This website is AudioEye enabled and is being optimized for accessibility. To open the AudioEye Toolbar, press “shift + =”. Some assistive technologies may require the use of a passthrough function before this keystroke. For more information, activate the button labeled “Explore your accessibility options”.Skip To Main Content

Select a Bible Book                 Select Book                 GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SolomonIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation            Select a ChapterSelect Chapter12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728

Matthew 12 – The Religious Leaders Continue to Reject Jesus

Audio for Matthew 12:

Matthew 12:1-24 – Sabbath Controversies and their Result

Matthew 12:22-50 – The Great Danger of Opposing Jesus

A. Sabbath controversies.

1. (1-2) The Pharisees condemn the disciples of Jesus for supposedly harvesting grain on the Sabbath.

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

a. His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the heads of grain and to eat: There was nothing wrong with what they did, because their gleaning was not considered stealing according to Deuteronomy 23:25. The issue was only the day on which they did it. The rabbis made an elaborate list of “do” and “don’t” items relevant to the Sabbath, and this violated several items on this list.

i. “We incidentally learn from this story that our Lord and his disciples were poor, and that he who fed the multitudes did not use his miraculous power to feed his own followers, but left them till they did what poor men are forced to do to supply a little stay for their stomachs.” (Spurgeon)

ii. The law of Israel allowed people traveling through an area to glean enough grain for a small meal from fields in the area (Deuteronomy 23:25). Farmers were commanded to not completely harvest their crops to leave a little behind for the sake of travelers and the poor.

iii. Matthew just quoted Jesus offering us an easy yoke and a light burden. Now he shows us the kind of heavy burdens and hard yokes the religious leaders put upon the people. When the disciples began to pluck the heads of grain, in the eyes of the religious leaders they were guilty of:

· Reaping.

· Threshing.

· Winnowing.

· Preparing food.

This represented four violations of the Sabbath in one mouthful!

iv. At this time, many rabbis filled Judaism with elaborate rituals related to the Sabbath and observance of other laws. Ancient rabbis taught that on the Sabbath a man could not carry something in his right hand or in his left hand, across his chest or on his shoulder; but he could carry something with the back of his hand, with his foot, elbow, or in the ear, on the hair, in the hem of his shirt, or in his shoe or sandal. On the Sabbath one was forbidden to tie a knot – except a woman could tie a knot in her girdle. So if a bucket of water had to be raised from a well, one could not tie a rope to the bucket, but a woman could tie her girdle to the bucket and then to the rope.

v. “The Jews were so superstitious, concerning the observance of the Sabbath, that in their wars with Antiochus Epiphanes, and the Romans, they thought it a crime even to attempt to defend themselves on the Sabbath: when their enemies observed this, they deterred their operations to that day. It was through this, that Pompey was enabled to take Jerusalem.” (Clarke)

b. Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath: Jesus never violated God’s command to observe the Sabbath or approved of His disciples violating God’s Sabbath command, but He often broke man’s legalistic additions to that law and He sometimes seems to have deliberately broken those human additions.

i. Even some Jewish people in Jesus’ day recognized that the rules about the Sabbath were mostly human additions to the law. Carson quotes an ancient Jewish writing that said, “The rules about the Sabbath…are as mountains hanging by a hair, for Scripture is scanty and the rules are many.”

ii. The Pharisees here seem hard at work supervising and accusing the disciples. This was a greater violation of the Sabbath. “Did they not break the Sabbath by setting a watch over them?” (Spurgeon)

2. (3-8) Jesus defends His disciples.

But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

a. Have you not read what David did when he was hungry: The first principle Jesus presented is simple and illustrated by David’s experience with the priests and the showbread (1 Samuel 21). Jesus reminded them that human need is more important than observing ceremonial rituals.

i. The incident with David was a valid defense, because:

· It was a case of eating.

· It probably happened on the Sabbath (1 Samuel 21:6).

· It concerned not only David, but also his followers.

ii. The context of David’s taking the bread in 1 Samuel 21 shows that it was justified for him to do it. “To have eaten the holy bread out of profanity, or bravado, or levity, might have involved the offender in the judgment of death; but to do so in urgent need was not blameworthy in the case of David.” (Spurgeon)

b. The priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless: The second principle Jesus presented is also simple. The priests themselves break the Sabbath all the time. Perhaps the Pharisees didn’t understand as much about Sabbath observance as they thought they did.

i. “The Temple ritual always involved work – the kindling of fires, the slaughter and the preparation of animals, the lifting of them on to the altar, and a host of other things. This work was actually doubled on the Sabbath, for on the Sabbath the offerings were doubled (cp. e.g. Numbers 28:9).” (Barclay)

ii. The reference to the passage I desire mercy and not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6), and the Pharisees’ lack of understanding of this principle was also a way that Jesus questioned the confidence the Pharisees had in their man-made traditions. They used those traditions to justify lifting principles like sacrifice above principles like mercy, when God would have them do just the opposite.

iii. “Where two laws in respect of some circumstance seem to clash one with another, so as we cannot obey both, our obedience is due to that which is the more excellent law.” (Poole)

c. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath: The third principle was the most dramatic, based on who Jesus is. He is greater than the temple, even as much as they honored and valued the temple. Even more so, He is Lord even of the Sabbath.

i. This was a direct claim to Deity. Jesus said that He had the authority to know if His disciples broke the Sabbath law, because He is the Lord even of the Sabbath.

ii. Jesus was indeed greater than the temple. Considering how highly the temple was regarded in the days of Jesus, this was a shocking statement. Yet the temple as it stood in Jesus’ day did not have the ark of the covenant, that important demonstration of the throne and presence of God. Yet Jesus was a much greater demonstration of the presence of God – He was God made flesh! The temple also lacked the Shekinah, the Urim and Thummim, and the sacred fire from heaven. Yet Jesus is all these things to us; He is surely greater than the temple.

iii. Since Jesus is greater than the temple, we should regard Him as so.

· The temple was admired with love and wonder; we should admire Jesus even more.

· The temple was joyfully visited; we should come to Jesus with even more joy.

· The temple was honored as a holy place; we should honor Jesus even more so.

· The temple was a place of sacrifice and service; we should do even more for Jesus.

· The temple was a place for worship; we should worship Jesus even more.

3. (9-14) A controversy regarding healing on the Sabbath.

Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”; that they might accuse Him. Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

a. He went into their synagogue: A general theme through this section of Matthew is the rising opposition against Jesus. Sometimes this opposition is expressed against Him directly and sometimes attacks on His disciples. Yet we see that Jesus, as a faithful Jewish man, continued to go to synagogue normally. We might say that Jesus was a faithful church-going man, even when He had reason not to be.

i. “Jesus set the example of attending public worship. The synagogues had no divine appointment to authorize them, but in the nature of things it must be right and good to meet for the worship of God on his own day, and therefore Jesus was there. He had nothing to learn, yet he went up to the assembly on the day which the Lord God had hallowed.” (Spurgeon)

b. A man who had a withered hand: At best, the religious leaders saw the man with the withered hand as an interesting test case. It is more likely that they saw the man as bait for a Sabbath controversy trap for Jesus. In contrast, Jesus looked at the man through eyes of compassion.

i. These accusers also knew Jesus would do something when He saw this man in need. In this sense, these critics had more faith than many of us. We sometimes seem to doubt that Jesus wants to really or miraculously meet the needs of others.

c. Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath: Jesus exposed their hypocrisy by showing their greater concern for their own possessions than for a man in need, arguing persuasively that it can’t be wrong to do good on the Sabbath. Then Jesus compassionately healed the man.

i. “The withered hand was literally ‘dry’, i.e. lifeless, perhaps paralysed; the man was thus not in imminent danger of death, which alone justified treatment on the sabbath according to Mishnah Yoma 8:6. He could just as well be healed the next day.” (France)

d. Stretch out your hand: When Jesus commanded the man “stretch out your hand,” He commanded the man to do something impossible in his current condition. But Jesus gave both the command and the ability to fulfill it, and the man put forth the effort and was healed.

i. “The man’s hand was withered; but God’s mercy had still preserved to him the use of his feet: He uses them to bring him to the public worship of God, and Jesus meets and heals him there.” (Clarke)

ii. “He stretched out his restored hand, assuming that not till restored could the hand be stretched out. The healing and the outstretching may be conceived as contemporaneous.” (Bruce)

iii. “Christ sometimes used the ceremony of laying on his hand; here he doth not, to let us know that that was but a sign of what was done by his power.” (Poole)

e. Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him: In response to this display of compassion, power, and wisdom the Pharisees, in the hardness of their hearts, did not respond in reverent worship and submission but in hardened, murderous rejection.

i. This is a significant development in the opposition against Jesus from the religious leaders. “Hitherto, they had been content with finding fault; now it is come to plotting against His life – a tribute to His power…Such is the evil fruit of Sabbath controversies.” (Bruce)

ii. Luke 6:11 says that the critics of Jesus were filled with rage when Jesus healed this man. Which was more a violation of the Sabbath: When Jesus healed a man, or when these hate-filled men plotted the murder of a godly Man who never sinned against anybody?

4. (15-21) In spite of the rejection of the religious leaders, the common people still follow Jesus, and He remains God’s chosen servant.

But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“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 will declare justice to the Gentiles.
He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;
And in His name Gentiles will trust.”

a. But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there: For a time, Jesus withdrew somewhat from public ministry as the opposition rose against Him. This was not out of cowardice, but in respect to God the Father’s timing for the course and culmination of His ministry. It could not be allowed to peak too soon.

b. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all: Jesus did what He could to escape the press of the crowds, but the crowds simply followed Him. Nevertheless, He responded with compassion and He healed them all.

i. This is one of the few references in the gospels of Jesus healing all on a specific occasion, yet it is important and appropriate here. Matthew wants us to know that the press of the crowd did not make Jesus impatient or angry. He also wants us to know that the determination of this crowd was evidence of their faith; therefore, all were healed.

c. Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen: The quotation from Isaiah 42:1-5 speaks of the gentle character of the Messiah, who is the Servant of Yahweh. This was a common and important designation of Jesus.

i. Jesus described Himself as a servant in Matthew 20:25-28, Matthew 23:11, Mark 9:35, Mark 10:43-45. Peter, in his Acts 3 sermon, gives our Savior the title His Servant Jesus (Acts 3:13 and 3:26). In Acts 4, the praying people of God spoke of Your holy Servant Jesus (Acts 4:27, 4:30). But Jesus isn’t just a servant. He is The Servant, and everyone should behold, as the LORD says, My Servant.

ii. Jesus the Servant is an example to us as servants, but He is so much more than that. He is our Servant. He serves us; not only in what He did in the past, but also He serves us every day through His constant love, care, guidance, and intercession. Jesus did not stop serving when He went to heaven; He serves all His people more effectively than ever from heaven.

d. He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets: This doesn’t mean that Jesus never spoke loudly. It refers to His gentle, lowly heart and actions. Jesus didn’t make His way by an overpowering personality and loud, overwhelming talk. Instead, Jesus made an impression upon others by the Spirit of God upon Him.

e. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench: This is another reference to the gentle character of Jesus. A reed is a fairly fragile plant, yet if a reed is bruised the Servant will handle it so gently that He will not break it. And if flax, used as a wick for an oil lamp, does not flame but only smokes, He will not quench it into extinguishing. Instead, the Servant will gently nourish the smoking flax, fanning it into flame again.

i. Often we feel that God deals roughly with our weaknesses and failures. Just the opposite is true. He deals with them gently, tenderly, helping them along until the bruised reed is strong and the smoking flax is in proper flame.

ii. Jesus sees the value in a bruised reed, even when no one else can. He can make beautiful music come from a bruised reed, as He puts His strength in it! Though a smoking flax is good for nothing, Jesus knows it is valuable for what it can be when it is refreshed with oil. Many of us are like the bruised reed, and we need to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16). Others are like the smoking flax, and can only burn brightly for the LORD again when we are drenched in oil, with a constant supply coming, as we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

f. In His name Gentiles will trust: Finally, the quotation from Isaiah 42 also speaks of the ultimate ministry of Jesus to the Gentiles. This was something surprising – and perhaps even offensive – to Matthew’s Jewish readers, but it is obviously Scriptural, according to Isaiah 42.

B. Continuing rejection by the religious leaders.

1. (22-24) Jesus delivers a man possessed by a demon.

Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

a. He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw: Again, Jesus displayed His complete power and authority over demons, casting out demonic powers that the traditions of the day considered impossible.

b. Could this be the Son of David: The crowds reacted with Messianic expectation, but the religious leaders responded by attributing Jesus’ power to the prince of demons (This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub).

i. “The Pharisees’ accusation amounts to a charge of sorcery, one which continued to be leveled against Jesus in later Jewish polemic.” (France)

ii. “Let others censure with the Pharisees; let us wonder with the multitudes.” (Trapp)

2. (25-29) Jesus answers the accusation that He works by Satan’s power.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

a. But Jesus knew their thoughts: This was remarkable, but not necessarily a mark of the divinity of Jesus. The Holy Spirit can give the gift of supernatural knowledge to an individual (the word of knowledge mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8).

b. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation: Jesus logically observed that it makes no sense for Satan to cast out Satan. The Pharisees needed to explain how Satan benefited by the work Jesus had just done.

i. “One devil may yield and give place to another, to gain a greater advantage for the whole society, but one never quarrelleth with another.” (Poole)

ii. “Satan may be wicked, He says in effect, but he is not a fool.” (Bruce) “Whatever fault the devils have, they are not at strife with each other; that fault is reserved for the servants of a better Master.” (Spurgeon)

c. By whom do your sons cast them out: Jesus asked a question based on their (wrong) premise that He operated by Satan’s power. If that were true, then how did their own Jewish exorcists cast them out?

i. “The Jewish exorcists operated in conventional fashion by use of herbs and magical formulae, and the results were probably insignificant. The practice was sanctioned by custom, and harmless. But in casting out devils, as in all other things, Jesus was original, and His method was too effectual. His power, manifest to all, was His offence.” (Bruce)

ii. “Envy causes persons often to condemn in one, what they approve in another.” (Spurgeon)

iii. I cast out demons by the Spirit of God: “Though our Lord had power all his own, he honored the Spirit of God, and worked by his energy, and mentioned the fact that he did so.” (Spurgeon)

d. And then he will plunder his house: Using an analogy, Jesus explained His authority to bind Satan’s power. He is stronger than the strong man is. In so doing, Jesus presented a valuable principle in spiritual warfare as we remember that Jesus gives us the permission to use His name and authority, giving us the strength we need in binding the strong man.

i. Jesus also made it clear that He was the stronger man who was not captive under the strong man. His message was, “I’m not under Satan’s power. Instead, I’m proving that I am stronger than he is by casting him out of those he has possessed.” “The very fact that I have been able so successfully to invade Satan’s territory is proof that he is bound and powerless to resist.” (Barclay)

ii. Jesus looks at every life delivered from Satan’s domination and says, “I’m plundering the kingdom of Satan one life at a time.” There is nothing in our life that must stay under Satan’s domination. The One who binds the strong man and will plunder his goods is our risen Lord.

3. (30-32) Jesus reveals the desperate place of those who could be hardened enough to attribute His workings to Satanic power.

“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”

a. He who is not with Me is against Me: Jesus first removed illusions about any neutral response to Him or His work. If one is not for Him, then that one is against Him. If one does not work with Jesus, by either active opposition or passive disregard, that one works against Jesus (he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad).

i. “Only two forces are at work in the world, the gathering and the scattering. Whoever does the one contradicts the other.” (Morgan)

b. Blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven: Jesus solemnly warned the religious leaders against rejecting Him. Their rejection of Jesus – especially considered what they had seen of Jesus and His work – showed that they were completely rejecting the Holy Spirit’s ministry. That ministry is to testify to Jesus, hence the warning of committing the unforgivable sin.

i. The Holy Spirit’s main ministry is to testify of Jesus (He will testify of Me, John 15:26). When that testimony of Jesus is fully and finally rejected, one has truly blasphemed the Holy Spirit and essentially called Him a liar in respect to His testimony about Jesus. The religious leaders were close to this.

ii. To reject Jesus from a distance or with little information is bad; to reject the testimony of the Holy Spirit about Jesus is fatal.

c. It will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come: The eternal consequences of this sin force us to regard it seriously. Therefore, how can one know if they have in fact blasphemed the Holy Spirit? The fact that one desires Jesus at all shows that they are not guilty of this sin. Yet continued rejection of Jesus makes us more hardened against Him and puts us on the path of a full and final rejection of Him.

i. Some people – as a joke or a dare – intentionally say words they suppose commit the sin of blasphemy against the Spirit. They think it a light thing to joke with eternity. Yet true blasphemy against the Spirit is more than a formula of words; it is a settled disposition of life that rejects the testimony of the Holy Spirit regarding Jesus. Even if someone has intentionally said such things, they can still repent and prevent a settled rejection of Jesus.

ii. “Many sincere people have been grievously troubled with apprehensions that they had committed the unpardonable sin; but let it be observed that no man who believes the Divine mission of Jesus Christ, ever can commit this sin: therefore let no man’s heart fail because of it, from henceforth and for ever, Amen.” (Clarke)

4. (33-37) The words of the religious leaders betray the depravity of their hearts.

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

a. A tree is known by its fruit: The bad fruit of their words (when they condemned Jesus) betrayed the bad root growing in their hearts. If they got their hearts right with God, their words about Jesus would also be right.

b. Brood of vipers! With these words, Jesus essentially called the religious leaders “sons of Satan.” They were a generation associated with the serpent, not with God. It was this evil nature that made them speak evil of Jesus (How can you, being evil, speak good things).

c. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks: Our words reveal our heart. If there were good treasure in the heart of these religious leaders, it would show itself in good things.

i. For every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment: “Idle and wasted words are to be accounted for; what then of evil and wicked?” (Trapp)

ii. Adam Clarke said that the sense of the ancient Greek word used for an idle word is “a word that does nothing, that neither ministers grace nor instruction to them who hear it.” If this is true, many preachers might find themselves guilty of this sin.

d. By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned: By this Jesus answered an anticipated objection – that He made too much of mere words. Instead, because words reflect the heart, one can be rightly judged by their words.

i. Paul also wrote about the importance of our words: That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

C. The scribes and Pharisees request a sign from Jesus.

1. (38-40) Jesus responds to the request from the scribes and Pharisees.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

a. Teacher, we want to see a sign from You: Their desire to see a sign really expressed another way in which they hoped to reject Him. If Jesus did provide a sign, they would find some way to speak against it, thus proving to themselves that Jesus was who they already thought He was – an emissary of Satan (Matthew 12:24).

i. “The apparent respect and earnestness of the request are feigned: ‘teacher, we desire from you (emphatic position) to see a sign’. It reminds one of the mock homage of the soldiers at the Passion (Matthew 27:27-31).” (Bruce)

ii. “Had not Christ shown them signs enough? What were all the miracles he had wrought in their sight? They either speak this out of a further idle curiosity…or else they speak it in direct opposition.” (Poole)

b. An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign: Jesus condemned their seeking after a sign, especially when countless signs had already happened before their eyes. It is easy to overestimate the power of miraculous signs to change the heart of doubters and skeptics.

c. The sign of the prophet Jonah: Jesus assured them of a sign, but the great sign He would show was the sign of a resurrected Jesus. Jonah was a prophet in the sense beyond his preaching to Nineveh; also his life was a prophecy of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

d. As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish: Jonah was indeed a picture of the work of Jesus. Jonah gave his life to appease the wrath of God coming upon others. But death did not hold him; after three days and nights of imprisonment, he was alive and free. This is a glorious picture of Jesus in an unexpected place.

i. Because Jesus here refers to three days and three nights, some think that Jesus had to spend at least 72 hours in the grave. This upsets most chronologies of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and is unnecessary – because it doesn’t take into account the use of ancient figures of speech. Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah (around the year AD 100; cited in Clarke and other sources) explained this way of speaking when he wrote: “A day and a night make a whole day, and a portion of a whole day is reckoned as a whole day.” This demonstrates how in Jesus’ day, the phrase three days and three nights did not necessarily mean a full 72-hour period, but a period including at least the portions of three days and three nights. There may be other good reasons for challenging the traditional chronology of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but it is not necessary in order to fulfill the words of Jesus here.

ii. If Jesus rose from the dead on the first day or on the fifth day, we could say “Jesus was a liar and a false prophet. He said He would rise again on the third day, but He got it wrong.” But Jesus didn’t get it wrong. He never does.

iii. Yet we should not miss the central point here. “You are asking for a sign – I am God’s sign. You have failed to recognize me. The Ninevites recognized God’s warning in Jonah; the Queen of Sheba recognized God’s wisdom in Solomon.” (Barclay)

2. (41-42) Jesus announces the condemnation of the religious leaders at the hands of the Ninevites and the queen of the South.

“The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.”

a. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it: Simply put, greater light requires greater judgment. Both Nineveh and the queen of the South repented even though they had a lesser light shining in their midst. The rejection of the greater light by the religious leaders was indefensible.

i. Adam Clarke described several ways that the witness of Jesus was greater than Jonah.

· “Christ, who preached to the Jews, was infinitely greater than Jonah, in his nature, person, and mission.”

· “Jonah preached repentance in Nineveh only forty days, and Christ preached among the Jews for several years.”

· “Jonah wrought no miracles to authorize his preaching; but Christ wrought miracles every day, in every place where he went, and of every kind.”

· “Notwithstanding all this, the people of Judea did not repent, though the people of Nineveh did.”

b. A greater than Solomon is here: Solomon was the son of David, and one of the great messianic titles of Jesus is “Son of David.” Jesus was a much greater Son of David than Solomon was.

i. We again are impressed by the greatness of Jesus’ self-claim. To stand in front of these religious leaders and claim to be greater than Israel’s richest and wisest king was audacious. Yet the seeming audacity of Jesus was well justified.

3. (43-45) The dangerous consequences of their rejection of Jesus.

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

a. When an unclean spirit goes out of a man: In context, the main point of Jesus was not upon principles of demon possession. He explained the seriousness of rejecting Him as completely as the religious leaders had.

i. This rejection and opposition of Jesus would leave them much worse off than ever before. This wicked generation – exemplified by the religious leaders who were rejecting Jesus – would find their last state…worse than the first. In large measure they rejected Jesus because He wasn’t messianic enough for their taste, in the sense of being a political and military messiah. Yet their thirst for this kind of messiah would lead them to ruin by AD 70.

ii. Yet the use of the illustration shows us some interesting principles of demon possession, and shows us that Jesus regarded it as a real phenomenon and not just a contemporary superstition. “If there had been no reality in demoniacal possessions, our Lord would have scarcely appealed to a case of this kind here, to point out the real state of the Jewish people, and the desolation which was coming upon them.” (Clarke)

b. When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none: Apparently demons (or at least some of them) desire a human host and look for a place among the empty, seeing it as an invitation.

i. “The devil cannot be at rest where he hath no mischief to do to men.” (Poole)

ii.  I will return to my house: “The foul fiend calls the man, ‘My house.’ His audacity is amazing. He did not build or buy that house, and he has no right to it.” (Spurgeon)

iii. A demon can only inhabit someone if he finds it empty – that is, without the indwelling Spirit of Jesus Christ. If it is empty, it does not matter to the demon if it is also swept, and put in order. “The devil has no objection to his house being swept and garnished; for a moralist may be as truly his slave as the man of debauched habits. So long as the heart is not occupied by his great foe, and he can use the man for his own purposes, the adversary of souls will let him reform as much as he pleases.” (Spurgeon)

iv. If we are filled with Jesus – being born again by the Spirit of God – then we cannot be empty and therefore inhabited by demons. “Though he shake his chain at us, he cannot fasten his fangs in us.” (Trapp)

c. And the last state of that man is worse than the first: This presses the urgency of being filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ. There is something worse than being simply demon possessed; one can be possessed in a greater measure unto great misery. The answer to such misery is to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

4. (46-50) Jesus identifies His true family.

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

a. His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him: Considering the general context of opposition to Jesus, it may well be that the family of Jesus wanted to appeal to Him to not be so controversial in His ministry.

i. “The members of his family had come to take him, because they thought him beside himself. No doubt the Pharisees had so represented his ministry to his relatives that they thought they had better restrain him.” (Spurgeon)

b. Who is My mother and who are My brothers: We might have expected that Jesus’ family would have special privileges before Him. It almost surprises us that they did not have such special privileges.

i. Who is My mother: Mary, the mother of Jesus, had no special favor with Jesus either then or now. She stands as a wonderful example of one who was privileged by God and stood by Jesus, but she is not on a higher level than anyone who does the will of My Father in heaven.

ii. Who are My brothers: Jesus plainly had brothers. The Roman Catholic idea of the perpetual virginity of Mary is in contradiction to the plain meaning of the Bible. But the brothers of Jesus never seemed to be supportive of His ministry before His death and resurrection (John 7:5).

iii. “The most natural way to understand ‘brothers’ is that the term refers to sons of Mary and Joseph and thus to brothers of Jesus on his mother’s side.” Efforts to make brothers mean something else are “nothing less than farfetched exegesis in support of a dogma that originated much later than the New Testament.” (Carson)

c. For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother: These beloved ones who do the will of God stand in contrast to the evil and adulterous generation represented by the Pharisees (Matthew 12:39).

i. “He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” (Spurgeon)

ii. We can see this as a gracious invitation – even to these religious leaders who deepened their hostility against Jesus and plotted against Him. They could still come and be part of His family.

iii. “Those are the best acknowledged relatives of Christ who are united to him by spiritual ties, and who are become one with him by the indwelling of his Spirit. We generally suppose that Christ’s relatives must have shared much of his affectionate attention; and doubtless they did: but here we find that whosoever does the will of God is equally esteemed by Christ, as his brother, sister, or even his virgin mother.” (Clarke)

iv. “The only thing to be further learned from this paragraph is, how dear believers and holy persons are to Christ; he counts them as dear as mother, brethren, or sisters, and thereby teacheth us the esteem we ought to have for such.” (Poole)

Tweet

Pin2

Share

2Shares

© 1996-2025 Copyright – The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik       |      Site Hosted & Maintained by Local View Digital Marketing    |    Privacy Policy

null

Skip to Content

2BeLikeChristOpen Menu

Matthew 12 Bible Study Notes

Jun 15 

Written By Luke Taylor

MATTHEW 12

Mat 12:1 – At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 

Mat 12:2 – But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 

Mat 12:3 – He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 

Mat 12:4 – how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 

Mat 12:5 – Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 

Mat 12:6 – I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 

Mat 12:7 – And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 

Mat 12:8 – For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

Verse 1-2

• It was the Sabbath Day (Saturday) and the Pharisees accused Jesus’ disciples of doing “work,” which they were forbidden to do on Sabbath. 
• You can imagine how closely the Pharisees must have watched Jesus as they stalked Him every Sabbath just waiting for Him to give them some ammunition 
• APPLICATION:
  • When religious commands are weaponized to condemn others, while being stripped of any God focused meaning, we’ve got a problem with our religion.
  • The Pharisees observed the Sabbath but not in devotion to God 
  • They observed the Sabbath so they could look down their noses at other people who didn’t do it as well. 
  • We can observe “religious commands” without worship in our hearts but instead so that we can claim to be the best “Bible followers” and look down our noses at others. 
  • Being a “Bible authoritarian” and a true worshipper of God are two different things. 
  • Jesus is about to lay this out for the Pharisees

Verse 3-4

• Verse three describes a situation where King David ate the “holy bread.”
  • You can read this account in 1Sam 21:1-7
  • The holy bread was a special bread made by the priest and was only to be eaten by priests (Lev 24:5-9)
• David was not a priest but was in need of food when he ate the bread. 
• Why does Jesus bring up this story?
• I will present two explanations of Jesus words and later I will tell you which I prefer.
  • (1) Some argue Jesus brought this example up because David’s actions were condemnable.
    • But the Jewish elite held David in high respect and never condemned him for eating the holy bread 
    • In excusing David, they revealed their hypocrisy when they condemning Jesus’ Apostles. 
  • (2) Others argue Jesus brought this example up because David’s actions were not condemnable.
    • Although not found in Matthew’s record of this event, Mark records another statement of Jesus in this discourse. 
    • Mar 2:27  And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 
    • Jesus is saying the Pharisees don’t understand the Sabbath command.
      • To them, it is nothing more than a ritual that must be observed no matter what the cost in human suffering and inconvenience. 
      • Jesus appears to say otherwise. 
      • Men were not created to be servants of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was created as a day of rest for the benefit of men. 
    • In condemning Jesus’ Apostles they reveal their ignorance about the true heart of the Law of God. 
    • Similar in many ways to His Sermon on the Mount. 
• In my view, the second of the two interpretations is correct.
  • If verses 3-4 stood alone without context, I would favor the first interpretation. 
  • But in light of the following verses and Mark 2:27, I believe the second interpretation is more likely correct. 

Verse 5

• Jesus again proves the Pharisees don’t understand the laws of God surrounding the Sabbath. 
• According to the Pharisee’s interpretation of “profaning” the Sabbath, their very own priest profaned the Sabbath every Saturday. 
• Why does Jesus bring this up?
  • The priests performed “work” on the Sabbath and it was part of God’s Law. 
  • They killed animals and offered sacrifices (Num 28:9-10)
  • And they did it in the most sacred location on earth, the Temple. 
  • So, if the Pharisees interpretation of the law was valid, the Temple was profaned every week, yet the Pharisees weren’t busting down the Temple gates to punish the sinful priests. 
  • The Pharisees understood much less than they thought they understood about the Law.
  • It seems He is making the point made with His example of David, contrary to the self-righteous interpretation of Sabbath put forward by the Pharisees, there was more to the Sabbath law than just ritual and it was not an absolute law for absolutely every situation. 

Verse 6

• What was greater than the Temple?
• Jesus was greater than the Temple.
  • The Temple had been the place of God’s presence on earth during the Mosaic era.
  • But now Christ was the embodied presence of God on earth. 
• If the priests were profaning the most holy Temple by breaking the Sabbath, it was definitely something to be concerned about. 
• If the Apostles were profaning something even greater than the Temple by breaking the Sabbath (Jesus), it was definitely something to be concerned about… And yet, Jesus wasn’t concerned. 
• No violation of the Law had occurred.
• If the Sabbath made an exception for the work in the Temple, it would certainly make exception for Christ. 

Verse 7

• “I desire mercy, and no sacrifice” is quoted from Hos 6:6 and you may also recognize it from 9:13.
  • Hos 6:6  For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. 
• If the Pharisees had a better grasp of this Scripture’s meaning, they would not have condemned the innocent Apostles. 
• What does it mean?
  • The Sabbath command was a direct command from God and was to be heeded. 
  • Loving your neighbor was a direct command from God and was to be heeded.
  • The sabbath command was instituted for the good of man 
  • If presented with the choice between the good of man and the stringent keeping of the Sabbath law, the good of man was to take priority.
  • The Sabbath law was designed with this in mind, therefore, laying aside a ritual so that love could take its place was not contrary to Sabbath (this being the exception, rather than the rule).
  • God would rather have mercy and love shown to your neighbor than the expense of them in order to keep a ritual. 
• Imagine you were walking on the road and you saw a man who had been trampled by a cow. What would Jesus have you do if it was Sabbath?
  • Leave the man because carrying him and walking him to the hospital would violate Sabbath?
  • Or show mercy?
• Imagine you were driving to worship and saw a man hit by a car?
  • You are caught between two commands.
    • The command to worship (sacrifice)
    • Or the command to love your neighbor and the command that reads, “the one who knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)
  • To which command are you obedient?
  • I think the answer is right here!
• The Pharisees had this completely backward.
  • They put all the importance on the ritual
  • They put none of the importance on the mercy and love (accusing Jesus of healing on Sabbath and violating the Law.)
• Side Note: It should be noted that the Apostle’s actions were not in any way opposed to God’s Sabbath law. The Pharisees had taken God’s Sabbath law and created more stringent traditions about what could and couldn’t be done. In this text their accusation is only based off of their personal traditions about how to keep Sabbath. Even so, Jesus was able to use it as a teachable moment to reveal their deep misunderstanding of God’s Law.

Verse 8

• Jesus’ claim here is bold and should not be understated. 
• He claims deity in front of the Pharisees
• He had authority to speak on the interpretation of Sabbath law because He was the Lord of the Sabbath. 
• Only God could claim authority over the laws of God.  

Mat 12:9 – He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 

Mat 12:10 – And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. 

https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-5870663200893012&output=html&h=384&adk=4058866609&adf=3945416605&pi=t.aa~a.2563970265~i.30~rp.4&w=384&abgtt=6&lmt=1754263879&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=6437989833&ad_type=text_image&format=384×384&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.2belikechrist.com%2Farticles%2Fmatthew-12-bible-study-notes&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=281&rw=337&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJBbmRyb2lkIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwiIiwiU00tQTE0NlUiLCIxMzguMC43MjA0LjE2OCIsbnVsbCwxLG51bGwsIiIsW1siTm90KUE7QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEzOC4wLjcyMDQuMTY4Il0sWyJHb29nbGUgQ2hyb21lIiwiMTM4LjAuNzIwNC4xNjgiXV0sMF0.&dt=1754263873346&bpp=10&bdt=5932&idt=10&shv=r20250730&mjsv=m202507240101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D5c53871a0edaa8c5%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DALNI_MZlWhacZPoXwCs8OkvzqDLB85n8HQ&gpic=UID%3D00001251b1559900%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DALNI_MZbnB3uOI0qUUQ9zgCLIz9Q0FyFtw&eo_id_str=ID%3D506cb031c8197eec%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DAA-AfjY_tbsApaBXcUe3XO8MhHdA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C384x729%2C384x96&nras=4&correlator=2094850519885&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=-240&u_his=1&u_h=857&u_w=384&u_ah=857&u_aw=384&u_cd=24&u_sd=2.813&dmc=4&adx=0&ady=9509&biw=384&bih=729&scr_x=0&scr_y=4066&eid=95362656%2C95366914%2C42533293%2C95344788%2C95359266%2C95367165&oid=2&psts=AOrYGsm7XZpT465ZgwCArNXvopM_dgKUbv8LMHZgWrttfjyjU88CI_6v7iGVtTZNjsa733wNZbAS8iSENcS1zM7zpbzg3YuQ3OFMDhTKs2S1rVDEbLX2ZA&pvsid=6531879557905922&tmod=1599780458&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C384%2C0%2C384%2C786%2C384%2C785&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1&td=1&tdf=2&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&nt=1&bisch=0&blev=0.5&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=2&fsb=1&dtd=6021

Mat 12:11 – He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 

Mat 12:12 – Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 

Mat 12:13 – Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 

Mat 12:14 – But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. 

Verse 9-12

• This narrative appears to be a continuation of the dialog which just took place. 
• After reeducating the Pharisees on Sabbath, Jesus goes into the synagogue and finds a man with a handicapped hand. 
• If there was ever an illustration of the hard-headedness of the Pharisees, this is one.
  • Jesus just finished talking to them about doing good on the Sabbath day. 
  • Then they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
  • They didn’t ask if Jesus would extend mercy and love to heal the man. 
  • They asked about the legality of the good work 
  • They received an “F” on their comprehension test!
• Again, Jesus takes the opportunity to teach a lesson and point out the Pharisees’ hypocrisy. 
• Evidently, it was considered acceptable to make an exception to the Sabbath law to save a person’s endangered sheep but here they were questioning Jesus’ willingness to save a human being.
  • Rather than helping this handicapped man, the Pharisees were using him as bait to catch Jesus and in a place that was meant for Jewish unity, the synagogue. 
  • You can see where the priorities of the Pharisees lied.
  • This is why Jesus tells them they ignored the weighty matters of the Law. 
  • They cared more about an animal they were going to use to make a sacrifice than a brother in need. 
  • APPLICATION:
    • Do our actions reveal our priorities? 
    • Have you ever been part of a congregation or met a person inside a congregation who would gladly spend $10,000 on new sound equipment to make the sacrifice (worship) sound better, but spending $10,000 on a program to reach the lost souls in their community would never cross their mind?
    • Where is our priority? 
• The Pharisees had completely missed the lesson Jesus taught in verses 1-8 and so He again takes an opportunity to point out their hypocrisy and make it publicly clear how little the “Jewish leaders” knew about true godliness. 
• Jesus restates the principle He just made plain in verses 1-8, “So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
• Sabbath wasn’t a day where doing good went on hold so that they could keep some rules! To see it as such was to miss the point!

Verse 13-14

• After the Pharisees received their second lesson on Sabbath law, Jesus turned His attention to the man with the withered hand and healed Him.
• I want to be more like Jesus in that, while He answered His critics with logic and sound reasoning, He always turned His attention back to those with honest hearts and those in need.
  • I don’t want to get so busy arguing with critics that I forget there are honest hearts out there in the world that need a teacher.
  • I don’t want to make fancy argument and debate my primary Christian pursuit when it should be the simple gospel sowing and caring for orphans and widows. 
  • Jesus answered His critics when it needed done but notice how He almost always does it while He’s doing some other good work. 
  • I want to be like that… I don’t want the critics to be able to find me behind a keyboard somewhere. If they are going to find me, I want them to have to find me out fulfilling some gospel need in the world. 
• Verse 14 reveals the Pharisees did not practice religion out of devotion to God. If godliness was their motivation, they would have had no problem accepting Jesus’ teachings on the Sabbath. They were motivated by pride and the prestige they received in their positions of religious authority.
• Jesus had revealed them to the people, maybe for the first time, as nothing but hypocrites. 
• The pride that motivated them in their religion then motivated them to “destroy” Jesus.

Mat 12:15 – Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 

Mat 12:16 – and ordered them not to make him known. 

https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-5870663200893012&output=html&h=384&adk=4058866609&adf=1708444414&pi=t.aa~a.2563970265~i.43~rp.4&w=384&abgtt=6&lmt=1754263881&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=6437989833&ad_type=text_image&format=384×384&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.2belikechrist.com%2Farticles%2Fmatthew-12-bible-study-notes&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=281&rw=337&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJBbmRyb2lkIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwiIiwiU00tQTE0NlUiLCIxMzguMC43MjA0LjE2OCIsbnVsbCwxLG51bGwsIiIsW1siTm90KUE7QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEzOC4wLjcyMDQuMTY4Il0sWyJHb29nbGUgQ2hyb21lIiwiMTM4LjAuNzIwNC4xNjgiXV0sMF0.&dt=1754263873365&bpp=5&bdt=5950&idt=5&shv=r20250730&mjsv=m202507240101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D5c53871a0edaa8c5%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DALNI_MZlWhacZPoXwCs8OkvzqDLB85n8HQ&gpic=UID%3D00001251b1559900%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DALNI_MZbnB3uOI0qUUQ9zgCLIz9Q0FyFtw&eo_id_str=ID%3D506cb031c8197eec%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DAA-AfjY_tbsApaBXcUe3XO8MhHdA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C384x729%2C384x96%2C384x384%2C384x384%2C384x384&nras=7&correlator=2094850519885&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=-240&u_his=1&u_h=857&u_w=384&u_ah=857&u_aw=384&u_cd=24&u_sd=2.813&dmc=4&adx=0&ady=14211&biw=384&bih=729&scr_x=0&scr_y=4747&eid=95362656%2C95366914%2C42533293%2C95344788%2C95359266%2C95367165&oid=2&psts=AOrYGsm7XZpT465ZgwCArNXvopM_dgKUbv8LMHZgWrttfjyjU88CI_6v7iGVtTZNjsa733wNZbAS8iSENcS1zM7zpbzg3YuQ3OFMDhTKs2S1rVDEbLX2ZA%2CAOrYGsljaeLxv9SLDJUVDD7vjZTK_8oe2UcJdEvPbybhxwRmOHvZG7UItZa8EQFLd0nrNGnCz8qZyfCuPZ2b5FC7tHC-QHM&pvsid=6531879557905922&tmod=1599780458&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C384%2C0%2C384%2C786%2C1536%2C3141&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=1152&bc=31&bz=0.25&td=1&tdf=2&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&nt=1&bisch=0&blev=0.5&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=5&fsb=1&dtd=7749

Mat 12:17 – This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 

Mat 12:18 – “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 

Mat 12:19 – He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; 

Mat 12:20 – a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; 

Mat 12:21 – and in his name the Gentiles will hope.” 

Verse 15-16

• Jesus, knowing the evil intentions of the Pharisees, departed the synagogue. 
• Great multitudes of people followed Him and He healed many people. 
• But after healing them, He told them not to spread the news. 
• Why? 
• Answer: to fulfill the prophecy found in verse 17-21

Verse 17-21

• This prophecy is found in Isaiah 42:1-4
• This prophecy speaks of a gentle, quiet, and even subtle arrival of the LORD’s “Servant.”
• There is no question that the “servant” refers to Christ (see Acts 4:27; 30)
• But how was Jesus’ arrival and ministry gentle and subtle?
  • When we only read the gospel accounts and view Jesus through the eyes of a 1st Century Galilean Jew, it is almost impossible to describe Jesus as gentle and quiet.
    • Multitudes were following Him 
    • He gave the respected Jewish elite a tongue lashing on a daily basis
    • He preached the end of the Mosaic Law. 
    • Hardly a subtle arrival. 
  • But when we step back and view the Messiah from a wider perspective, we may be shocked at just how quietly God arrived on the earth.
    • He was born in secret in a manger 
    • Born to socially insignificant parents 
    • Grew up quietly in a town with poor reputation 
    • Only publicly addressed the world for 3 years
    • Spent most of His time in Galilee which wasn’t exactly the cultural center of the Roman Empire. 
    • Didn’t overthrow any world governments
    • Didn’t claim any position of political authority
    • If you told me God was going to come to earth, I would expect some history book altering event to take place in record time. I would expect the history book publishers to be putting out some updated editions. 
    • But until the resurrection, I think it is fair to say Jesus came quietly. 
• You’ll also notice Jesus was prophesied to bring hope to the Gentiles. 
• Jesus was the Savior, not just of the Jews, but also the Gentiles.  

Mat 12:22  Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 

Mat 12:23  And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 

https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-5870663200893012&output=html&h=384&adk=4058866609&adf=1945869953&pi=t.aa~a.2563970265~i.57~rp.4&w=384&abgtt=6&lmt=1754263881&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=6437989833&ad_type=text_image&format=384×384&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.2belikechrist.com%2Farticles%2Fmatthew-12-bible-study-notes&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=281&rw=337&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJBbmRyb2lkIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwiIiwiU00tQTE0NlUiLCIxMzguMC43MjA0LjE2OCIsbnVsbCwxLG51bGwsIiIsW1siTm90KUE7QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEzOC4wLjcyMDQuMTY4Il0sWyJHb29nbGUgQ2hyb21lIiwiMTM4LjAuNzIwNC4xNjgiXV0sMF0.&dt=1754263873378&bpp=4&bdt=5964&idt=4&shv=r20250730&mjsv=m202507240101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D5c53871a0edaa8c5%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DALNI_MZlWhacZPoXwCs8OkvzqDLB85n8HQ&gpic=UID%3D00001251b1559900%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DALNI_MZbnB3uOI0qUUQ9zgCLIz9Q0FyFtw&eo_id_str=ID%3D506cb031c8197eec%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DAA-AfjY_tbsApaBXcUe3XO8MhHdA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C384x729%2C384x96%2C384x384%2C384x384&nras=6&correlator=2094850519885&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=-240&u_his=1&u_h=857&u_w=384&u_ah=857&u_aw=384&u_cd=24&u_sd=2.813&dmc=4&adx=0&ady=17686&biw=384&bih=729&scr_x=0&scr_y=4747&eid=95362656%2C95366914%2C42533293%2C95344788%2C95359266%2C95367165&oid=2&psts=AOrYGsm7XZpT465ZgwCArNXvopM_dgKUbv8LMHZgWrttfjyjU88CI_6v7iGVtTZNjsa733wNZbAS8iSENcS1zM7zpbzg3YuQ3OFMDhTKs2S1rVDEbLX2ZA%2CAOrYGsljaeLxv9SLDJUVDD7vjZTK_8oe2UcJdEvPbybhxwRmOHvZG7UItZa8EQFLd0nrNGnCz8qZyfCuPZ2b5FC7tHC-QHM&pvsid=6531879557905922&tmod=1599780458&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C384%2C0%2C384%2C786%2C1536%2C3141&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=1152&bc=31&bz=0.25&td=1&tdf=2&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&nt=1&bisch=0&blev=0.5&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=4&fsb=1&dtd=7719

Mat 12:24  But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 

• Next, we have a man who comes to Jesus with a demon which made him blind (couldn’t see) and mute (couldn’t speak). 
• Jesus casts out the demon and the man is healed. 
• Those who surrounded Jesus were amazed at His power and allowed themselves to examine the evidence and consider that Jesus might be the prophesied Son of David who was coming to deliver Israel.
  • The truth was starting to form in the minds of the simple people guided by common sense. 
  • But the “educated” told them it wasn’t so!
  • APPLICATION:
    • Don’ let someone “educate” you out of the common sense God gave you. 
    • We allow ourselves to be “educated” out of understanding simple biblical teaching because someone with a seminary degree told us it wasn’t so. 
    • We allow ourselves to be “educated” out of belief in God because someone with a PH.D. told us the world came about in the most commonsense-less way imaginable. 
  • These common Jews were on to something. Hopefully they didn’t allow the Pharisees nonsense to stop them from pursuing truth. 
• But the Pharisees quickly shot them down, stating that Jesus power came from “Beelzebul, the prince of demons.”

Mat 12:25 – Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 

Mat 12:26 – And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 

https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-5870663200893012&output=html&h=384&adk=4058866609&adf=363900318&pi=t.aa~a.2563970265~i.63~rp.4&w=384&abgtt=6&lmt=1754263881&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=6437989833&ad_type=text_image&format=384×384&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.2belikechrist.com%2Farticles%2Fmatthew-12-bible-study-notes&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=281&rw=337&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJBbmRyb2lkIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwiIiwiU00tQTE0NlUiLCIxMzguMC43MjA0LjE2OCIsbnVsbCwxLG51bGwsIiIsW1siTm90KUE7QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEzOC4wLjcyMDQuMTY4Il0sWyJHb29nbGUgQ2hyb21lIiwiMTM4LjAuNzIwNC4xNjgiXV0sMF0.&dt=1754263873390&bpp=4&bdt=5976&idt=4&shv=r20250730&mjsv=m202507240101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D5c53871a0edaa8c5%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DALNI_MZlWhacZPoXwCs8OkvzqDLB85n8HQ&gpic=UID%3D00001251b1559900%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DALNI_MZbnB3uOI0qUUQ9zgCLIz9Q0FyFtw&eo_id_str=ID%3D506cb031c8197eec%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DAA-AfjY_tbsApaBXcUe3XO8MhHdA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C384x729%2C384x96%2C384x384&nras=5&correlator=2094850519885&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=-240&u_his=1&u_h=857&u_w=384&u_ah=857&u_aw=384&u_cd=24&u_sd=2.813&dmc=4&adx=0&ady=19751&biw=384&bih=729&scr_x=0&scr_y=4747&eid=95362656%2C95366914%2C42533293%2C95344788%2C95359266%2C95367165&oid=2&psts=AOrYGsm7XZpT465ZgwCArNXvopM_dgKUbv8LMHZgWrttfjyjU88CI_6v7iGVtTZNjsa733wNZbAS8iSENcS1zM7zpbzg3YuQ3OFMDhTKs2S1rVDEbLX2ZA%2CAOrYGsljaeLxv9SLDJUVDD7vjZTK_8oe2UcJdEvPbybhxwRmOHvZG7UItZa8EQFLd0nrNGnCz8qZyfCuPZ2b5FC7tHC-QHM&pvsid=6531879557905922&tmod=1599780458&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C384%2C0%2C384%2C786%2C1536%2C3141&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=1152&bc=31&bz=0.25&td=1&tdf=2&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&nt=1&bisch=0&blev=0.5&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=3&fsb=1&dtd=7688

Mat 12:27 – And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 

Mat 12:28 – But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Verse 25-26

• Make no mistake, what the Pharisees were suggesting was nonsense. 
• They were suggesting that Jesus was defeating the Devil’s servants with power derived from the Devil. (Insert face-palm). 
• Jesus immediately rebukes their ignorance.
  • If a Kingdom goes to war with itself it will destroy itself
  • If a household is divided it will have no strength
  • A business man doesn’t try to sabotage his own start-up
  • Satan is not ignorant enough to go to war with himself and his mission.

Verse 27

• If you read 1st Century Jewish history, you’ll find reference to the practice of exorcism.
  • This included chants, incantations, incense, etc. 
  • Jesus power was unique in that the demons submitted to His word. 
• Jesus asks the Pharisees, “If I cast out demons with the power of the Devil, with what power do your Jewish exorcists (your sons) try to cast out demons?”

Verse 28

• If Jesus wasn’t casting demons out with Satan’s power, it must have been through the power of God (Spirit of God).  
• And if God’s Spirit is at work in the world, it signifies the coming of the Kingdom. 
• And if God had come to overthrow the reign and stranglehold of Satan, the Kingdom of God was on its way. 

Verse 29

• If you are going to take something that belongs to a strong man, you first have to find a way to bind him. 
• If this can be done, you will then be able to plunder his house (take what belongs to him). 
• What does this have to do with anything? 
• Jesus is explaining His power over Satan. 
• Satan is the strong man and Jesus has the power to bind him and take what belongs to him.
  • In this case, the demon possessed individual was under Satan’s power
  • Christ came with the Spirit of God to plunder what Satan possessed. 

Verse 30

• Jesus left no middle ground or grey space in which His audience could linger.  
• There are only two sides in the universal conflict between good and evil.
  • You either belong to the power of Satan. 
  • Or you belong to the power of the Spirit of God.
  • Rom 8:9 – You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
  • You either gather with Christ or scatter with Satan.
    • The terms scatter and gather may be alluding to the two ends of the agricultural spectrum. 
    • A sower scatters seed
    • A harvester gathers into barns.
      • Mar 4:26 – And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.
      • Mat 3:12 – His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
    • As the spring planting and fall harvesting couldn’t be farther apart, the power of Satan and the power of Christ couldn’t be farther apart. 

Verse 30-32

• This dichotomy, makes clear the seriousness of rejecting the Spirit of God. 
• Every sin will be forgiven men except the blasphemy of the Spirit. 
• Blasphemy: “the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God.”
• Is there a greater blasphemy than to attribute the works of God to the power of Satan?
  • The Pharisees, with their own tongues, confessed their loyalty… and it wasn’t to Christ. 
  • They chose the side they accused Jesus of drawing power from in order to condemn Him.
  • As long as they persisted in mocking and rejecting the Spirit of God, they would not find forgiveness in this life or the next. 
• Jesus’ work was not yet complete.
  • He still needed to die on the cross, resurrect from the dead, and ascend into heaven. 
  • When that work was accomplished, He would send the Spirit of God to the world.
  • The Spirit would guide men into the truth. 
  • It would testify to the truth taught by Jesus. 
  • It would explain to men and women what they needed to do to be saved by Jesus’ blood. 
  • We know that many Jews who mocked Jesus when He was on earth turned in repentance when the Spirit spoke through Peter on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). 
  • They were forgiven the words they spoke against Christ (namely, “Crucify Him!”)
  • But those who rejected Christ during His life and rejected the messengers of Christ and His Spirit even after His death would not be forgiven until they left off scattering with the Devil and came to gather with Christ. 
• The same is true for us. 
• If we insult the Spirit of grace and count the blood of Jesus a common and unholy thing, we cannot be forgiven until we stop persisting in blasphemy.

Mat 12:33  “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 

Mat 12:34  You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 

https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-5870663200893012&output=html&h=384&adk=4058866609&adf=1581875959&pi=t.aa~a.2563970265~i.85~rp.4&w=384&abgtt=6&lmt=1754263881&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=6437989833&ad_type=text_image&format=384×384&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.2belikechrist.com%2Farticles%2Fmatthew-12-bible-study-notes&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=281&rw=337&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJBbmRyb2lkIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwiIiwiU00tQTE0NlUiLCIxMzguMC43MjA0LjE2OCIsbnVsbCwxLG51bGwsIiIsW1siTm90KUE7QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEzOC4wLjcyMDQuMTY4Il0sWyJHb29nbGUgQ2hyb21lIiwiMTM4LjAuNzIwNC4xNjgiXV0sMF0.&dt=1754263873402&bpp=5&bdt=5988&idt=5&shv=r20250730&mjsv=m202507240101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D5c53871a0edaa8c5%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DALNI_MZlWhacZPoXwCs8OkvzqDLB85n8HQ&gpic=UID%3D00001251b1559900%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DALNI_MZbnB3uOI0qUUQ9zgCLIz9Q0FyFtw&eo_id_str=ID%3D506cb031c8197eec%3AT%3D1754263871%3ART%3D1754263871%3AS%3DAA-AfjY_tbsApaBXcUe3XO8MhHdA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C384x729%2C384x96%2C384x384%2C384x384%2C384x384%2C384x384&nras=8&correlator=2094850519885&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=-240&u_his=1&u_h=857&u_w=384&u_ah=857&u_aw=384&u_cd=24&u_sd=2.813&dmc=4&adx=0&ady=25918&biw=384&bih=729&scr_x=0&scr_y=4747&eid=95362656%2C95366914%2C42533293%2C95344788%2C95359266%2C95367165&oid=2&psts=AOrYGsm7XZpT465ZgwCArNXvopM_dgKUbv8LMHZgWrttfjyjU88CI_6v7iGVtTZNjsa733wNZbAS8iSENcS1zM7zpbzg3YuQ3OFMDhTKs2S1rVDEbLX2ZA%2CAOrYGsljaeLxv9SLDJUVDD7vjZTK_8oe2UcJdEvPbybhxwRmOHvZG7UItZa8EQFLd0nrNGnCz8qZyfCuPZ2b5FC7tHC-QHM&pvsid=6531879557905922&tmod=1599780458&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C384%2C0%2C384%2C786%2C1536%2C3141&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=1152&bc=31&bz=0.25&td=1&tdf=2&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&nt=1&bisch=0&blev=0.5&ifi=6&uci=a!6&btvi=6&fsb=1&dtd=7730

Mat 12:35  The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 

Mat 12:36  I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 

Mat 12:37  for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Verse 33

• The Pharisees had accused Jesus of working with the power of the devil. 
• If He was indeed a servant of the devil, His works (fruits) should be consistent with that fact and He should be rightly labelled a “bad tree.”
• But If Jesus was not a servant of the devil, His works being consistent with godliness, He ought to be labelled a “good tree” and the Pharisees charged with blasphemy for speaking against God.  
• Jesus continues to destroy the grey space between good and evil.
  • If you read the book of 1John you will find that John often speaks in these extremes. 
  • He may have picked that up from listening to Jesus. 
• A tree is either all good or it is all bad. 
• They either stood with God or they blasphemed… which was it? 

Verse 34-35

• Jesus immediately gives the answer in no uncertain terms in verse 34, “You brood of vipers.”
• Who really belonged to Satan (verse 24)? It wasn’t the Son of God, it was these sons of the serpent.
• The Pharisees had been trying to say all the right things to make it appears they were good followers of Moses
• They must have thought sticking up for strict Sabbath laws was really a way to appear righteous, but in doing it they had revealed their rotten inner hearts. 
• Christ had exposed them with their own words as being “bad trees” with “bad fruit.”
• They pretended to love God but they were vipers in the grass.
  • They may have been able to fool the people but all are exposed in the mind of God. 
  • Heb 4:13 – And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Verse 36-37

• On the day of Judgement we will give an account for every thoughtless thing we’ve said. 
• The Pharisees had opened their mouths one to many times and uttered careless and sinful words. 
• Jesus offers us this general warning to watch our words more closely than the Pharisees. 
• Our words reveal who we are in our hearts and one day the abundance of their source will be judged. 

Mat 12:38 – Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 

Mat 12:39 – But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 

Mat 12:40 – For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 

Mat 12:41 – The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 

Mat 12:42 – The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 

• The scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus asking Him to perform a miracle.
  • They probably approached Him in pretense, feigning to be authentic truth seekers. 
  • They ask for a sign but their real intention was to use the sign to catch Jesus in some kind of error. 
  • APPLICATION:
    • You will meet these people on your Christian walk. 
    • They put on a good show in the beginning to make you believe they are authentic, but after a while, their true intentions come out. 
  • They were evil because they were attempting to discredit God’s Messenger 
  • They were adulterous because they lived under the guise of godliness but were just as much in love with the vices of the world as the tax collectors and sinners. 
• Christ would not give them a sign except that of Jonah
  • Jonah was swallowed by a whale for 3 days because he refused to preach to the people of Nineveh
  • Christ would spend 3 days in the earth before resurrecting. 
  • This sign would be sufficient. 
  • When Jonah finally travelled to Nineveh, the people heeded his message and repented
    • Someone greater than Jonah was speaking to the Pharisees and scribes now…
    • But they weren’t wise enough to repent 
    • Nineveh (a heathen gentile city) were more open to God’s truth than these “educated” Jews. 
  • The people of Nineveh weren’t the only gentiles wiser than the Pharisees and scribes, the “queen of the South” is also counted as being more righteous (see 1Kings 10:1ff). 
  • The queen of the South journeyed a long way to hear the rumored wisdom of King Solomon, yet the Jews didn’t recognize and even greater wisdom walking among them in the town. 
• Side Note: Jesus has made some astounding claims in this chapter:
  • He is greater than the temple
  • He is Lord of the Sabbath
  • He is a greater preacher than Jonah
  • He is wiser than Solomon

Mat 12:43 – “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 

Mat 12:44 – Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 

Mat 12:45 – Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.” 

• I find this passage a bit hard to get my head wrapped around but I will do my best to draw out the point Jesus is making. 
• The Parable:
  • A man is oppressed by the power of a demon (the power of Satan)
  • The man receives some relief and an opportunity to get his mind oriented correctly (finds the house empty, swept, and put in order).  
  • But the demon returns stronger than ever before. 
• The Explanation:
  • For a long time, the Jews had been oppressed by demon possession, but thinking more broadly, they were under the power and control of Satan because of their sin. 
  • They received an opportunity, through Christ, to get their minds and hearts oriented correctly and escape Satan forever. 
  • But instead of filling their houses with godliness, they left them open for the return of Satan.
    • Heb 10:29  How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
    • 2Pe 2:20  For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 
    • Although the verses in Hebrews and Peter aren’t directed towards Pharisees and scribes, I believe the principle contained in these verses applies here. 
    • Peter probably took the words at the end of verse 2Pe 2:20 directly from Jesus. 
    • The Pharisees were privileged to witness God on earth.
      • They saw His miracles 
      • They saw His power over Satan’s demons
      • They heard His sermons
      • They would see His death and the miracles which accompanied it. 
      • They would see His resurrection
    • With their own eyes they had witnessed the promised release from the power of Satan but they would not open their homes to it. 
    • In rejecting Christ, they hardened their hearts and allowed Satan to entangle them to a greater degree than ever before.  

Mat 12:46 – While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 

Mat 12:48 – But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 

Mat 12:49 – And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 

Mat 12:50 – For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” 

• Someone came and notified Jesus that His mother and brothers were wanting to see Him. 
• This would have been Mary and her other children with Joseph (Jesus’ half-brothers)
  • His brothers are named in Mark 6:3
  • Mar 6:3 – Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 
• As He did so often, Jesus used this everyday experience to teach a spiritual lesson. 
• He asked, “Who are my mother and my brothers really?”
• The true family of God are those who identify with Jesus and accept His heaven-given message. 
• 1Jn 3:10 – By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
• The blood of Christ is a stronger bond than familial blood
• Our family relationships dissolve when those we love pass-away. 
• Don’t you want a relationship that can’t dissolve in death?
• The bond of Christ’s blood is only reaffirmed in death!

Luke Taylor

Luke, together with his wife Megan, are the creators, writers, web designers, and directors of 2BeLikeChrist. Luke holds degrees in Business and Biblical Studies.

https://2BeLikeChrist.comPreviousMatthew 13 Bible Study with NotesNextMatthew 11 Bible Study Notes

Contact: luke@2belikeChrist.com

Terms of Service

Privacy Policy

Get updates when new resources are available:Sign Up

Donate to Our Ministry!

Free 60 Page E-Book

Sign up for our email list and receive our book “What is the Bible” completely free as a digital file.Subscribe

We respect your privacy.

https://www.google.com/recaptcha/enterprise/anchor?ar=1&k=6LdDFQwjAAAAAPigEvvPgEVbb7QBm-TkVJdDTlAv&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuMmJlbGlrZWNocmlzdC5jb206NDQz&hl=en&v=DBIsSQ0s2djD_akThoRUDeHa&size=invisible&anchor-ms=20000&execute-ms=15000&cb=czibi1stnzxd

https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/html/r20250730/r20190131/zrt_lookup_fy2021.html#RS-1-&adk=3654194171&client=ca-pub-5870663200893012&fa=1&ifi=11&uci=a!b&btvi=1

The Future of Bible Study Is HereLearn more

Bible Study Matthew 12:36-37

Robert C. Studdard

Sermon  •  Submitted 2 months ago  •  Presented 2 months ago

0 ratings

 · 3 viewsShare

Notes

Transcript

Do words matter?

I actually want to start a few verse earlier so as to give some context to verses 36-37.

Let’s read Matthew Chapter 12 verses 1-35.

These accounts are recorded in the synoptic gospels through verses 32 (Matthew, Mark and Luke).

Verses 33-37 are only found in Matthew.

When we read the Bible, it is important that we use the correct method when interpreting what we read.

There are three terms I would like you to remember:

a. Exegesis: Exegesis is a Greek word and it means to lead out. Biblical exegesis involves understanding the original author’s meaning within his original, ancient cultural setting. In other words it involves extracting meaning from the text itself. .

b. Eisegesis: Is a Greek word and it means to lead into. Thus the word refers to the act of a modern reader of the Bible who has a preconceived view of what he or she wants scripture to say and then proceeds to take this view and “read it into” the biblical text, even though it was not intended by the biblical author.

c. Hermeneutics: Hermeneutics comes from the Greek word “hermeneia” which means ‘interpretation’ or ‘explanation’.

There are some guidelines or rules that we must follow when interpreting the Bible:

The Holy Spirit Element

The Grammatical Element: Follow the rules of grammar in the Hebrew and Greek languages and realize that some things are lost in translation.

Quotes: Thesis: “Every translation involves interpretation” or “Every translation is a commentary in disguise”

Italian Proverb: “Traduttore traditore” (“The translator is a traitor”)

Swedish Bible Translation Committee: “The art of translation is the art of compromise”

Haim Nachmam Bialik (1873-1934: Jewish poet): “Reading the Bible in translation is like kissing your bride through a veil.”

The Literary Element:

Types of Genres in Scripture

History: Genesis, Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Acts

Letters: Paul (13), John (3), Peter (2), James, Hebrews, Jude, Revelation 2-3

Poetry: Psalms, Song of Songs, much of prophetic material

Wisdom: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, some Psalms, James

Apocalyptic: Revelation, Daniel 7-12, Zechariah, parts of Ezekiel, Mark 13

Legal: parts of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

Parables: Four Gospels, parable of Nathan to David (2 Samuel 12:1-4)

The Historical Element:

The Bible did not fall from heaven in the King James Version, with red letters, and a concordance along with maps in the back!

Instead every passage in the Bible has a historical context–a specific historical situation which caused the text to come into existence.

Knowing the historical context is crucial to interpreting any biblical text properly.

The Theological Element:

“Hermeneutical practice involves both an exegetical and a theological component if it is to be carried out to its completion. The exegetical part of the interpretive process examines the grammatical, historical, and literary aspects of the individual text of the Bible. But once these tasks have been concluded, they need to be related, by way of summary or conclusions, to the overall thought of the individual book being studied and to the whole canon of Scripture. It is at this juncture that the theological component of the interpretive enterprise comes to the forefront”

Meaning of the Term “Theological Element”

God is the primary author of the Bible.

The Bible is the only book whose author is always present when you read it.

“Scripture contains a great deal that does not find its explanation in history, nor in the secondary authors, but only in God as the Auctor Primarius [primary author]… In view of all this, it is not only perfectly warranted, but absolutely necessary, to complement the usual grammatical and historical interpretation with a third. The name “Theological Interpretation” deserves the preference, as expressive of the fact that its necessity follows from the divine authorship of the Bible” (Louis Berkhof, Principles of Biblical Interpretation. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1950, pp. 133-134).

The Bible as a Unity

One unified message from the single primary author (God) conveyed through multiple secondary authors.

Interpreting Scripture with Scripture

“The infallible rule of interpretation of scripture is the scripture itself; and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any scripture, it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly” (Westminster Confession of Faith I.9, 1643-1648).

The “Analogy of Faith”

“The analogy of faith … requires us to interpret all Scripture so that it is in agreement with the entire teaching of the Bible. It presupposes the coherence of Scripture” ((Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. and Moises Silva, Biblical Hermeneutics. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, 2007, p. 240)

Progressive Revelation

God did not reveal his whole plan of salvation in one single moment of history but did so progressively over time so that we get a clearer picture from the end of redemptive history (that which is recorded in the NT) what God had all along intended to do.

On to the lesson.

Matthew 12:33–37 NASB95

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35 “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. 36 “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

My pericope is labeled “Words Reveal Character”, What is your heading? Your pericope/heading gives you an idea of what the passages are going to be about.

The old adage “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names never hurt!” well first off that is a lie. Second name calling may send you to hell!

I have to ask. Do you use more uplifting words or more sarcastic, mean, empty, hateful, loathsome, repugnant, abhorrent, unpleasant, malicious, cruel, vicious, nasty, spiteful words? I think you get where I am going.

In verse 36 the word careless can also be interpretated as useless.

As Christ followers our words do matter.

Did you hear what Jesus said previously in verses 33, 34 and 35”Matthew 12:33–35 NASB95

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35 “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.

Listen to what James has to say:James 3:6 NASB95

6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.

Listen to this from the Bible Knowledge Commentary:

The Bible Knowledge Commentary3:6

3:6. The tongue is not only powerful; it is also perverse. It is small and influential but, worse by far, it can be satanic and infectious. The tongue … is a fire (cf.

And Jesus warns us again about our tongue:Matthew 15:11 NASB95

11 “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”Matthew 15:18 NASB95

18 “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.

Jesus had to repeat this saying because Peter asked Him to explain verse 11 to him and the disciples. Don’t give them to hard of a time though. I know I can be a little slow to understand some things as well.

You may sitting there thinking “Well God knows my heart” and you would be correct.1 Samuel 16:7 NASB95

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

This saying I believe gets abused quite often by Christians and by those that call themselves Christians. I have abused it in the past. God know your heart better than you know your own heart and this should scare the dickens out of you.

First off your heart is deceitful.Jeremiah 17:9–10 NASB95

9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? 10 “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.Mark 7:21–22 NASB95

21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.

When we rely on our hearts we will fail every time! We must, we have to rely on Jesus.Proverbs 3:5–6 NASB95

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

Now the Kicker

Matthew 12:37 NASB95

37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

A quote from Stuart Webber:

MatthewG. The King Responds to Slanderous Accusations (12:22–37)

Again Jesus emphasized the seriousness of what he was about to say, introducing it with I tell you.

Not only do a person’s words demonstrate his inner character in the present day, but they will be either his defense or his incrimination in the day of judgment. Words are so easy to produce that we can forget how powerful they are. They have great potential for building up as well as tearing down. They can be used to advance God’s kingdom, or to attack it, sometimes subtly, in ways even the speaker does not realize. Words must be used with care, Careless words are like loaded guns that are handled recklessly. Just as the handler of a gun would have to explain any damage done by his weapon, so every person with a tongue (cf.2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB95

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.Romans 14:12 NASB95

12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

The parable of the talents as Jesus told in Matthew chapter 25 verses 14-30 shows that we will give an account of our deeds. Now to the Christ follower we will not have to worry about judgement. Because by our Faith (using it as a verb), our words should show that Christ has knocked and we have let Him enter. Our deeds/Talents should show that we are growing the Kingdom of God.Romans 2:6–8 NASB95

6 who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

We may be able to fool one another but we will never be able to fool Jesus.Matthew 7:13–14 NASB95

13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.Matthew 7:15–23 NASB95

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits. 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Related Media

See more

16 items

15 items

Related Sermons

See moreMatthew Chapter 2

Tyler Knoblett  •  4 viewsOne hundred two Bible Topics

Alberto Hernandez  •  1,092 viewsGenesis Study-Matthew 1-2

Marion Bible Fellowship  •  27 views  •  1:21:56

Copyright 2025 LogosFeatures|Pricing|Privacy|Terms of Use|Support

gettyimages

Congratulations!! You passed!!

You passed a spelling test that only 2% of Americans can. You are a spelling genius: diligent, creative, and quick. Superior spelling skills indicate visual-memory prowess and high emotional intelligence. Way to go!! Share the quiz to test your friends.

<< Previous Index Next >>

“THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW”

Every Idle Word (12:36-37)

INTRODUCTION

1. The standards of God are much different than those of the world – cf. Isa 55:8,9
2. A striking example of this difference pertains to one’s speech…
   1. The world thinks lightly of certain kinds of speech (e.g., allowing profane speech in the name of free speech)
   2. Whereas Jesus taught us to take all speech seriously – Mt 12:36-37
3. Speech is important, for it reveals the heart of man…
   1. Out of the abundance of heart the mouth speaks – Mt 12:34
   2. Thus speech reveals the sort of treasure stored in the heart of man – Mt 12:35
4. For this reason…
   1. Our very words will be taken into account on the day of judgment!
   2. We ought to give careful thought concerning the words we use
   3. It is imperative that our speech be in keeping with God’s standard and not the world’s!

[In this lesson, we shall review what the Bible teaches concerning acceptable and unacceptable speech. We begin by cataloging some types of speech that are condemned in the Scriptures…]

1. IDLE WORDS FOR WHICH WE SHALL BE JUDGED
   1. SOME OBVIOUS EXAMPLES OF UNACCEPTABLE SPEECH…
      1. Using the Lord’s name in vain – Exo 20:7
         1. That is, without an attitude of sincere reverence
         2. One can be guilty of this in two ways:
            1. Using the Lord’s name in swearing or cursing
            2. Using vain repetitions of His name
         3. Applies also to the name of Jesus, for His name is to be held in honor – Php 2:9-11
      2. Words that are evil – cf. 1Pe 3:10
         1. Lying words, or those that cause trouble among brethren – Pr 6:16-19
         2. Deceitful words – Ro 16:18
         3. Filthy language – Ep 5:4
   2. OTHER EXAMPLES OF UNACCEPTABLE SPEECH…
      1. The overuse of words – Jm 1:26; Pr 10:19; 13:3
      2. Words spoken in haste – Pr 29:20; cf. Jm 1:19
      3. Speaking evil of others
         1. Of those in authority – Exo 22:28; Jude 8
         2. Of those around us – Mt 5:21-22
      4. Flattery – Ps 12:1-4; cf. Ro 16:18
      5. Rash oaths – Mt 5:33-37; Jm 5:12
      6. Any unwholesome word – cf. Ep 4:29
         1. Including some euphemisms (An inoffensive expression substituted for one considered offensive)
         2. Some examples of euphemisms (darn, shoot, gosh, gee)
         3. What is wrong with such expressions?
            1. They mean the same thing as the more offensive words
            2. It is the same wrongful emotions behind the euphemism or its equivalent
            3. They reflect an attitude of heart contrary to the proper spirit of Christian conduct – cf. Ep 4:31-32; Col 3:8-15
2. SOME PRINCIPLES OF ACCEPTABLE SPEECH
   1. TWO BASIC GUIDELINES…
      1. Our speech should lead to edification – Ep 4:29
         1. That which encourages and builds up
         2. That which extends grace to others – cf. Col 4:6
            1. E.g., words which cool down heated conversations – Pro 15:1
            2. E.g., words that are a delight to those who hear – Pro 15:4,23; 25:11
      2. Our speech should be characterized with thankfulness – Ep 5:3-4
         1. An attitude becoming of saints – cf. Col 1:12; 2:7; 3:15,17; 4:2
         2. While murmuring and complaining is not becoming – cf. Php 2:14-15
   2. SUCH SPEECH REQUIRES FORETHOUGHT…
      1. The righteous will give careful thought to his speech – Pro 15:28
      2. The righteous will be concerned about what comes out of his mouth
         1. For he knows that his speech reflects the true condition of the heart – Mt 12:34-35; 15:17-20
         2. And he looks to God for help, even accepting the rebuke of others – Ps 141:3-5

CONCLUSION

1. It has been my purpose…
   1. To remind us of Jesus’ words in Mt 12:36-37
   2. To raise our awareness of how easy it is to sin in our speech
   3. To remind us of the graceful speech that should proceed from our mouths
2. I hope I have stimulated your thinking to give careful consideration to God’s standard; may each of us possess the same desire as that expressed in the prayer of the Psalmist:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Ps 19:14)

<< Previous Index Next >>

Home Page
Have A Bible Question? Want A Free Bible Study Course? Looking For A Church Near You? Want To Talk With Someone By Phone? Want To Discuss The Bible By Email?
Search The Outlines

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2025

383,765 PageviewsJul. 01st – Aug. 01st

Skip to Content

Sarah J. HauserOpen Menu

Living Out a Changed Life [James Study Week 4, James 1:19-27]

Faith and Theology

Aug 31

True faith changes us

I am starting to think this 12-week series could have been a year-long series. Every week I come to the set of verses for the week and wonder how in the world we’ll cover them in one post (which I couldn’t even do last week and had to break the content into two posts). The Word of God is so, so rich, and we could study this a thousand times and not exhaust all there is to learn and meditate on. But while we won’t be able to grasp all there is to learn, we can still take small, meaningful steps in the right direction. 

In the first chapter of his letter, James has laid out a bird’s eye view of many of the topics he’ll bring up again. He reminds his readers to be joyful and steadfast in their trials, because there’s a reward that will be worth all the struggle. And along our Christian journey, we’ll face trials and temptations that threaten to bring us down and lead us in the wrong direction. Yet we must consistently choose to follow our good God, trusting him and demonstrating that trust by putting that faith into action. 

“Our changed lives should reflect who God is and what his kingdom is like.”

As he lays out his points, brick by brick, we can start to see the argument James builds. If we have faith in God, that faith will change not just our minds but our actions. His point is summed up well in James 1:22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Each of the author’s practical exhortations come back to this. You have faith? Show it by the way you speak. You believe in a good and loving God? Act like him toward others. You say you follow Jesus? Live like him, not the world. Faith does something. It changes us, and our changed lives should reflect who God is and what his kingdom is like.

Love With Your Speech–Even Online: James 1:19-21

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” 

James 1:19-21

I’m too often slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry. I get defensive before I can even hear someone voice their hurt, I rush to vocalize my opinion, and I get frustrated and angry all too easily—especially with those closest to me. But over and over again, Scripture talks about how the way we speak matters. James draws on the Old Testament throughout his book, and his words in verses 19-21 are reminiscent of Proverbs and other Wisdom Literature. Proverbs 13:3 says, “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, “Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.” And Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Paul also wrote a similar idea, saying in Ephesians, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (4:29). 

We could study plenty more passages about how we speak, listen, and communicate with each other. But the point we need to remember is this: The way we communicate—just like everything else we do—should demonstrate that we love God and love others. It’s as simple as that. 

James doesn’t say never become angry, because some things should anger us. Tim Keller once said something to the effect of what am I loving so much that it’s making me this angry? (That’s my paraphrase.) It’s a good question to ask when we’re angry. Am I loving my neighbor so much that the injustice done against them makes me angry? Good. That is a right anger that we should use to fuel right actions. Am I loving my own comfort and ease at the cost of my neighbor? That is selfishness. That is sin. Our anger—and the speech that proceeds from that anger—should demonstrate love for God and love for neighbor. 

We are God’s image bearers listening to and speaking with other image bearers. Do we take that seriously? For those who follow Jesus, we are being transformed and changed to be more like Christ. Are we listening to the hurts, pains, struggles, stories, and opinions of others in a Christ-like way that points them to Jesus? Or are we trying to point others to ourselves and how “correct” our view is? 

In today’s digital world, our “speech” also includes our social media comments, texting, blog posts, Facebook messages, and any other form of communication the kids are up to these days. Our online speech should be used to love God and love our neighbor. Period. That also means that, as James calls us to do, we should be quick to listen—even online. Follow people you disagree with and hear them out. Get to know authors, writers, speakers, creatives, business people who look, sound, believe, and act differently than you. More often than not, we would do well to simply listen. 

There’s absolutely a time and a place to correct someone, comment with your disagreement, or offer a strong differing opinion. Usually these hard online conversations make me want to curl up in a ball in the corner of my room, but I have seen hard conversations done well online (although I don’t think it’s usually the ideal medium). We are called to speak the truth boldly, so let’s not shy away from that. But the question should always be, am I doing this to love God and love my neighbor? 

James is speaking mostly to believers. The early church apparently needed a reminder to listen and speak to each other within the community of faith that reflected the God they followed. It’s painfully obvious we need that same reminder. One commentator wrote, “The idea here is that when we allow anger to control us, spewing out poisonous emotional garbage onto our fellow believers, this falls far short of what God has designed for our relationship in the community of faith.”[1] 

Friends, the world is watching. Others are taking note of how we who are members of the Church talk to one another—both in person and online. I’m afraid too often (and I’m guilty of this, too), we don’t demonstrate a community of faith that reflects God and his love for the world. If how we’re living isn’t in line with who God is, we shouldn’t be doing it. Why would others want to be a part of God’s people if all they see and hear is our “poisonous emotional garbage?” 

We’re supposed to put off filthiness and wickedness and “receive with meekness the implanted word” (James 1:21). Put off the old, put on the new. If we truly have received the gospel and it has taken root in our lives, it will grow and bear fruit that displays that gospel to the world. Through that word planted in our hearts God has justified us and will one day fully sanctify and glorify us (“able to save your souls” refers to those future aspects of salvation). As we study this, we have to consider, what is it that we’re actually demonstrating to the world? The true gospel? Who God really is and what he’s done for all creation? Or something else? 

Love God and love others—in the way we listen, in the way we speak, and in what we get angry about. 

Be A Doer of the Word: James 1:22-25

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” 

James 1:22-25

In verses 22-25, James uses an analogy to drive his point home. If we truly believe God and what he says, it will change our behavior. Otherwise, we’re like someone who looks at himself or herself in a mirror and walks away forgetting what he looks like. That person is deceiving himself. The true believer, though, looks intently in the mirror of God’s word, taking it in and examining their life as his word reflects back to them who they truly are. Then, they go live differently because of it. They live according to the truth of what God’s word has shown them. They don’t hear what God says and say, “Nah, I don’t really like that. I’m going to do it a different way.” Those who put God’s word into action hear it, examine their lives, and live according to what God says—not what they want to see. 

Here’s a silly analogy. Have you ever looked in the mirror and realized you have a piece of broccoli stuck in your teeth? You didn’t know it was there until you looked in the mirror–and then, of course, you mentally backtrack to add up how many people saw you and how embarrassed you need to be. But my point is that we didn’t see the food stuck in our teeth until we looked in the mirror. Similarly, we won’t know how our lives need to change if we never look at the word of God. And to take the analogy a little further, we’re all glad when that close friend pulls us aside to point out the big green vegetable tainting our smile. They’ve saved us from a dose of humiliation. We need the same thing in our spiritual lives. We need the community of faith to point out our blind spots and sin so that we can change.

When someone points out broccoli in our teeth, or when we look in the mirror and notice it, we don’t leave it there. That would be almost as ridiculous as this analogy. In the same way, if we’re to live out our faith, we shouldn’t look in the mirror of God’s word and not put what it says into action.

The “doer of the word” constantly comes back to the word, using it as a reference point for the way they live their life. And they are changed because of it.

Understanding the Law of Liberty

In verse 25, James uses the term “law of liberty.” I didn’t quite understand what was meant by this for a while, but I’m ever so slowly starting to grasp it, and I found N.T. Wright’s analogy helpful.[3] He uses the example of driving rules. In some countries, we drive on the right side of the road. In others, we drive on the left side. If you live in America but you’re dead set on driving on the left side of the road, you won’t get very far for very long. You could decide you hate the right side of the road and it feels constricting to you and you never want to follow that law—until eventually you suffer the consequences. 

While the metaphor falls short eventually, you can see the point. God’s design for the way we should live our lives is good. And just like when we drive on the correct side of the road, we can enjoy the freedom of driving that way it was intended, so too abiding by God’s law allows us to have the freedom to live life according to his design. This doesn’t mean you’ll never get in an accident even if you drive on the correct side of the road, and it doesn’t mean nothing bad will happen in this life even if you follow God’s law perfectly. But that’s where faith comes in, and that’s where we have to circle back to the beginning of James 1. Living according to the way God calls us to live, even when we can’t understand it, will yield a reward. When we live God’s way, James 1:25 tells us, blessing follows—maybe not immediately, maybe not in this life. But it will come. (Check out this post on James 1:12 for more on the word “blessed.)

Do Things Differently: James 1:26-27

“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”‭‭

James‬ ‭1:26-27‬

If we want to be doers of the word, if we’re serious about living our faith and not just pretending, we will reflect that in the way we speak, in how we love the vulnerable, and by not getting caught up, distracted, and tempted by what the world has to offer. The way we do things will be different. It will look odd. It will cause discomfort. It will require sacrifice. It will be hard. 

James knew this well and was eventually martyred for what he believed. But if we are true followers of Jesus, we can bear all of that now because we know that the weight of glory will surpass it all (2 Corinthians 4:17). That crown of life (James 1:12) will absolutely be worth anything we face now. Do we actually believe this? 

If we do, we will learn to control our speech—to “bridle” our tongue, steering and controlling it just like a bridle on a horse. We will also serve the vulnerable. In James’ time (and often still today) that included widows and orphans. The Old Testament is filled with passages about how God’s people were to serve the vulnerable. They were to demonstrate the generosity and goodness of God to the world, and this meant they were generous and good to others. God’s people were to serve the vulnerable, because God did the same for us. God’s people were to work for justice, because God is just. 

Deuteronomy 10:18-19 says, “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you we’re sojourner in the land of Egypt.” In the book of Isaiah, God rebukes his people for their “vain offerings” and empty worship. He calls them instead to, “Wash yourselves; make yourself clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (Isaiah 1:16-17). God didn’t want them to just do the religious stuff. He wanted to use them to change the world to be the way he intended. They were supposed to live in a way that pointed to who he is. (This video from The Bible Project is helpful for understanding our call to advocate for others and pursue justice.)

From the Old Testament until now, one of the hallmarks of God’s people is that they actively pursue justice and dismantle oppression—which doesn’t just mean on an individual level. God is remaking the world, and as the people of God, we get to be a part of that process. That means we work to bring about his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. We work to ease the burden of our neighbor, and we work to dismantle the systems that put that burden on their backs in the first place.

Church, let us be people who are known for loving our neighbor. Because who, after all, is my neighbor? According to Jesus, even those who look, believe, act, worship, or think differently than me are my neighbor (Luke 10:25-37). 

“How could we offer those being abused anything less than the end of their suffering when we have the power to grant it? James does not say, ‘Tell the orphans and the widows to put up with their suffering.’ He says to the Christian, ‘Help them!’”

— Esau MCaulley

New Testament scholar, Esau McCaulley, wrote this. “How could we offer those being abused anything less than the end of their suffering when we have the power to grant it? James does not say, ‘Tell the orphans and the widows to put up with their suffering.’ He says to the Christian, ‘Help them!’”[4]

Let us be people who are known for being just as God is just, for being merciful as God is merciful, for being good as God is good. Let us be people who feed the poor and change the social structures that forced poverty upon them. Let’s work to eradicate racist systems that threaten the lives and livelihoods of Black and brown men and women. There’s no racism in God’s kingdom, so as the Church we get to be people God uses to make that a reality on earth as it is in heaven. There’s no hunger in God’s kingdom, so we must feed the hungry. There’s no abuse in God’s kingdom, so we must advocate for the abused. 

You get my point.

As we do all of that, as we live out our faith in our actual lives, we are to remain “unstained from the world.” As Christians, we operate differently than the rest of the world. We abide by a different standard–the law of liberty. But our role is to be people who live out who God is and what his kingdom is like. That is a high calling–one that’s an honor to live out and one that will be worth whatever it costs us now.

Holy Spirit, help us today as we do that work.

Reflect

• How is your speech–both in person and in the digital world? Is it used to love God and love others? What do you need to work on most in this area? (For example, the way you talk to your kids or spouse (one of my major struggles), your online interactions, your ability to listen, etc.)
• We’re to put away “wickedness” and live differently. What does this look like for you this week? What does it look like for you to live a life “unstained” from the world? (P.S. This doesn’t mean we walk around with a “holier than thou” attitude. We’re supposed to remain meek and humble as we live according to God’s way instead of the world’s.)
• In verse 27, James is clear about the two traits that characterize pure religion: helping the vulnerable and not giving into the ways of the world. What does doing those things look like for you in this season? Sometimes our initial thought can be, “Well, I don’t have the resource to help,” or “I don’t know how to help.” Ask God for wisdom to know how you can be a doer of the word in these areas. Take time to meditate, pray, and think creatively.
• Make sure to check out the video below from The Bible Project. It helps us understand the biblical call to put our faith into action by pursuing justice and righteousness.

“Justice” is a felt need in our world today and a controversial topic. But what is justice, exactly, and who gets to define it? In this video, we’ll explore …

James Study Plan

Like a good agenda and some boxes to check off? I’ve got a checklist to go along with the 12-week (FREE) James Bible study hosted on my website. Just enter your name and email below, and I’ll send it your way!First nameEmail addresssend me the study plan!

[1] Longman, Tremper, David E. Garland, et al. Hebrews—Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006, p 225.
[2] Wright, N. T. The Early Christian Letters for Everyone. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011, p 12.
[3] McCaulley, Esau. Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2020, p 133.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.

Check out the rest of the James study!

Living Out Our Faith through Prayer and in Community [James Study Week 12, James 5:13-20]

How to Wait Well and Live with Integrity [James Study Week 11, James 5:7-12]

Plans, Possessions, and the Kingdom of God [James Study Week 10, James 4:13-5:6]

But He Gives More Grace [James Study Week 9, James 4:1-12]

Bitter Jealousy, Selfish Ambition, and the Meekness of Wisdom [James Study Week 8, James 3:13-18]

Why Do We Need to Watch the Way We Speak? [James Study Week 7, James 3:1-12]

True Faith Does Something [James Study Week 6, James 2:14-26]

Learning to Love Our Neighbor [James Study Week 5, James 2:1-13]

Living Out a Changed Life [James Study Week 4, James 1:19-27]

Running Away from Death and Toward True Life [James Study Week 3b, James 1:13-18]

#Blessed Are the Steadfast [James Study Week 3a, James 1:12]

It Will Be Worth It [James Study Week 2, James 1:2-11]

A Beautiful Punch in the Gut [James Study Week 1, James 1:1]

---

Photo by Vince Fleming on Unsplash

---

You might also like

Oxygen in Your Lungs

Boys Will Be Boys

God’s Love Pursues Us

When We Fear the Worst

Unmet Expectations: Reflections on Prayer and Hope and a God Who Doesn’t Do What We Want

The Beauty That Will Be

When God Doesn’t Show Up

What’s Been Shaken Loose in Your Life This Year?

Trying to Catch a Glimpse

jamesbible studyjames studyfaith in actionthe book of jamesJames studyGod’s charactergriefjames bible studyslow to speakslow to become angryliving out our faithhow to live out our faithlove your neighbor

Comments (0)

Newest First           Oldest First           Newest First                      Most Liked           Least Liked                    

Preview Post Comment…PreviousLearning to Love Our Neighbor [James Study Week 5, James 2:1-13]NextRunning Away from Death and Toward True Life [James Study Week 3b, James 1:13-18]

bonus free printable!

Refill Your Soul

Feeling depleted? At the end of the month, I send out Refill Your Soul, a monthly newsletter with a short devotion and encouraging resources to leave you feeling refreshed and renewed before moving into the month ahead. 

subscribe

Topics

Grief + Lament

James Study

Parenting + Family

Psalms

Theology of Food

Writing + Creativity

Quick Links

About

Speaking

Book

Blog

Contact

---

Charlotte based author and speaker sharing biblical truth to nourish the soul, recipes to nourish the body

© 2025 Sarah J. Hauser | All rights reserved | Privacy and Terms | Site Credit

SUBSCRIBE TO MY WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Menu

03 Maturity Profiled—The Mature Receive Wisdom—James 1:19-26

May 26, 2024

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:19–27, ESV)

---

In our previous study of James, we heard James’s frank explainer on the anatomy of sin. Desires are enticed by temptation—and when the desire conceives, it gives birth to sin which, when fully grown, brings forth death (1:14-15). But James did not think our corrupted desires inevitably set the course of our destiny. Instead, he saw believers as children whom God birthed by his word of truth (1:17-18). Every good and perfect gift flows from the Father of lights to his children so they can become mature. This maturation process will lead to the transformation of our desires, which leads James to teach us how that transformation comes.

For James, a major source of transformation is God’s wisdom. He has already presented God as the ultimate source of wisdom, especially the kind of wisdom that’s needed in the type of hard times his audience lived in, but now he declares a bit more about where God’s wisdom is found (1:5-8). As I said, James already alluded to God’s “word of truth” (1:18). In this brief section, James goes on to refer to God’s word of truth as the implanted word, meaning it is like a seed within each believer that can grow up to produce orchards of fruit in the form of godly character and gospel impact (1:21). James also referred to God’s word as the perfect law, and the law of liberty, meaning it is truth that sets us free like the original law set Israel free from Egypt (1:21, 25).

So James envisioned God as a loving Father who stands ready to shape his children with his voice. He is ready to make us wise, strengthen us against error, and stand with us as we grow into maturity. A good dad is there to teach his kids to tie their shoelaces when they are young and how to make a budget when they are older. In a similar way, our heavenly Father is ready to shape us into further and deeper levels of maturity, and he wants to do this over the course of the entirety of our natural lives. And James sees God’s word as a chief instrument in that maturation process.

So it’s clear that James viewed the word as from God, potentially liberating, and able to transform. But how? How does the mature person receive the wisdom of God’s word? How does it get into their bloodstream? How does it become their new operating system? How does God’s wisdom become second nature?

Hear It (1:19-21)

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:19–21, ESV)

The mature person receives wisdom by hearing the wisdom of God’s word. By calling it the implanted word, James gives us a massive hint at how he sees God’s word. He thinks of it like Jesus did when he gave the parable of the sower. The farmer sowed his seed on four types of ground, and only one type of soil bore lasting fruit (Matt. 13:1-23). The seed of God’s word has everything required within it to bring forth a great harvest in our lives, but the soil of our hearts must be ready to receive it. James saw the word of God this way.

And as James unfolds his exhortations regarding our interaction with the Father’s word and wisdom, he does not spend his time on tactics but on the heart. In other words, you might expect him to break down some best practices for interacting with the word: talks on Bible reading plans, tips for journaling, and exhortations to Scripture memorization. But James doesn’t go there. We can safely assume James would be in favor of all those tactics, but he knows that if the heart is not prepared, the tactics will eventually lose their energy. So James went straight for our heart attitudes when we approach the word.

In the Old Testament story of David, there was a long period when he was on the run from an insane king named Saul. David was innocent, and his sweet character and previous victories in battle drew many warriors to his side. One day, as he sat encamped with his men, he began longing out loud for a drink from the water of his hometown springs (2 Sam. 23:15). When his three mightiest men heard his words, they formed a pact and went to risk their lives to bring David a jug filled with that water. There was such a strong bond between the future king and his men, and they hung on his every word. They were hungry for his word and humble as they responded to it. They couldn’t wait to hear what he said. Nothing he asked of them was beneath them. Even a slight suggestion or vocalized dream was enough to drive them to action. James’s vision of the mature person is similar to David’s mighty men. The mature are hungry for the word and have humility as they approach the word—they are quick to hear it, slow to speak arguments against it, and slow to defensive anger about it (1:19).

Maturity cannot be found without the Father’s wisdom, so we must be quick to hear his wisdom, desiring eagerly to see what he has to say. Maturity cannot be found without the Father’s wisdom, so we must be slow to speak in response, meaning our first reflex is to allow the word to confront, correct, and challenge our thinking. Maturity cannot be found without the Father’s wisdom, so we must be slow to anger when we hear the Father’s voice, meaning we are not defensive and self-justifying, nor are we surprised and angry when others don’t live up to God’s wisdom (1:19).

How about you? Are you humbly hungry for your Father’s voice? Any dad will tell you how amazing it is when their children’s hearts are soft towards them. When a child becomes humble, hungry for parental guidance and direction, wisdom can take root and maturity can develop. Let’s grow as a people who are quick to hear our Father’s wisdom, slow to speak our objections to our Father’s wisdom, and slow to be angry or defensive about his honest wisdom for our lives.

You might need to begin with the knowledge that, as James said, the righteousness of God can’t be produced by unrighteous anger. James isn’t talking about a right standing with God, but right living before the world. You just can’t live the righteous life based on your own thoughts and wisdom. You must tap into the Father’s wisdom by humbly accepting it.

And you might need to, as James said, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness so you can receive the word (1:21). If we want life for our souls, we must remove every obstacle that gets in the way of the word (1:21). So we weed the garden of our hearts as we feed on the nutrients of our Father’s wisdom. We look inward to find practices and inputs that are choking out the power of the seed of the word, and we continually put away those practices and inputs so we can hear our Father’s voice.

Practice It (1:22-25)

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:22–25, ESV)

The mature person receives wisdom by practicing the wisdom of God’s word. It’s in this section we learn a bit more about James’s view of the Father’s wisdom or word—he calls it the perfect law of liberty (1:25). He has more to say on this concept in a couple of paragraphs later in his letter, but for now we can say that James thought of God’s word as something that liberates, something to be obeyed and something that is without error. Jesus said the law should not be ignored, and James held that same view (see Matt. 5:17-20).

To understand his view of the word, one must consider the first installment of the law and the liberty that was attached to it. After their radical and miraculous exodus from Egypt, God gave the law to his people at Mt. Sinai. Observance of God’s law would make them into a different people who could serve as a kingdom of priests introducing the nations to God (Ex. 19:5-6). But it was a law that set them free. Egypt and Egypt’s ways had been grooved into them; their synapses had been reshaped by centuries of Egyptian culture and slavery. They needed a new law, a new rule for life, that could rewire their mentality and bring them to freedom. So God gave them the Ten and many other laws to help them live in the freedom he had won for them.

And to James, acting on the Father’s wisdom, this perfect law of liberty, leads to a blessing—he will be blessed in his doing, James said (1:25). So we must be doers of the word, and not hearers only (1:22). One cannot, of course, do the word unless they hear it, and James has just told us how important hearing it is, but all that hearing must lead to action. As Jesus said, “Blessed…are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28).

James’s logic might make us think of Jesus’ concluding words to his Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7:24-27). To hear the word and do it is to be like a man who built his house on the rock while hearing the word and neglecting it is to be like a man who built his house on the sand. When the storm came, each house experienced totally different outcomes. The house on the rock—the person who acted out the word—stood in the storm. The house on the sand—the person who neglected the word—fell hard in the storm.

Do you see obedience to the Father’s wisdom as something that leads to blessing? This takes us back to James’s concept of God as the Father of lights from whom comes every good and every perfect gift (1:17). Do you see the life God wills for his children as a life of blessing, or do you perceive him as keeping good and perfect gifts from his children by asking them to live such miserable lives of obedience? I want to be clear that I’m not talking about obedience to various forms of legalism or extra-biblical church customs, things Christians have picked up along the way that have nothing to do with the Bible, but the wisdom the Father gives us in his word.

And if acting on the Father’s wisdom leads to a blessing, inaction leads to self-deception. James said we deceive ourselves when all we do is hear the word without obedience. He used a metaphor of a man gazing at his natural face in a mirror, only to forget what he looks like after walking away (1:23-24). This is what it’s like when the mirror of God’s word is held up to our lives, and we walk away unchanged: we study it, take notes about it, say amen to it, and then walk away without any intention of obeying it.

There is a devastating line in Ezekiel that addresses this same situation. Like many of the prophets, Ezekiel was not widely received by his generation. He fascinated people, but not many heeded his warnings. At one point, God told him that people were talking about him and his message in their homes, inviting each other to go listen to the prophet. But God said, “So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say…You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it!”(Ezekiel 33:31–32, NLT).

But James gives us hope with his words. Contrary to the defeatist attitudes of many modern believers, we aren’t destined to lives of disobedience but of progressive transformation as we persevere in the word (1:25). There will be plenty of failures, but by his grace, we can walk with him in obedience. Just as Jesus told the man with the withered hand to stretch it out, knowing that his power would meet the man in his obedience, God’s power is there for us when we step out to obey (Mark 3:1-6).

Expect It (1:26-27)

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:26–27, ESV)

The mature person receives wisdom by expecting the wisdom of God’s word to produce something in their life. You have likely heard the Christian maxim, “It’s not a religion, but a relationship.” James comes along, however, and says there are definite marks of religion that is pure and undefiled before God that anyone who thinks he is religious should pay attention to (1:26-27).

What is James saying? To understand James, we must acknowledge that he uses a different definition of “religion” than we do. It’s not a word you will find very often in the Bible—in these two verses, James doubled its usage in Scripture. And when James used it, he was not giving us a comprehensive list of every spiritual practice endorsed in the Bible, but a general picture of what a heart relationship with God is bound to produce.

In other words, he is not saying that Christianity can be boiled down to loving orphans and widows. There are three complementary attributes mentioned in just this paragraph—controlled speech, care for the hurting, and personal godliness—and the rest of James and the Bible tell us so much more about what a walk with God looks like. So don’t stop praying, attending church, reading the word, serving, or giving just yet.

James expects a relationship with God to produce these three religious outworkings. First, he expected a relationship with the Father’s wisdom to produce controlled speech. He said the person whose religion does not help them bridle their tongue has a worthless religion (1:26). This is real talk coming from James—the heart is deceptive, telling us that we are pretty holy even while we decimate people near and far with our words.

I got a good laugh out of one scholar who ranted in 2008 about the modern ways people practice unbridled speech: “In this age of quasi-illiterate text-messaging, out-of-control email, overused cell phones, endless personal websites, blogsites and “facebook,” and the inanity of most of what is posted on myspace.com, it is easy to spend large amounts of time producing or imbibing just vain drivel!”[^1] If he only knew! It hasn’t gotten any better!

Second, James expected a relationship with the Father’s wisdom to produce practical care for the hurting in our churches and societies. He said pure and undefiled religion visits orphans and widows in their affliction (1:27). In that ancient society, widows and orphans had little means of support, so the church needed to do its best to alleviate their pain. James will talk more about the practical care Christians should give to others later in his letter, but this concept flows perfectly with the crux of Micah’s exhortations from the Old Testament era.

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

Pastor Mike Casey has a core story that has helped shape his ministry. In the fictitious tale, two men are walking along the shoreline while talking to each other. On the sandy beach, thousands of starfish had washed ashore. As they walked, one man kept picking up a starfish here and there, throwing them back into the water. The other man challenged him: “Look at all these starfish. You aren’t making any difference!” The other picked up another and threw it into the water. “Yeah, but I just made a difference to that one,” he said.

Finally, James expected a relationship with the Father’s wisdom to produce personal godliness. He said the mature must keep oneself unstained from the world (1:27).

What a robust person James envisioned! Their inner heart has been so changed and transformed that they have great control over their words. Their actions are loving and sacrificial as they help people in need. And they have a healthy relationship with the world, walking through it and its challenges without being stained by it.

They have heard the word. They constantly practice the word. And this is the amazing result of the word. Their Father’s wisdom has shaped them. You’ve heard the phrase, “like father, like son,” and that’s precisely what James has described. Let’s go get our Father’s wisdom!

[^1]: Blomberg, Craig L., and Mariam J. Kamell. James. Zondervan, 2008.

Study Questions

Head (knowledge, facts, understanding):

1. According to James, what is the implanted word capable of doing in a believer’s life?
2. How does James describe the perfect law, and what does it mean to be a doer of the word?
3. What are the three attributes of pure and undefiled religion mentioned by James?

Heart (feelings, impressions, desires):

4. How can we cultivate a heart that is humble and hungry for God’s wisdom?
5. What emotions or attitudes might hinder us from being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger?
6. How does the idea of God’s word being a blessing and a source of liberty make you feel about obeying it?

Hands (actions, commitments, decisions, beliefs):

7. What practical steps can we take to be doers of the word and not hearers only?
8. How can we actively seek opportunities to care for those in need, such as orphans and widows?
9. What decisions can we make to keep ourselves unstained from the world while still engaging with it?

Tags maturity, wisdom, Word of God, implanted word, perfect law, law of liberty, hearing, doing, anger, righteousness, filthiness, wickedness, meekness, salvation, self-deception, perseverance, blessing, religion, tongue, heart, orphans, widows, affliction, purity, defilement, Father, transformation, obedience, speech, care, godliness, desires, temptation, sin, death, rebirth, truth, confrontation, correction, defensiveness, justification, weeding, nutrients, liberation, rewiring, mentality, freedom, intention, entertainment, defeat, progression, power, relationship, practices, outworkings, control, society← Archival Post: Redeemed Men Look Like This (Ephesians 5-6)The Case for the Resurrection: Part 1 (Mark 16:1-14) →

SUBSCRIBE

Receive new posts via email. Sign Up

yshkhsy.com

Hawk color perception

Is this for real?
You have AMAZING sight and perception of colors!
The fact that you were able to spot so many colors says that your eyesight is pretty darn impressive!
You have the ability to notice the tiniest details, and nothing gets past you!