安息日的問題

12 那時,耶穌在安息日經過一片麥田。祂的門徒餓了,便隨手搓麥穗吃。 法利賽人看見後,對耶穌說:「你看,你的門徒做了在安息日不准做的事!」

耶穌回答說:「你們沒有讀過大衛的事蹟嗎?當時他和部下餓了, 進入上帝的殿,吃了獻給上帝的供餅。這餅只有祭司才可以吃,大衛和部下是不准吃的。 此外律法書又記載,安息日,祭司在聖殿裡觸犯了守安息日的規條也不算有罪。你們沒有讀過嗎? 我告訴你們,這裡有一人比聖殿更偉大, 如果你們明白『我喜愛憐憫之心,而非祭物』這句經文的意義,就不會冤枉無辜了。 因為人子是安息日的主。」

耶穌離開那裡,走進會堂, 10 裡面有個人,一隻手是萎縮的。法利賽人企圖找藉口控告耶穌,就問祂:「安息日可不可以醫病呢?」

11 耶穌回答說:「如果你們有一隻羊在安息日掉進坑裡,難道你們不把牠拉上來嗎? 12 人比羊要貴重多了!所以在安息日行善合情合理。」

13 於是,耶穌轉過身來對那人說:「把手伸出來!」那人一伸手,手就復原了,跟另一隻手一樣健康。 14 法利賽人卻走了出去,策劃怎樣除掉耶穌。

上帝的僕人

15 耶穌知道了,就離開那個地方。很多人跟隨祂,耶穌醫好了其中所有患病的人, 16 吩咐他們不要洩露祂的身分。 17 這是要應驗以賽亞先知的話:

18 「看啊!我所揀選、
所眷愛、所喜悅的僕人,
我要將我的靈賜給祂,
祂要向萬邦宣揚正義。
19 祂不爭競,不喧嚷,
街上也聽不見祂的聲音。
20 壓傷的蘆葦,祂不折斷;
將殘的燈火,祂不吹滅;
祂終必使正義得勝。
21 普世都要仰望祂的聖名。」

22 有人帶一個被鬼附身、又瞎又啞的人來見耶穌,耶穌便醫好他,使他能說能看。 23 眾人都很驚奇,就說:「這人會不會是大衛的那個後裔?」

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Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(A)(B)

12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain(C) and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”(D)

He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?(E) He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.(F) Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath(G) and yet are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.(H) If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[a](I) you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man(J) is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus,(K) they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”(L)

11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?(M) 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!(N) Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.(O)

God’s Chosen Servant

15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.(P) 16 He warned them not to tell others about him.(Q) 17 This was to fulfill(R) what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
    the one I love, in whom I delight;(S)
I will put my Spirit on him,(T)
    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.”[b](U)

Jesus and Beelzebul(V)

22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.(W) 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”(X)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 12:7 Hosea 6:6
  2. Matthew 12:21 Isaiah 42:1-4