• Click here to read
• Click here to listen (only the first 21 verses of Mt if you click to listen)
• (Don’t Panic, you didn’t miss reading, we are just jumping to Mt 12 for a moment)

Matthew 12:1-21  We read again about the Pharisees watching intently for Jesus to break the Law of Moses (He never does.  He clarifies it).  Again,  we see Jesus point out the lack of priority in the Pharisees.  Jesus does not critique them for their desire to keep the Sabbath, he points out that the Sabbath is for the work of the Lord.

Jesus then speaks to the onlookers and quotes AGAIN from Isaiah 42.  The quote confirms that He is the servant of the Lord who will bring justice not only to Israel but also to the Gentiles. (I bet the Pharisees gasped when Jesus said “to the nations”)

¹⁸ “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
    the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
    and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
¹⁹ He will not quarrel or cry out;
    no one will hear his voice in the streets.
²⁰ A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
²¹     In his name the nations will put their hope.”

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Mark 3-

The crowd-  ⁸ When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. The area is noted because it points out that the crowd is Jewish (Judea and Jerusalem), Intermarried (Idumean and the Transjordan), and Gentiles (Tyre and Sidon). 

The chosen 12- (just like the 12 tribes of Israel)-  All 4 Gospels list them.  By the way, do you know why He calls them the Sons of Thunder?  If not we will get there.  They crack me up!

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²² And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.”-

Fun Fact time:  Beelzebub is the Greek form of the name Baal-zebub, a pagan Philistine god we read about in 2 Kings 1.  This god is “The lord of the flies”.  After the time of the Philistines, the Jews changed the meaning to “lord of dung” and “the lord of filth”. As a result, Beelzebub was used by the Jews as a reference to Satan.  Now go back and reread verse 22.  Jesus responds with (I will paraphrase)- “That’s not even logical you idiots-is he fighting himself??”. Then, and don’t miss it…a PROFOUND Statement!

²⁸ Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

I fell upon this video and thought it explained it perfectly.   If you need clarity on the above scripture– click here.

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My mother is a “sort of” practicing catholic.  (Ash Wednesday and Chrismas Eve Midnight Mass)-  So years ago, my mentor used to strategically point me to the scriptures when I would “wrestle” over topics.  Soooo, not my finest moment when I was talking to my own mother over the controversial topic of “The Virgin Mary” having children after Jesus.  I calmly said, “let’s look at Mark 3:31”.  She told me that was an error in the book.  My response was not so godly 😵.

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Luke 6 (I am jumping over the first 16 verses)- Is this a portion of the Sermon on the Mount? (Sermon on the Plain?).  I am not sure.  But look who Jesus is directly talking to (with others listening in):

²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said:

It is important you don’t take this out of context and “generalize it”.

There is a NOW and WHAT WILL BE

• Poor (because of the Son of Man)- in eternity the Kingdom will be yours
• Hungry (because of the Son of Man)-in eternity you will be satisfied
• Weeping (because of the Son of Man)-in eternity you will laugh

Dear 12 Disciples (and anyone who is listening in on this speech then or reading the Bible today),

if you follow me people will hate you, exclude you, and insult you because of the Son of Man (if you are doing your job)- you will be Blessed.

Sincerely, 

Jesus

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Jesus gives them 4 direct examples that elaborate on what it means to follow Him: (get an ice-pack ready…this might beat you up a little)

• Love for enemies- (do not seek revenge!)  Why???? 
  • Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
• Do not judge others, rather work on your own sins first THEN you will be more Christ-like to minister to others.
  • ⁴¹ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank (like a telephone pole Patricia!) in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Verse 45: Listen, I am not going to preach BUT in the South, we say “What’s in the well, comes up in the bucket”.  Jesus said: ” For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”   

Are you icing your wounds?

Listen, this is where the rubber meets the road.  Now that we are in the New Testament- what are you going to do with it???

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ⁴⁷ Press pause while I get some bandaids on this) As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. ⁴⁸ They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”