THE HOLIESTCommentaries on St. Matthew
Tablet Eighteen
Chapter 12
"At that time Esa went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.""But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day." (Matthew 12:1-2)
<1>The Pharisees had become so rigid in their beliefs that their laws had become a burden on themselves and others instead of a blessing. <2>This always happens in history. The intellectual spiritualists (intellect without intuition) create concepts and rigid interpretations of once blissful teachings of the Prophets. They cause them to be obstacles in the path of the human.
<3>The same rigidity also was created by the Brahmins in India, so much that the once joyful religions of the Aryans resulted in caste systems and the pessimistic philosophy of many branches in Hinduism that this world is entirely illusion and full of suffering. <4>This can be seen in all the old religions.
"But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;""How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?"
"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?" (Matthew 12:3-5)
<5>Esa gave these incidents as an example of the flexibility of the Laws of God. All things depend upon the time, place, and people involved. <6>In the case of an emergency and when a person tries to do good (as Esa healed on the Sabbath), even the rules about the observation of the Sabbath can be relaxed.
<7>It does not say that David or the priest did a good thing in breaking the Laws of the Lord. But because it was urgent for them to do so, it was acceptable.
"But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.""But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless." (Matthew 12:6-7)
<8>"If you knew these things you would not have become so rigid and would not have so many vain desires for prestige and powers. <9>You would realize who I Am, 'greater than the temple,' would honor me and listen to my teachings. So you would receive my Grace and mercy, and then I would not have to sacrifice myself in order to awaken you and many others to the truth I am trying to reveal to you. Instead you would have received my mercy." <10>But they did not understand this and would condemn him, "the guiltless."
"For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day." (Matthew 12:8)
<11>The son of man, or he who is in Pure Consciousness (Christ Consciousness) in the body (man), is the truth. <12>By allowing his disciples to break their rigid, misunderstood laws, the concepts and bondage they have created for themselves and others would also be shattered. He is the Lord of the Sabbath.
"And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:""And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him."
"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?"
"How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days." (Matthew 12:9-12)
<13>Therefore, good deeds and emergencies can be done anytime, even on the Sabbath.
"Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other." (Matthew 12:13)
<14>Esa healed the man, which was a good deed on that Sabbath.
"Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him." (Matthew 12:14)
<15>He said the truth which destroyed these rigid beliefs of the words of God, so the false egos of the Pharisees were hurt. Instead of listening to the truth and opening themselves to his words, they felt threatened and decided to destroy him. <16>But who can destroy the truth? The truth will eventually destroy the false.
"But when Esa knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;" (Matthew 12:15)
<17>His time had not come yet, so he withdrew to be safe from their misdeeds.
"And charged them that they should not make him known:""That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,"
"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." (Matthew 12:16-18)
<18>He rendered judgment on the Gentiles (intellectuals without intuition).
"He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.""A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he sent forth judgment unto victory."
"And in his name shall the Gentiles trust." (Matthew 12:19-21)
<19>So with this, the prophecy of Esaias was fulfilled.
"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.""And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?" (Matthew 12:22-23)
<20>Many realized his Messianic authority. They understood that he was the one who was prophesied to come as the son of David.
"But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." (Matthew 12:24)
<21>But the Pharisees started a negative propaganda campaign against him. They said he received his power from satan, the prince of the devils.
"And Esa knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house against itself shall not stand:""And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?"
"And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges." (Matthew 12:25-27)
<22>A man cannot cast out the devil by the power of the prince of the devils (tama guna).
"But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." (Matthew 12:28)
<23>It can only be done by the Spirit of God (satva guna, The Holy Ghost) and then the truth of the universe will come to you (the Kingdom of God).
"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." (Matthew 12:29)
<24>If you want to take the power of the tama guna (devil) away from other people's Souls, first you should overcome it yourself (reach Pure Consciousness, take the beam out of your own eyes) and then, by the power of the satva guna (The Holy Ghost), you can take the tama guna from others.
"He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." (Matthew 12:30)
<25>He who does not understand these truths and does not follow them ("me") will fall into ignorance and the grip of Maya. <26>"Then he will not be with me (truth) but with ignorance, which is against me. So he will not be gathered by me toward the Kingdom of God but will go away into the ocean of Maya, 'scattereth abroad'."
"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 them.""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." (Matthew 12:31-32)
<27>Esa was using The Holy Ghost to heal the people's diseases (tama guna) and they called The Holy Ghost the prince of the devils. That is why he said they have made a great mistake by blaspheming against The Holy Grace, and they will not be forgiven for that.