allowed it,
Deut 23:25. This was slender provision for Christ and his disciples; but they were content with it. The Pharisees did not quarrel with them for taking another man's corn, but for doing it on the sabbath day. Christ came to free his followers, not only from the corruptions of the Pharisees, but from their unscriptural rules, and justified what they did. The greatest shall not have their lusts indulged, but the meanest shall have their wants considered. Those labours are lawful on the sabbath day which are necessary, and sabbath rest is to froward, not to hinder sabbath worship. Needful provision for health and food is to be made; but when servants are kept at home, and families become a scene of hurry and confusion on the Lord's day, to furnish a feast for visitors, or for indulgence, the case is very different. Such things as these, and many others common among professors, are to be blamed. The resting on the sabbath was ordained for man's good,
Deut 5:14. No law must be understood so as to contradict its own end. And as Christ is the Lord of the sabbath, it is fit the day and the work of it should be dedicated to him.
9 Christ shows that works of mercy are lawful and proper to be done on the Lord's day. There are more ways of doing well upon sabbath days, than by the duties of worship: attending the sick, relieving the poor, helping those who need speedy relief, teaching the young to care for their souls; these are doing good: and these must be done from love and charity, with humility and self-denial, and shall be accepted,
Gen 4:7. This, like other cures which Christ wrought, had a spiritual meaning. By nature our hands are withered, and we are unable of ourselves to do any thing that is good. Christ only, by the power of his grace, cures us; he heals the withered hand by putting life into the dead soul, works in us both to will and to do: for, with the command, there is a promise of grace given by the word.
14 The Pharisees took counsel to find some accusation, that Jesus might be condemned to death. Aware of their design, as his time was not come, he retired from that place. Face does not more exactly answer to face in water, than the character of Christ drawn by the prophet, to his temper and conduct as described by the evangelists. Let us with cheerful confidence commit our souls to so kind and faithful a Friend. Far from breaking, he will strengthen the bruised reed; far from quenching the smoking flax, or wick nearly out, he will rather blow it up into a flame. Let us lay aside contentious and angry debates; let us receive one another as Christ receives us. And while encouraged by the gracious kindness of our Lord, we should pray that his Spirit may rest upon us, and make us able to copy his example.
22 A soul under Satan's power, and led captive by him, is blind in the things of God, and dumb at the throne of grace; sees nothing, and says nothing to the purpose. Satan blinds the eyes by unbelief, and seals up the lips from prayer. The more people magnified Christ, the more desirous the Pharisees were to vilify him. It was evident that if Satan aided Jesus in casting out devils, the kingdom of hell was divided against itself; how then could it stand! And if they said that Jesus cast out devils by the prince of the devils, they could not prove that their children cast them out by any other power. There are two great interests in the world; and when unclean spirits are cast out by the Holy Spirit, in the conversion of sinners to a life of faith and obedience, the kingdom of God is come unto us. All who do not aid or rejoice in such a change are against Christ.
31 Here is a gracious assurance of the pardon of all sin upon gospel terms. Christ herein has set an example to the sons of men, to be ready to forgive words spoken against them. But humble and conscientious believers, at times are tempted to think they have committed the unpardonable sin, while those who have come the nearest to it, seldom have any fear about it. We may be sure that those who indeed repent and believe the gospel, have not committed this sin, or any other of the same kind; for repentance and faith are the special gifts of God, which he would not bestow on any man, if he were determined never to pardon him; and those who fear they have committed this sin, give a good sign that they have not. The trembling, contrite sinner, has the witness in himself that this is not his case.
33 Men's language discovers what country they are of, likewise what manner of spirit they are of. The heart is the fountain, words are the streams. A troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring, must send forth muddy and unpleasant streams. Nothing but the salt of grace, cast into the spring, will heal the waters, season the speech, and purify the corrupt communication. An evil man has an evil treasure in his heart, and out of it brings forth evil things. Lusts and corruptions, dwelling and reigning in the heart, are an evil treasure, out of which the sinner brings forth bad words and actions, to dishonour God, and hurt others. Let us keep constant watch over ourselves, that we may speak words agreeable to the Christian character.
38 Though Christ is always ready to hear and answer holy desires and prayers, yet those who ask amiss, ask and have not. Signs were granted to those who desired them to confirm their faith, as Abraham and Gideon; but denied to those who demanded them to excuse their unbelief. The resurrection of Christ from the dead by his own power, called here the sign of the prophet Jonah, was the great proof of Christ's being the Messiah. As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale, and then came out again alive, thus Christ would be so long in the grave, and then rise again. The Ninevites would shame the Jews for not repenting; the queen of Sheba, for not believing in Christ. And we have no such cares to hinder us, we come not to Christ upon such uncertainties. This parable represents the case of the Jewish church and nation. It is also applicable to all those who hear the word of God, and are in part reformed, but not truly converted. The unclean spirit leaves for a time, but when he returns, he finds Christ is not there to shut him out; the heart is swept by outward reformation, but garnished by preparation to comply with evil suggestions, and the man becomes a more decided enemy of the truth. Every heart is the residence of unclean spirits, except those which are temples of the Holy Ghost, by faith in Christ.
46 Christ's preaching was plain, easy, and familiar, and suited to his hearers. His mother and brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him, when they should have been standing within, desiring to hear him. Frequently, those who are nearest to the means of knowledge and grace are most negligent. We are apt to neglect that which we think we may have any day, forgetting that to-morrow is not ours. We often meet with hinderances in our work from friends about us, and are taken off by care for the things of this life, from the concerns of our souls. Christ was so intent on his work, that no natural or other duty took him from it. Not that, under pretence of religion, we may be disrespectful to parents, or unkind to relations; but the lesser duty must stand by, while the greater is done. Let us cease from men, and cleave to Christ; let us look upon every Christian, in whatever condition of life, as the brother, sister, or mother of the Lord of glory; let us love, respect, and be kind to them, for his sake, and after his example.