Christ reproves the blindness of the Pharisees, and confutes their
attributing his miracles to Satan.
12:1. At that time Jesus went through the corn on the sabbath: and his
disciples being hungry, began to pluck the ears, and to eat.
12:2. And the Pharisees seeing them, said to him: Behold thy disciples
do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days.
12:3. But he said to them: Have you not read what David did when he was
hungry, and they that were with him:
12:4. How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the loaves of
proposition, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them that
were with him, but for the priests only?
The loaves of proposition... So were called the twelve loaves which were
placed before the sanctuary in the temple of God.
12:5. Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath days the
priests in the temple break the sabbath, and are without blame?
12:6. But I tell you that there is here a greater than the temple.
12:7. And if you knew what this meaneth: I will have mercy, and not
sacrifice: you would never have condemned the innocent.
12:8. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath.
12:9. And when he had passed from thence, he came into their synagogues.
12:10. And behold there was a man who had a withered hand, and they
asked him, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they
might accuse him.
12:11. But he said to them: What man shall there be among you, that hath
one sheep: and if the same fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he
not take hold on it and lift it up?
12:12. How much better is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to
do a good deed on the sabbath days.
12:13. Then he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand; and he
stretched it forth, and it was restored to health even as the other.
12:14. And the Pharisees going out made a consultation against him, how
they might destroy him.
12:15. But Jesus knowing it, retired from thence: and many followed him,
and he healed them all.
12:16. And he charged them that they should not make him known.
12:17. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaias the
prophet, saying:
12:18. Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul
hath been well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew
judgment to the Gentiles.
12:19. He shall not contend, nor cry out, neither shall any man hear his
voice in the streets.
12:20. The bruised reed he shall not break: and smoking flax he shall
not extinguish: till he send forth judgment unto victory.
12:21. And in his name the Gentiles shall hope.
12:22. Then was offered to him one possessed with a devil, blind and
dumb: and he healed him, so that he spoke and saw.
12:23. And all the multitudes were amazed, and said: Is not this the son
of David?
12:24. But the Pharisees hearing it, said: This man casteth not out
devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
12:25. And Jesus knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom
divided against itself shall be made desolate: and every city or house
divided against itself shall not stand.
12:26. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself: how
then shall his kingdom stand?
12:27. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children
cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
12:28. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then is the
kingdom of God come upon you.
12:29. Or how can any one enter into the house of the strong, and rifle
his goods, unless he first bind the strong? and then he will rifle his
house.
12:30. He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth not
with me, scattereth.
12:31. Therefore I say to you: Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven
men, but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
The blasphemy of the Spirit... The sin here spoken of is that blasphemy,
by which the Pharisees attributed the miracles of Christ, wrought by the
Spirit of God, to Beelzebub the prince of devils. Now this kind of sin
is usually accompanied with so much obstinacy, and such wilful opposing
the Spirit of God, and the known truth, that men who are guilty of it,
are seldom or never converted: and therefore are never forgiven, because
they will not repent. Otherwise there is no sin, which God cannot or
will not forgive to such as sincerely repent, and have recourse to the
keys of the church.
12:32. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall
be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it
shall not be forgiven him neither in this world, nor in the world to
come.
Nor in the world to come... From these words St. Augustine (De Civ. Dei,
lib. 21, c. 13) and St. Gregory (Dialog., 4, c. 39) gather, that some
sins may be remitted in the world to come; and, consequently, that there
is a purgatory or a middle place.
12:33. Either make the tree good and its fruit good: or make the tree
evil, and its fruit evil. For by the fruit the tree is known.
12:34. O generation of vipers, how can you speak good things, whereas
you are evil? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
12:35. A good man out of a good treasure bringeth forth good things: and
an evil man out of an evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
12:36. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak,
they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment.
Every idle word... This shews there must be a place of temporal
punishment hereafter where these slighter faults shall be punished.
12:37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou
shalt be condemned.
12:38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying:
Master, we would see a sign from thee.
A sign... That is, a miracle from heaven. St. Luke 11. 16.
12:39. Who answering said to them: An evil and adulterous generation
seeketh a sign: and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas
the prophet.
12:40. For as Jonas was in the whale's belly three days and three
nights: so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days
and three nights.
Three days, etc... Not complete days and nights; but part of three days,
and three nights taken according to the way that the Hebrews counted
their days and nights, viz., from evening to evening.
12:41. The men of Ninive shall rise in judgment with this generation,
and shall condemn it: because they did penance at the preaching of
Jonas. And behold a greater than Jonas here.
12:42. The queen of the south shall rise in judgment with this
generation, and shall condemn it: because she came from the ends of the
earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon
here.
12:43. And when an unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh
through dry places seeking rest, and findeth none.
12:44. Then he saith: I will return into my house from whence I came
out. And coming he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
12:45. Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits more
wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last
state of that man is made worse than the first. So shall it be also to
this wicked generation.
12:46. As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and
his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.
12:47. And one said unto him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand
without, seeking thee.
12:48. But he answering him that told him, said: Who is my mother, and
who are my brethren?
Who is my mother?... This was not spoken by way of slighting his mother,
but to shew that we are never to suffer ourselves to be taken from the
service of God, by any inordinate affection to our earthly parents: and
that which our Lord chiefly regarded in his mother, was her doing the
will of his Father in heaven. It may also further allude to the
reprobation of the Jews, his carnal kindred, and the election of the
Gentiles.
12:49. And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said:
Behold my mother and my brethren.
12:50. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven,
he is my brother, and sister, and mother.