1 AT that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; [ This would have really be a field of grain (wheat or barley most likely). ] and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. [ They have only just started to do so, to grab a handful of grain in the hand, to roll their hands together, to blow off the chaff, and then to eat. Think bout it - how the Pharisees are just lying in wait so to speak, they just barely begin to eat and they arre there to pounce on Jesus and the disciples for breaking the law - how quick are they to judge. ]

2 But when the Pharisees saw it, [ The self proclaimed guardian's of the law. ] they said unto him, Behold, [ Kind of like we gotcha again. ] thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. [ The law was that they could not harvest on the sabbath. ]

3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, [ Have you really not read your scriptures? He used David because David was kind of everyone's hero/example. So in other words this is not the first time that something like this has happened. ] when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

4  How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, [ David was on the run from Saul, they come to the priest when they have nothing to eat. So they ask the priest do you have anything that we can eat, and the priest says no I don't if I did I would give it to you. Then the priest says well I take that back I do have one thing, it is the bread that the priests eat. But it is in the tabernacle on the table of shewbread. But under desperate time it sometimes calls for desperate measures, and since you David are the Lords anointed then I guess this calls for an exception. So the spirit of the law would suggest that I give them to you - so he does. So in a way do we have Jesus dropping a hint that these Pharisees are like Saul, who killed all of they priests because they helped David. And now you want to kill me and my disciples just the same because we are doing something that you consider outside of the lines of your letter of the law. Since Jesus is the son of David, are you going to be sons of Saul? And they knowing their scriptures would have caught the reference that while Saul was righteous at the beginning of his reign, he eventually became filled with pride and was disobedient to God (1 Sam. 9–31). ] which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? [ Suggesting that they do the same things on the Sabbath that they do on the other days, they slaughter animals and offer up sacrifices. If the sabbath is supposed to be a day of rest them you better go tell the priests that, because it is really a day of work for them, aas a matter of fact it is their busiest day of the week.. If you look up the entomology of the word "profane", you’re gonna find that the word comes from the Latin word "pro", which means "before or outside". And the Latin word "phantom", which means "temple". And when you put pro and phantom together, you get the Latin word "profanus", from which our English word profane is derived, which literally means "outside the temple". The word profane literally means one who is not sacred, one who is not allowed to enter sacred temple space. ]

6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, [ Hosea 6:6 Mercy is the time required for the individual to develop the kind of character God has, it is what makes God -God. So mercy will act over time in order for you to satisfy the demands of justice, or a time when you have developed the character that makes God God, if you have exercised faith unto repentance, which is the change of your character. ] ye would not have condemned the guiltless. [ The Savior is suggesting to them that he is the one that is guiltless. This is my day so don't accuse me of breaking it. See Mark 2:27-28. ]

8  For the son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. [ After all I am the one who gave it to you, I am the creator. ]

9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:

10 ¶ And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered.[ So this is someone who has a reason they suppose to be able to curse God because his hand is paralyized. BUt he takes a different option. He is gratful to God for his feet that allow him to seek out the Savior that he might be healed. And so Jesus heals him. ]. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth;[ If his arm/hand was somewhat paralyized then one might ask how was he able to move it at all. But here is a request from the Savior to try and to trust. The man might have suggested to the Savior to heal it first and then I will be able to stretch it out. But no the man simply does as the Lord asks him, he makes an effort, doing all that he can on his part to reach out, and the Savior blesses him and his hand is made whole. IN addition; the Lord healed the man with his words, he di not even reach out to touch him so even according to the most rigid application of the letter of the law - the law was not broken. ]; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

14 ¶ Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

16 And charged them that they should not make him known:

17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying.

18 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 shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

19  He shall not strive, nor cry;[ The gospel message is not taught in a contentious environment, the spirit does not dwell where there is contention. ] neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

20  A bruised reed shall he not break,[A reed is, in Scripture, the emblem of weakness, Ezek. xxix. 6; and a bruised reed must signify that state of weakness that borders on dissolution and death. ], and smoking flax shall he not quench,[ "linon tufomenon"". "linov" means the wick of a lamp, and "tufomenon" is intended to point out its expiring state, when the oil has been all burnt away from it, and nothing is left but a mere snuff, emitting smoke. some suppose the Jewish state, as to ecclesiastical matters, is here intended, the prophecy declaring that Christ would not destroy it, but leave it to expire of itself, as it already contained the principles of its own destruction. ], till he send forth judgment unto victory.

21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.[ "elpiousi" , or hope ].

22 ¶ Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? [ OR - Is not this the true Messiah? Do not these miracles sufficiently prove it? See Isaiah 35:5. ]

24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

26  And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself;[ A good cause will produce a good effect, and an evil cause an evil effect. Were I on Satan's side, I would act for his interest and confirm his influence among you; but I oppose his maxims by my doctrine, and his influence by my power. ]; how shall then his kingdom stand?

27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.

28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

30  He that is not with me is against me;[ Men thgrough the centuries have tried to reconcile God and mammon, to justify their own actions for whatever cause they wish. ]; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

31 ¶ Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.[ Interesting to note that at the end of all of the prayers in the temple they would end with the phrase "forever" however since The Sadducees did not believe in a life after this one they would simple respond "for ever and ever" meaning always in this life. ].

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word [ "rhma argon" , or a word that does nothing, it does not provide grace or instruction to those who hear it. The word "argon" corresponds to the Hebrew "aw shave", which signifies not only vain or empty, but also wicked and injurious, such as a false testimony against a neighbor. ] that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

38 ¶ Then certain of the scribes [ A scribes responsibility was to write down or copy word for word what was said. It was not their duty or responsibility to change, altar or modify in any way what was written. However; it was the scribes who were the ones who modified the text of the old testament books to remove or alter what the Messiah would do and be. They changed him to become a political figure such that the people would not recognize the Savior when he did come. They removed the ordinances and covenants to their ways, ways in which they could control the people through "the Law". for this reason Jesus holds some of his strongest rebukes for the scribes because these were the very ones who were manipulating the text to have it read the way that they wanted - they were perverting that ways of God. ] and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation [ "genea" Or, race of people ] seeketh after a sign;[ "epizhtei" or another sign, in otherwords they have already been given signs and yet they continue to ask for more and more. ]; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly;[ more likely a shark. Whales are not know in the Mediterranean Sea but sharks are. The throat of a whale is capable of admitting little more than the arm of an ordinary man; but many of the shark species can swallow a man whole, and men have been found whole in the stomachs of several. ]; so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of solomon; and, behold, a greater than solomon is here.

43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last ^cstate of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

46 ¶ While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.