The Teachings of Jesus

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 6:1) And it came to pass that on the second Sabbath after the first, that He went through the corn fields, and His disciples plucked the ears of corn and ate, rubbing them in their hands.

By the end of the last chapter, Jesus had called His first disciples, Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew.  It came to pass that on a Sabbath Day, He and His disciples went through a corn field.  There is much long discussion among commentators about what is meant by the second Sabbath after the first.  I don't think it is necessary to know for certain that detail.  Apparently, the Jews counted their Sabbaths from the Passover to the Pentecost.  This may have been the second Sabbath after the Passover, or perhaps it was the second Sabbath during Passover.  Luke may have mentioned it to intimate that it was a special Sabbath, or perhaps to denote the time of year when the corn was nearly ripe.  Whenever it was, Jesus and His disciples walked through the corn fields and His disciples plucked ears of corn, rubbed them in their hands, and ate the kernels.

(2) And certain of the Pharisees said to them, "Why do you do that which is unlawful to do on the Sabbath days?"

There were some Pharisees who observed them.  The accounts in Matthew and Mark state that the Pharisees asked the question to Jesus Himself, but it's quite reasonable to assume they had asked both Jesus and His disciples.  They demanded to know why they did what was unlawful to do on the Sabbath, gathering ears of corn and eating them.

(3) And Jesus answering them, said, "Have you not read so much as this, what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him?"

Jesus posed a question back to the Pharisees, asking if they had read in scripture about the time when David and those with him were hungry, and what they did.

(4) "How he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave to them who were with him, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?"

Jesus continued telling them what David had done, how he went into the temple and he and those with him ate the showbread that had been before the Lord (1 Samuel 21:6).  According to the law, it was unlawful for them to have done that, as that bread was for the priests only.

(5) And He said to them, "That the Son of man is also Lord of the Sabbath."

As David, a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), was not condemned for having eaten holy bread, Jesus, as Lord of the Sabbath, was not guilty of any wrongdoing.  Jesus, as God then in human form, had created the Sabbath and knew the heart of the law of the Sabbath.  In the account in Mark, Jesus had added that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  The Sabbath was intended to help people, not burden them.  Under the law, the people were commanded to take a full day of rest from their labor on the Sabbath.  Plucking an ear of corn to satisfy hunger was not harvesting the corn as the Pharisees had made it in their strict interpretation of the law.

(6) And it came to pass also on another Sabbath, that He entered into the synagogue and taught; and there was a man whose right hand was withered.

Then on another Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and a man with a withered right hand was there.

(7) And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him, whether He would heal on the Sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against Him.

The scribes and the Pharisees watched to see what Jesus would do, whether or not He would heal the man with the withered hand.  They had so twisted the law to include healing as work and forbidden on the Sabbath.  Imagine if no doctor could treat a patient on the Sabbath!  But the scribes and Pharisees wanted to catch Jesus doing something unlawful of which they could accuse Him.

(8) But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Rise up and stand forth in the midst." And he arose and stood there.

Jesus knew what the scribes and Pharisees were thinking, even though they had not spoken it.  He told the man with the withered hand to get up and stand in the midst of the congregation, which the man did.

(9) Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing; is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good or to do evil? To save life or to destroy it?"

Jesus then spoke to the scribes and Pharisees and asked them if it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or to do evil.  Of course, His point was that it would be evil to not heal the man when it was in His power to do so, and He should therefore do good on the Sabbath, and they, too, should desire that.  Would it be lawful to save a life or to not save it, thereby destroying it?

(10) And looking round about upon them all, He said to the man, "Stretch forth your hand." And he did so and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Jesus, looking around at all of them, then told the man to stretch forth his hand.  When he did, his right hand was restored and as good as his other hand.

(11) And they were filled with madness and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Despite Jesus's question to them about doing good on the Sabbath, the scribes and Pharisees were filled with rage that He had healed the man and they discussed among themselves what they should do about Jesus.

(12) And it came to pass in those days that He went out on a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Jesus then went out to a mountain to pray.  He spent the entire night in prayer to God, as He routinely sought communion with God, but probably also seeking divine wisdom and guidance in the decision He would make the next day.

(13) And when it was day, He called His disciples, and from them He chose twelve, whom He also named apostles.

The next day Jesus called all His disciples to Himself, that is, all His followers.  From them He chose twelve disciples to be His apostles.  An apostle was one sent forth with a mission who had the authority of Jesus.  An apostle was a disciple also, but not all disciples were apostles; at this point there were only Jesus's chosen twelve.

(14) Simon (whom He also named Peter), and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, (15) Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot, (16) And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who also was the traitor.

Jesus had already called Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew.  In addition to them He called Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Simon the Zealot, and James, the son of Alphaeus, sometimes called James the Less, or "little" James to distinguish him from James the brother of John.  Little James's brother was Judas or Thaddeus as he was also called, and Jesus chose him also.  And finally, He chose Judas Iscariot, who of course, was the one to betray Him.

(17) And He came down with them and stood in the plain, and the company of His disciples and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases.

Jesus came down from the mountain with His apostles and stood in a plain, accompanied by His other followers and a great multitude of people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed by Him.

(18) And they who were vexed with unclean spirits; and they were healed.

Also among the multitude were those who had unclean spirits, and as this was a continuation of verse 17, we can correctly assume that all people were healed by him, those with diseases and those with demons.

(19) And the whole multitude sought to touch Him for there went power out of Him and healed them all.

It seems the entire multitude sought to touch Jesus, not just the sick and possessed.  There was a spiritual power that went out of Jesus that everyone wanted to touch.  We can assuredly know that that power spiritually healed those who did not even know they were sick.  The verse says Jesus healed them all!

(20) And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples and said, "Blessed you poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus lifted up His eyes on all His disciples as He began what is known as the Beatitudes.  Luke paraphrased the first one as blessed are the poor, whereas Matthew had said the poor in spirit.  Both are true; those who were poor, having given up all for the Lord, or those who were poor but still glorified God, would see the kingdom of heaven, as well as the poor in spirit, those humble in spirit, realizing they have no righteousness in and of themselves but looked to God as Savior.

(21) "Blessed you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed you who weep now, for you shall laugh."

Luke said those who hungered would be filled, but in Matthew's account, he said that those who hungered and thirsted after righteousness would be filled.  Again, both are true.  Obviously, those hungering and thirsting after righteousness would be filled, but those who were physically hungry would be filled, as well.  If not with immediate food, they would be filled with something far more precious and life-sustaining.  Those who wept or mourned as Matthew stated it, would not only be comforted, as Matthew said, but would laugh!  They would be filled with spiritual joy in spite of physical afflictions and pressures of life.

(22) Blessed are you when men shall hate you and when they shall exclude you and shall revile you and cast out your name as evil for the Son of man's sake."

Jesus said to count it as blessing when men hated them, excluded them, reviled them, called their names as evil, generally persecuted them, as the account in Matthew stated, because they were His followers.

(23) "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For behold, your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."

As Matthew had stated also, Jesus said to rejoice and count it as joy if they were so persecuted as they were in great company with the prophets before them who had also been persecuted by the fathers of those who persecuted them now, and their reward in heaven would be great.

(24) "But woe to you who are rich for you have received your consolation."

In Luke's retelling of the Beatitudes, he added something that Matthew did not, sort of opposite woes to the blessings of the Beatitudes.  Jesus proclaimed woe to the rich because they had already received their reward, meaning if that is what they solely sought in life and achieved it, then that was their reward, their riches.  They had no other reward in heaven to look forward to.

(25) "Woe to you who are full! For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now! For you shall mourn and weep."

Jesus proclaimed woe to those who were full, that is, those who were filled and satisfied with all the material things in life, for they would one day hunger for Jesus and His salvation, for nothing on earth can fill the empty soul but Jesus.  In the same sense, woe to those who were happy with material things and the filling of their lustful desires, for they would one day mourn when it was not enough to save their eternal souls.

(26) "Woe to you when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets."

Woe to those whom all men like and speak well of.  If you are shallow and sit on the fence, trying to please all, then you are really good for nothing.  Jesus compared that kind of people to false prophets, those who told people what they wanted to hear, rather than the truth.  In 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Paul condemned those who looked for teachers who would tell them good things they wanted to hear and turned from the truth.  In Revelation 3:16, God said He wanted to spew the lukewarm, those who were neither hot nor cold, who stood for nothing, out of His mouth!

(27) "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to them who hate you."

Jesus went on to tell His disciples and the multitude with them, to all who had ears to hear and understand, that they should love their enemies and do good to those who hated them.  When you think of your enemy as a poor lost soul who is trying to fill his life with all the wrong things and will ultimately burn eternally in hell, it becomes easy to pity him and love him.

(28) "Bless those who curse you and pray for those who spitefully use you."

In the same way, love and pray for those who curse you and use you, for as St. Paul would later explain to us, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."  These people are being led by demonic spirits, and Satan himself, and for that reason, we should pity them and love them and pray for them.

(29) "And to him who strikes you on the cheek offer also the other, and to him who takes away your cloak do not forbid your coat also."

Jesus said if someone struck you on the cheek, you should offer your other cheek as well, rather than react in kind.  With this example, He taught us patience in bearing attacks and injuries, not to seek private revenge nor to indulge a hot temper.  In like manner, if someone takes something from you, don't respond in anger and revenge, but rather do good to them and offer them something else they might need.

(30) "Give to every man who asks of you, and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them back."

Jesus instructed us to give to everyone who asked of us and not to ask for it or anything they took back.  I'm sure there are limits to this.  I can't imagine Jesus intended to have us let someone take advantage and constantly take from us and our needs.  However, it is for God to judge the heart.  The point is we must be willing to do good and to give within our power to do so, even to our enemies, and should never ask anything in return.  Give graciously and generously, expecting nothing in return.

(31) "And as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise."

If only we always followed that one simple rule!  If we merely treated others as we wished to be treated in similar circumstances, that could cure almost every problem in the world today!

(32) "For if you love those who love you, what good is that? For sinners also love those who love them."

Loving people who love you is a given, even among sinners, so that is nothing worthy of notice or reward.

(33) "And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit have you? For sinners also do the same."

Likewise, doing good to those people who do good to you is easy and of no particular merit, for everyone, including sinners, can easily do that.

(34) "And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit have you? For sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again."

Lending or giving to someone from whom you expect to get something in return is of no special credit, for all people, including sinners, will give if they know they will get back.

(35) "But love your enemies and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward shall be great and you shall be the children of the Highest for He is kind to the unthankful and the evil."

Jesus summarized all His previous examples of doing good by saying that we are to love our enemies and do good to them and lend or give to them, expecting nothing in return.  That is true giving and worthy of reward from God and we will show the world we belong to Him, the Most High, and He is a loving God who gives to all.

(36) "Therefore be merciful as your Father also is merciful."

Jesus instructed us to be merciful to others just as He is merciful to us.  How much have we received that we did not deserve?  As Christians, we should seek to be Christ-like and merciful to all whether they "deserve" it or not.

(37) "Judge not and you shall not be judged; condemn not and you shall not be condemned; forgive and you shall be forgiven."

Jesus told us not to judge others and we wouldn't be likewise judged.  He was not talking about judgment according to the law.  If a man kills another, we can certainly judge that as wrong.  However, we cannot judge the motives of another.  The old adage about not judging until you have walked in the same shoes truly applies here.  It's easy to judge outward signs as not right according to how we think they should be, and therefore equally easy for us to be therefore judged as hypocrites for none of us is perfect.  However, that is not to say that we don't have the right to judge policies that are anti-God, but we should be careful not to judge the person who may follow some of those policies, not knowing their hearts and why they think the way they do.  People judge for themselves based on their life experiences and what they see and hear.  And some of those judgments may be morally wrong, but it is not up to us to judge another's heart and motives.  An action may be deemed wrong and I believe can be lovingly discussed, but we must always be careful not to judge a person's motives for why they think the way they do.  A perfect personal lived example of this was when people said the only reason I could not support Barack Obama was because he was black.  They would judge me racist and that was not true in the slightest way.  I didn't support him, just as I don't support Joe Biden, a white man, or Hillary Clinton, a white woman, and that is because of their Godless policies alone.  I fully support Justice Clarence Thomas and Dr. Ben Carson and Colonel Allen West.  I voted for Allen West in the Texas governor's Republican primary against a very popular incumbent.  I feel like I have achieved Martin Luther King's dream of man being judged by the content of his character and not by the color of his skin.  I'm afraid it's because of the racism of those judging me that they are only seeing color.  But that is a topic for another time.

Jesus also said not to condemn others.  That would be to take judgment to another level, not merely judging a person's actions, but totally condemning the whole person prejudicedly based on their actions, self-righteously dismissing others because they don't measure up to our standards.  We can so likely be condemned by others for the exact same reasons.  Finally, we are to forgive others and we shall be forgiven.  We are forgiven!  By our heavenly Father, although we don't deserve it in the slightest, so we must be willing to forgive others even if we think they don't "deserve" it.  Elsewhere, when teaching us how to pray, Jesus said in Matthew 6:15 that if you don't forgive others, your heavenly Father will not forgive you.  God so loved us that even when we were sinners against Him, He sent Christ to die for us (Romans 5:8).  Likewise, we are to love those who sinned against us and forgive them.  If we have no love for our brother, we cannot know God, for God is love (1 John 4:8).

(38) "Give and it shall be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use it shall be measured back to you."

Jesus said to give liberally and you would receive back so much blessing that if it were something to be measured that you were holding, it would be pressed down and shaken to allow more, and it would be running over into your lap.  He said the same either generous or stingy measure by which we used to give, that is how it would be measured back to us.  Therefore, give liberally!

(39) And He spoke a parable to them, "Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?"

Jesus then spoke a proverb or saying, called a parable, asking if the blind could truly lead the blind.  Wouldn't they both fall into the ditch, He reasoned.  He meant that one could not teach what he himself did not know.  One who was not guided by the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of God certainly could not judge another in spiritual matters.  One in spiritual darkness himself would only lead both himself and the one he judged and sought to counsel into further darkness, endangering both souls with eternal damnation.  

(40) "The disciple is not above his master, but everyone who is perfect will be as his master."

Jesus's point was that no student was more knowledgeable than his teacher.  If his teacher was ignorant, then the student would learn those same ignorant ways.  Everyone who was a perfect student would be as his teacher was.  The spiritually blind teacher would lead the spiritually blind student into further spiritual darkness, eventually falling into the ditch of hell.

(41) "And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the beam that is in your own eye?"

Jesus asked why it was that we, all His listeners and even His readers today, are so quick to spot the small sin in another, but so blind to our own big sins.  

(42) "Or how can you say to your brother, "Brother, let me pull out the speck that is in your eye," when you yourself do not see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First cast the beam out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to pull out the speck that is in your brother's eye."

How can we possibly see clearly enough to correct someone's small sin when we ourselves are so clouded by our own huge sins?  Jesus called us hypocrites who do that.  We must first reform ourselves before we can see clearly to ever help others.  While all sins are equal in that they all separate us from God, there are some sins that are worse than others in God's eyes, and one of the worst is pride, as we read in many places in scripture.  Proverbs 16:5 says, "Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord," but there are many others.  Enter pride and proud into a search of the Bible and you'll come up with about a hundred such verses.  Pride in ourselves to think we know the spiritual answers in order to judge the sins of another is a perfect example of a log in our eyes trying to remove the speck in others'.

(43) "For a good tree does not bring forth corrupt fruit, neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."

As a good tree will not bring forth rotten fruit, so a righteous man will not bring forth fruit of judgment, gossip, and censure of the faults of others.  A bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit just as the blind cannot lead the blind and a corrupt man cannot righteously lead another.

(44) "For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush."

A tree is known by its fruits.  When one sees a healthy tree with lots of apples, he knows right away it's an apple tree, not so much when he sees an unhealthy one with no fruit.  When he sees a tree full of thorns, he does not expect to find good apples.

(45) "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."

As a tree is known by its fruits, so a man will be known by his.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart will bring forth good things and an evil man out of what is in his heart will bring forth evil.  A man's mouth will speak what is in his heart.

(46) "And why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?"

However, people might use empty words; Jesus asked why they would call Him Lord but not do what He taught.  God judges the heart and the fruit or actions of a person, not just his words.

(47) "Whoever comes to Me and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like. (48) He is like a man who built a house and dug deep and laid the foundation on a rock; and when the flood arose the stream beat vehemently on that house and could not shake it for it was founded on a rock."

Jesus compared a person who came to Him, listened to Him, and did what He said, to a person who built his home with a deep foundation in rock.  When a flood came and rushing water beat against his house, it could not shake it because of its foundation in rock.  That person who took the time to dig deep into Christ's word and to plant it deep in his heart, doing what He said, would be providing a firm foundation that would withstand the flood of evil that might come his way.

(49) "But he who hears and does not do is like a man who without a foundation built a house on the earth, against which the stream beat vehemently and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."

On the other hand, one who heard Christ's word but did not do what He said was like a man who built his house on the dirt with no foundation.  When the flood came upon that house, it immediately fell and was completely destroyed.  When there is no strong foundation in Christ, the flood of evil that will surely come will destroy us.  Standing firm on the rock Jesus Christ, we will be able to ride out every storm of evil that comes our way and find refuge, rest, and peace in Jesus.

Jesus's Twelve Apostles and His True Brothers and Sisters

Continuing a Bible study of the gospels:

(Mark 3:1) And He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand.

In the last chapter of Mark, Jesus had come back into the city of Capernaum after a short stay in the wilderness, and He now went back into the synagogue there.  There was a man there who had a withered hand.

(2) And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath day, that they might accuse Him.

The scribes and Pharisees who had been accusing Jesus's disciples of "work" on the Sabbath at the end of the last chapter, now watched Jesus closely to see if He would heal a man on the sabbath day.

(3) And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Stand forth."

Surely knowing what the scribes and Pharisees were thinking in their hearts, Jesus told the man with the withered hand to stand before them.

(4) And He said to them, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life or to kill? But they held their peace.

Jesus asked the scribes and Pharisees whether it was lawful to do good on the sabbath days or to do evil.  Was it lawful to save a life or to kill?  They did not answer Him.

(5) And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch forth your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Jesus looked around at the scribes and Pharisees about Him, angry and distressed at them because they were so heartless they would not want to see a man healed just because it was on the Sabbath.  He then told the man with the withered hand to stretch it forth, and when he did, the hand was restored whole just as his other hand.

(6) And the Pharisees went forth, and immediately counseled with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

The Pharisees who were supposed to be the oracles of the church, went out of the synagogue and met and counseled with the Herodians, who were supporters of the government.  Even though these two groups were usually at odds with each other, they found common ground in their desire to get rid of Jesus, and that is what they plotted together to do.

(7) But Jesus withdrew Himself with His disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea, (8) And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond Jordan, and those around Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things He did, came to Him.

Jesus, surely knowing the plotting against Him, withdrew from the city of Capernaum, and He and His disciples went to the seashore of the Sea of Galilee.  A great multitude of people followed Him from Galilee, from Jerusalem and Judea, from Idumea, which was Edom, and beyond the Jordan River, and from as far west as Tyre and Sidon.  When these people had heard what great things Jesus did, they came from far and wide to Him.

(9) And He spoke to His disciples that a small boat should wait on Him because of the multitude, lest they crowd Him.

Jesus told His disciples to get a small boat ready for Him in case the crowd of people began to press in too hard on Him.

(10) For He had healed many, so that they pressed upon Him to touch Him, as many as had plagues.

Because Jesus had healed many people, crowds of people with plagues or diseases pressed upon Him just to touch Him in hopes they would be healed by just His touch.

(11) And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, and cried, saying, "You are the Son of God!"

The unclean spirits that possessed people in the crowd recognized Him, and the bodies they possessed fell before Him when they saw Him, crying out that He was the Son of God.  Evil spirits cannot stand in the presence of God; they are in complete subjection to Him.

(12) And He sternly charged them that they should not make Him known.

The spirits could not help but fall before Jesus, but He once again silenced them so that they would not make Him known to the people.  Evil spirits were certainly not the best preachers!

(13) And He went up in a mountain and called whom He wanted, and they came to Him. (14) And He ordained twelve that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach. (15) And to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils.

The account in Luke states Jesus went to the mountain to pray and stayed there all night.  When it was day, He called His disciples to Him, which were probably many followers in the beginning, and He chose among them twelve to be His righthand men, so to speak, men He could send out to preach, to heal, and to cast out devils.  Note He chose twelve to have that power; they wouldn't have naturally had the power to do such things without Jesus giving it to them.  Of course, the significance of the number twelve can't be overstated.  It was obviously the number of the twelve tribes of Israel.

(16) And Simon He surnamed Peter.

The first of the twelve disciples was Simon whom Jesus surnamed Peter; He was called Simon Peter, but most often just Peter.

(17) And James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and He surnamed them Boanerges, which is "Sons of Thunder."

Then Jesus called James and John and gave them the surname of Boanerges which meant "Sons of Thunder."

(18) And Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite.

Jesus also called Andrew, who was Peter's brother, and Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, to distinguish him from James the brother of John.  Jesus also called Thaddeus and Simon the Canaanite, again an addition to distinguish him from Simon Peter.  He was also called Simon the Zealot.

(19) And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

Lastly, Jesus chose Judas Iscariot, who, of course, would betray Him.  Certainly Jesus knew that when He chose Him, even though Judas could not have known it at that point, but He chose him to fulfill the purposes of God.  Jesus and the twelve disciples then went into a house, probably the house of Peter and Andrew which seems to be the place Jesus stayed when He was in Capernaum.

(20) And the multitude came together again so that they could not so much as eat bread.

When Jesus came back into town into the house, a crowd of people came together again to the house, so as He and His disciples could not even eat.

(21) And when His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is beside Himself."

The word that was translated as "friends" meant a closer relationship than just a friend.  It meant those who were of Him, so either very close friends or more likely family and relatives, heard about what was going on with Jesus and went to get Him, for they said He must have been out of sorts, or out of His wits, as the word "existemi" more accurately meant.  Jesus's closest friends and relatives did not understand who He was at this point.

(22) And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils, He casts out devils."

The scribes from Jerusalem declared that Jesus had the spirit of Satan, and it was by his power that He was able to cast out demons.  That is the very reason that Jesus always made the evil spirits possessing people to be silent so as not to engender this belief, that they listened to Him because He was of them.  These last two verses illustrate what Jesus's own people thought of Him, that He was insane or possessed by demons.  John stated in John 1:11 that Jesus came into the world to His own, but they did not receive Him.

(23) And He called them and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?"

To the scribes who said that Jesus cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub, He asked in parables, or metaphorically with illustrations, how it was that Satan could cast out himself.

(24) "And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand."

Jesus continued with His illustration of that fact by comparing it to a kingdom that was divided against itself that could then not stand.

(25) "And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand."

Likewise, Jesus told them a house divided against itself could not stand.

(26) "And if Satan rises up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end."

Jesus showed them the logical conclusion to their absurd argument that He cast out devils by the devil.  If the prince of the devils fought against his devils, and his kingdom was divided, he could not stand and would be soon destroyed.

(27) "No man can enter into a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house."

Having proven the point that He could not be casting out demons by the power of the prince of the demons because Satan would be undoing his own work, He went on to say that no man could enter into a strong man's house with the intention of seizing his goods without first binding the strong man.  The point was that Jesus could not use the strong man's own power to plunder the strong man (Satan); He must bind the strong man in order to free the one possessed by him.

(28) "Verily, I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men and whatever blasphemies with which they shall blaspheme."

Jesus said that all sins and even blasphemies against God would be forgiven a man, obviously being after he repented of those things and brought Jesus into his heart.

(29) "But he who blasphemes against the Holy Ghost never has forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation," (30) Because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Because the scribes had said that Jesus had an unclean spirit, He sternly warned them.  He said any sin against Him, even blasphemies against Him and Father God, could be forgiven, but they could never be forgiven for blaspheming the Holy Spirit.  I believe to blaspheme the Holy Spirit one has to know the Holy Spirit.  For instance, I believe a sinner could utter blasphemies against God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, railing against them all because he "knows not what he does" (Luke 23:34).  I certainly don't want to speak for Jesus something that is not true, but in my heart I truly believe this to be the case.  The reason Jesus was warning the scribes was that they were supposed to know the Holy Spirit of God.  Once a person has accepted Jesus into his heart and has the gift of the Holy Spirit, he intimately knows the Spirit, and at that point knows what he does when he blasphemes the Spirit of God.  Although the scribes did not yet have Jesus, they supposedly knew God and His word, and should have known the Spirit of God; therefore Jesus sternly warned them not to blaspheme the Spirit they should know and recognize in Him.

(31) There came then His brothers and His mother, and standing outside, sent to Him, calling Him.

It appears that at this point Jesus was still in Peter's house.  His mother and His brothers came to the house and from outside, they sent word calling Him to them.  Whether these were His blood brothers, or half-brothers as they could only be as sons of Mary and Joseph, or just relatives, they were certainly family accompanying His mother.  In verse 21 we were told Jesus's family was trying to take hold of Him because they thought He was "beside Himself," and that might have been the intention of His brothers at this point.

(32) And the multitude sat around Him, and they said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers outside are seeking You."

A multitude of people sat around Jesus listening to Him preach and teach.  The message came through that Jesus's mother and brothers were outside the house looking for Him.

(33) And He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?" 

Jesus answered those who had sent Him the message asking the question just who were His mother and His brothers?

(34) And He looked around at them who sat around Him, and said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! (35) For whoever shall do the will of God is My brother, and My sister, and mother."

After He posed the question, Jesus looked around at the people sitting around Him, and declared that they were His mother and brothers, for whoever did the will of His Father in heaven were His brother, sister, or mother.  They were certainly His spiritual brothers and sisters, Christian brothers and sisters.  In declaring this, Jesus indicated that His true spiritual disciples were closer brothers and sisters than His fleshly family.  Furthermore, if it was His fleshly family's intention to take Him away at that point, they certainly were not doing the will of God.  I don't believe Jesus was being disrespectful to His mother, but was rather showering respect on His disciples and followers.  His mother did become a believer and follower, and therefore a spiritual sister, as well; but if she hadn't, Jesus had made it clear before that anyone who loved family more than Him (Matthew 10:37) was not worthy of Him.  Likewise, those who loved Him more than family who might oppose Him, were worthy to be called His true brothers and sisters.

Jesus Sends Out His Twelve Disciples

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Matthew 10:1) And when He had called to Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

At the end of the last chapter and post, Jesus had remarked that the harvest of souls was plentiful, but the laborers were few.  He had now appointed His twelve disciples and had equipped them for that work.  He gave them the spiritual power to cast out unclean spirits and to heal all manner of sickness and disease.  It is noteworthy that Jesus chose twelve disciples to be His inner circle, twelve being the number of the tribes of Israel.

(2) Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: the first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother.

Here begins the list of the twelve disciples, or apostles, as the inner circle of twelve were now called.  Peter and Andrew were called the first because they were the first called by Jesus.  James and John, the sons of Zebedee, make four.

(3) Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the publican, James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus whose surname was Thaddaeus.

The names of the next four disciples were Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew, the tax collector and author of this gospel account.  Next was James, the son of Alphaeus, who was named to distinguish him from the son of Zebedee.  The tenth apostle named was Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus, and that is the name used in the list made by Mark in his gospel account.

(4) Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

Rounding out the twelve were Simon, the Canaanite, distinguishing him from Simon Peter, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.  This Simon was also called Simon the Zealot.

(5) These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them, saying, "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans. (6) But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Jesus sent out His twelve disciples on a mission with His instructions.  First they were commanded not to go among the Gentiles or into any city of the Samaritans.  They were to preach the gospel first to the lost souls in Israel, the original chosen people of God, the people among whom the Messiah was born, the people who had long looked forward to His coming.  It was only fitting that they should receive His message first.

(7) "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

As the disciples went through the cities of Judea, they were to preach that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, proclaiming the same words used by Jesus's forerunner, John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2).

(8) "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils; freely you have received, freely give."

Jesus instructed His apostles, with the power He had given them, to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons.  They had been freely given the spiritual gifts to do all these things, and they were instructed to perform those gifts freely to those in need.

(9) "Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, (10) Nor bag for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor staffs, for the workman is worthy of his food."

Jesus told them not to carry money in their purses, nor prepare any bag for their journey.  They weren't to carry a change of clothes, nor extra shoes or staffs.  Workmen were worthy of their necessities, meaning the work they would be doing would make them worthy of receiving provisions and support from those they ministered to, and God would surely provide.  They were not to concern themselves with stuff, but were to depend on God for their provisions and put all their effort into His work.

(11) "And into whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and abide there till you go out."

When the apostles came into a town or city, they were to inquire and seek out the place best suited to receive them as guests and allow them to stay there until they left that town.

(12) "And when you come into a house, salute it."

When the apostles first entered a house, they were to show the family of the house all the customary tokens of respect and civility, regardless of whether or not they would stay there.

(13) "And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you."

If the household proved to be courteous and welcoming, and ready to receive them, then the peace the apostles wished for in their salutation to the house, should come and rest on the house.  However, if the house proved to be unwelcoming, then those blessings of peace and goodwill would be upon the apostles themselves as they sought another house.

(14) "And whoever will not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet."

If a house rejected them, or if no hospitable house was found in an entire city, the apostles were to depart the house or city, shaking its dust off their feet, indicating they no longer had any connection with it, or any responsibility for its guilt in rejecting them and their message.

(15) "Verily, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city."

The sins and punishment of Sodom and Gomorrha were well known by all inhabitants of the region.  Jesus said that those who rejected the gospel would be judged more harshly than the sinners in Sodom and Gomorrha.  That was because Sodom and Gomorrha had not been so highly favored with so much light and instruction as the Jews at the time of Jesus, for to whomever much is given, from him much will be required (Luke 12:48).

(16) "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

Jesus told the apostles that He was sending them as defenseless sheep into a cruel and ravenous world.  Therefore, He advised them to be wise and even cunning as serpents were said to be, but in their cunning, they should be harmless as doves.  Their cunning ways were not to bring any harm.  

(17) "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues."

Jesus warned them to be on guard against men, their own countrymen with whom they may have once felt comfort, for they now might want to oppress and persecute them, and turn them over to the courts for punishment.

(18) "And you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles."

The reason they would be persecuted was for Jesus's sake, purely for their profession of faith in Him and for preaching His gospel.  Jesus told them they would even be brought before governors and kings to testify the truth before them, a testimony that would appear to be in opposition to all they thought they knew with their legalistic laws of men.  It was called a testimony against the Gentiles, too, which might be so said because they would be brought before heathen kings, but it might also be a hint that the apostles' message would soon be spread to the Gentiles, as well as the Jews.

(19) "But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. (20) For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."

Jesus told them not to worry or be anxious about what they might say or how they might behave when they were brought before the courts or rulers, for the Holy Spirit of God would speak through them.  What a wonderful promise and such a beautiful thing that no surprise attack, no deficiency of talent, nor ignorance itself, would hurt the purpose of God!  The apostles would be willing instruments of the Holy Spirit of God!

(21) "And the brother will deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child; and the children will rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death."

This is a harsh and hard fact to understand presented by Jesus, that members of family would turn against one another, that parents could actually turn aside their natural affection for their children and deliver them up to wicked magistrates to be put to death, just because they professed a different faith.  This shows an astonishing enmity in the soul of man against the gospel of Christ!  Whenever there seemed to be no plausible explanation for something, my husband always explained it was spiritual.  It is a sad corruption of human nature resulting from spiritual warfare led by Satan himself that people could have such pure hatred for the gospel of Christ that they could put aside natural affections and kill because of it!

(22) "And you shall be hated by all for My name's sake, but he who endures to the end shall be saved."

Jesus warned the apostles would be hated by all kinds of men all over because of their attachment to Jesus Himself.  However, He encouraged them with the fact that if they endured in their faith till the end, they would indeed be saved.  It also seems to suggest that if they did not hold fast to their faith till death, they would not be saved.  Is this an argument against "once saved, always saved," or perhaps a passing reference to Judas Iscariot, who would obviously not endure to the end, but would betray Christ?  

(23) "But when they persecute you in this city, flee to another, for verily I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, before the Son of Man comes."

Jesus told the apostles if they were persecuted in one city, flee to another, for time was short.  They would not have finished their work of preaching the gospel of Christ before His kingdom would indeed be come to earth in that He would be resurrected and His Holy Spirit poured out on earth.

(24) "The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord."

Jesus told them that a disciple was not better than his teacher, nor a servant better than his master.  They should expect no better treatment as merely His disciples than He, the Lord Himself, would receive.  

(25) "It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call them of his household?"

A disciple should think himself well off if he received the same treatment as his master, and be happy if he received no worse treatment than his master.  If men have called the master of the house Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies, or a name for Satan himself, are they really going to treat the members of his household much better?  

(26) "Fear them not therefore, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known."

Jesus told His disciples to therefore not fear men for all would be revealed.  They could be assured that God saw everything and that they would not receive any worse treatment than would Jesus, and soon all would be known.  Even though we know Jesus would suffer unimaginably, He overcame that death and arose, and therefore His followers could expect to overcome it all, as well.

(27) "What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops."

Jesus told His disciples that what He then told them in secret, they were to declare openly and publicly.  

(28) "And do not fear them who can kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

He told them not to fear anything they might suffer when proclaiming these truths.  Men could indeed kill the body, but that is all they could do.  They could not kill the soul, and the body's temporal life is nothing compared to the eternal life of the soul.  Likewise, mere men who would themselves soon die, were nothing to fear against the Lord God who held their souls and could destroy both body and soul in an eternal hell.  The disciples who would be working for God should have a reverential fear for the One who held their souls in His hand, and therefore fear not mere men.

(29) "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father."

A farthing was a coin of very little value.  I'm not sure of its exact worth in Biblical times, but a British farthing was equal to one fourth of a penny.  Jesus's point to His disciples was that even though the sparrows were of such little value in the eyes of the world, not one fell to the ground or died without His knowledge and will.

(30) "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

Sparrows of such little value were of concern to the Father, but concerning His disciples, the Father knew the exact number of hairs on their heads, indicating even more care and attention to the smallest details of their lives.

(31) "Do not fear, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

Indeed, Jesus told His disciples, they were more valuable to God than many sparrows, so they had no reason to fear men; they had God on their side.

(32) "Whoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father who is in heaven."

Jesus told them that whoever publicly confessed Him to be the promised Messiah, He would acknowledge that person before God in heaven that he was His own. 

(33) "But whoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

However, whoever denied Christ before men would likewise be denied as one of His own before God in heaven.  Christ was Mediator between God and man, Savior to all men who could never be good enough on their own to approach God.  Therefore, to deny Christ, was to forbid themselves access to the kingdom of God.

(34) "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace but a sword."

How could it be that the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) did not come to bring peace, but a sword?  I believe the meaning is that His purpose was not to get along solely for the sake of peaceful getting along.  What He brought with Him to earth would produce much strife and contention, but He would never back down from the truth.  He would be proactive, and not merely reactive.  The sword is a symbol of that, and is often used to represent the Word of God.  

(35) "For I have come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Jesus quoted Micah 7:6 in this, meaning that His coming would create disagreement and strife within families.  A father, while unconverted, would oppose a godly child, and vice versa.  It is the spirit that is in those who sin against God that is opposed to that spirit which is in the followers of Christ.  Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that it is the spirits that are in opposition, and not the persons, "for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against...rulers of darkness..."

(36) "And a man's foes will be those of his own household."

Jesus told His disciples that a man's foes would those of his own family.  Those are the people who knew him best, and vice versa.  There would be the most intense debates over religion, so there would the most hostilities and strife erupt.

(37) "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."

Jesus was not contradicting the commandment to honor father and mother, but one must not drop the confession of Christ or neglect His commands in order to please a family member.  We must love God and Christ above all others, or we are not worthy to be called by His name.  This is where the sword divides families.

(38) "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."

The meaning of this is that one must be ready to endure all the punishment and afflictions that would come when following Christ.  More than that, what a prophetic statement it was!  Taking up one's cross is more than bearing trials in general, but is a preparedness to go forth following after Jesus even unto crucifixion.  This was a more remarkable statement by Jesus when you realize that crucifixion was not a Jewish method of capital punishment.  Jesus's followers must be willing to follow Him wherever it leads or they are not worthy of Him.  

(39) "He who finds his life shall lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake shall find it."

Finding one's life is a way of saying preserving or saving his life.  One who preserves his life by denying Christ and living according to worldly lusts will lose eternal life.  However, one who dies to selfish lusts, and gives his life to Christ, will find everlasting life.

(40) "He who receives you, receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent me."

After so much warning about persecution, it must have been an encouragement to the disciples to know that some people would receive them and their message favorably.  And those who received them were in actuality receiving the message of Him who sent them, and in receiving Jesus, they received God the Father.

(41) "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward."

Whoever received a prophet, or minister of the gospel in this case, as a prophet or the messenger of the gospel as he was, would share in that prophet's reward.  Likewise, receiving a righteous man as he was, would give him a share in the righteous man's reward.  Those who graciously received the disciples would be blessed, obviously by the message itself, but even more so because they had been so gracious to God's workers.

(42) "And whoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily, I say to you, he shall in no way lose his reward."

Jesus said that whoever gave so little as a cup of cold water to those little ones, the disciples, regarded by the world as lowly, and perhaps regarded by themselves as little unlearned followers of Christ, would be rewarded for that act of kindness.  As Jesus said elsewhere, in Matthew 25:40, whenever one gave a drink to the least of these, His brethren, so he gave it to Him.

In this chapter and post, Jesus prepared His disciples to go out into the world preaching the Gospel.  By His instructions we can learn many things that direct how we should go forth in the world today.  The gift of God's salvation through Jesus Christ is as free as all other gifts of God, including air, water, and sunlight; all are welcome to receive it, regardless of their stations in life.  Because it is a free gift, ministers of the gospel should depend on God for their provision.  We should treat messengers of the gospel kindly; they are sent to benefit the world and it is proper that they should be kindly received and have their needs supplied.  It is no small matter to reject Christ and the gospel, and judgment will be forthcoming.  We should take proper care of our lives and not endanger them by foolish unwarranted actions.  We should flee from danger when we can do it without denying God.  Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, wrote, "He that throws away his life when it might have been, and ought to have been preserved, is a self-murderer. He that exposes himself when duty does not require it, and whose life pays the forfeit, goes before God 'rushing unbidden into his Maker’s presence,' nor can he be held guiltless."  We are to persevere through all trials till the end, and know that God watches over us.  We have a duty to confess Christ before men and never be ashamed of Him and His gospel.  How easy it is to receive the rewards of heaven!  What is easier than giving a cup of water to a stranger?!  Of course, it's the motive of the heart that determines God's reward; love heightens the smallest act.  Even the poorest person can be hospitable.  I will end this post with a message I just received this week.  My new neighbor helped pull me out of the mud and went over and beyond what was necessary to help.  He then proceeded to tell me his philosophy on life and obedience to the Holy Spirit.  He said that hospitality originated with the Holy Spirit and that the word "hospitality" itself was short for "Holy Spirituality".  Although I don't necessarily believe that is true, I thought it was a beautiful thought.  Indeed we love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19-21).