Search
According to the chronological sequence, the incidents in chapter twelve concerning the disciples' picking ears of grain and concerning the Lord's healing the man with a withered hand took place prior to chapter eleven. Why then in this book are they placed after chapter eleven? This is to show us how the Lord was rejected, so that the book can continue on to chapter thirteen. Matthew's stress is on doctrines; hence, he put together the events that are of the same nature.
Of the Ten Commandments, nine are moral in nature, and only one is positive. If the only one that is positive, that is, the one concerning the keeping of the Sabbath, is put aside, then it is a matter related to dispensation, indicating that the dispensation for Israel is over.
In the Old Testament the Sabbath has a threefold significance: (1) Keeping the Sabbath is for the remembrance of God's rest. (2) The Sabbath is a sign of the covenant God made with the children of Israel (Ezek. 20:12). (3) Keeping the Sabbath is for the remembrance of the redemption of the children of Israel (Deut. 5:15). Hence, the Jewish people pay special attention to the Sabbath. They consider the Sabbath as the sign of God's covenant with them and also as a remembrance of God's rest and God's redemption. If the keeping of the Sabbath is shaken, it is a serious matter.
From the Jews' point of view, it is all right to pick ears of grain, but one must pay attention to the time when he does it, since no work is allowed on the Sabbath. However, in verse 7 the Lord said that the disciples were guiltless in working on the Sabbath. To pick ears of grain is to work, and to work on the Sabbath is to sin. Since the disciples picked ears of grain on the Sabbath, they trespassed against the Sabbath. Therefore, they sinned. However, Christ said that although they trespassed against the Sabbath, they were guiltless. From then on, all those who trespassed against the Sabbath were guiltless.
The section on the healing of the man with a withered hand is a defense to show that the healing was not in violation of the Sabbath; likewise, the section on the disciples' picking ears of grain is a defense showing that the disciples' violation of the Sabbath was not a sin.
Christ did not say that it was excusable to eat because of hunger. What He meant was that no exceptions would be permitted with regard to the Sabbath. If the Sabbath should be kept, then all should keep it; if the Sabbath should not be kept, then none should keep it. Did Christ say that it was all right for David to eat the bread of the presence because he was hungry? If so, this would be very serious, for it would be a putting aside of the law. Certainly Christ could not endorse this principle. What, then, did Christ say here? Christ hinted in this section that what formerly could be eaten only by the priests could now also be eaten by the kings. This was a dispensational change. In the Old Testament, there were three different ages in God's dealings with the children of Israel: first through the priests, then through the kings, and last through the prophets. David represented the nation of Israel. Although he was anointed by God, at that time he was rejected. God carried out His dealings with Israel through David. Thus, the priests were altogether put aside.
From 1 Samuel 2:35-36 we see that from then on, the priest had to walk before the king whom God had anointed. The kings ranked first and the priests ranked second. Numbers 27:21-22 indicates that, formerly, persons in the political realm, such as Joshua, had to stand before the priests. That was the age of the priests. David's eating of the bread of the presence was the putting aside of the priests and the things pertaining to the priests. This was not done as an exception to the law. Hence, David was guiltless. David could eat not only on that day; he could eat even every day. The person was changed. When David ate the bread of the presence, it was at the time when he was being rejected. In Matthew 12, when the disciples picked ears of grain, it was also an indication of the Lord's being rejected. The Lord said that David and those who were with him ate (vv. 3-4). Therefore, the Lord also brought the disciples in.
Verses 1-4:The Lord told us what kind of person He was. Verses 3-4 show us how the king's violating of the Sabbath was an indication that the dispensation had changed.
Verse 5:"Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?" The word "or" indicates that this is another section. How did the priests profane the Sabbath? They offered sacrifices on the Sabbath many more times than on ordinary days. They did not profane the Sabbath at home but in the temple. They committed the sin of offering too many sacrifices. Sacrifices are offered because of sins. Where sin is, there is no rest; where sin is, the covenant is over; where sin is, there is no remembrance of redemption. The priests' offering of sacrifices was to solve the problem of sin. Where sin is, there lies the root of having no rest. Therefore, the priests were considered guiltless in their profaning of the Sabbath in the temple.
This verse says that the priests also profaned the Sabbath. The temple is for God and for God's glory. The temple is the place that is filled with God's glory. The sacrifices are for man's benefit. The priests violated the Sabbath for God's glory and man's benefit. Therefore, when the Lord came as the priest, He did not care for the Sabbath. Because there were sins in the tents of the Israelites, the priests could not rest in the temple, and thus they could not help offering sacrifices. Only the offering of sacrifices could keep the children of Israel from the judgment of sin and also keep God's glory from suffering loss. Because God could not tolerate sin, there had to be the shedding of blood. If the people had not sinned, the priests not only could have rest on one day, but they could have rest every day.
Verse 6:"But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here." Since the Lord is the place that is filled with the glory of God, what He did for the glory of God was guiltless. The Lord is greater than the priests and also greater than the temple. The Lord said that He was David; this refers to His person. The Lord said that He was the priest and the temple; this refers to His work. By replacing the Sabbath with His person and His work, the Lord altogether put aside the Sabbath. If the problem of sin is not solved, there can be no rest. As long as the Lord was still being rejected, and as long as the people in the world were still in sin, there could not be a Sabbath. The Lord was saying that as long as He was David and the temple, His disciples could profane the Sabbath.
Verse 7:"I desire mercy and not sacrifice." This is a conclusion, indicating that God does not want men to do something for Him, but He wants to do something for men. "Mercy" is what God gives to men, whereas "sacrifice" is what men give to God.
Verse 8:"For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." From this we can see that until today, men still do not know the Lord of the Sabbath.
Verses 1-50 may be divided into seven small sections: (1) verses 1-13, the question of the Sabbath; (2) verses 14-21, the first time the Pharisees took counsel to destroy Jesus; (3) verses 22-32; (4) verses 33-37; (5) verses 38-42; (6) verses 43-45; (7) verses 46-50.
Chapter twelve is a transitional chapter; therefore, it is of the utmost importance. Beginning from chapter twelve, the destiny of the Jews is decided. This chapter is crucial in terms of the dispensations. If we fail to see the Lord's turn in this chapter, we are inexperienced in understanding the Word. Prior to this chapter the Lord was evidently for the Jews and hiddenly for the Gentiles. After chapter twelve He was clearly for the Gentiles and hinted that He was rejecting the Jews. Chapter twelve is a turning point, a transitional chapter; this is why there is the need to overthrow one thing — the Sabbath. In type, it is all right to have the Sabbath; in actuality, it is not permissible. Men have sinned, so that even God has no rest. Man does not have rest because God has no rest. Wherever sin is, there cannot be rest.
From verses 1 through 8 there are two turns — from David to the king, and from the king to the Lord.
Verse 9:Here is another case of violating the Sabbath among the Pharisees.
Verse 10:"And behold, a man who had a withered hand was there. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? so that they might accuse Him." A "withered hand" is a hand that can do nothing. Here, the man was not without a hand; rather, he had a withered hand. The form was still there, but the strength was gone. All men are exactly like this: they are dead spiritually, but they are still human beings.
Verses 11-12:The Lord did not reply as to whether or not it was lawful; instead, He asked them two questions. When the Lord was confronted with difficult questions, He did not answer first but responded with a question. All truths can stand questioning. Whatever is not the truth cannot stand questioning. The Pharisees talked about men; the Lord talked about sheep. The Pharisees talked about the withered hand; the Lord talked about the sheep falling into a pit.
Man treasures material possessions but despises sinners; he treasures sheep but despises men. What the Lord meant was that as long as the world remains, there will be pits, and there will be sheep falling into pits. The only way for the Lord was to take hold of the sheep and lift it out. "To do well on the Sabbath" does not point to a particular matter; it speaks of a principle. The Lord always speaks in this way.
Verse 13:"Then He said to the man, Stretch out your hand." This is the Lord's action. "And he stretched it out." The man acted according to the Lord's word. Life is behind the word of God. God's word is like a capsule filled with medicine, and life is likened to the medicine contained in the capsule. When one swallows the capsule, he swallows the medicine at the same time. Likewise, when one receives the word of God, he also receives the life of God at the same time. There is no word of God that is without power. This means that there is not one word behind which there is no life. The hand was "restored." This shows that the work of Christ is complete. When the life of a sinner is restored, he receives a life that is better than what he had in Adam.
Verses 14 to 21 form the second subsection.
Verse 14:"But the Pharisees, going out, took counsel against Him as to how they might destroy Him." This was the Pharisees' plotting to destroy Jesus. The reason for this was that the Lord broke the Sabbath. The Pharisees considered that if the Sabbath was broken, Israel would not be reckoned as God's chosen people. The Sabbath was a sign of the covenant that God had made with Israel. Once this sign was removed, the covenant would become ineffective. The Pharisees knew the Lord's attitude toward the Israelites, that is, to put the Israelites aside. Because the foundation was overthrown by the Lord, the Pharisees wanted to kill Him.
Verse 15:"But Jesus, knowing it, withdrew from there. And many followed Him, and He healed them all." The Lord "withdrew from there"; He did not run away. On another occasion the Lord "passing through their midst, went away" (Luke 4:30). He went away as if nothing had happened. Such calmness is unmatched. "He healed them all," indicating that He took care of all those who had needs.
Verse 16:"And He charged them not to make Him known." Those who came because of His fame or because of their curiosity were not necessarily trustworthy. Hence, the Lord did not want them to make Him known.
Verses 17-21:Here the Gentiles are mentioned twice. Thus, we can see that God has put the Israelites aside and has turned to the Gentiles. This is to show in particular how God has turned to the Gentiles. Isaiah 42:1-4 seems to refer to the millennium, but here the Holy Spirit especially uses this prophecy that refers to the future to signify this age.
Verse 18:"Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul has found delight. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will announce justice to the Gentiles." In the entire Bible, whenever it says "behold," its intention is to get people's special attention. The servant mentioned after Isaiah 40 refers in particular to the Lord Jesus. What is mentioned in Acts 8 is also a proof of this. "Chosen" is a matter of will, "Beloved" is a matter of position, and "delight" is a matter of the emotion.
Verse 19:"He will not strive nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets." How quiet is the Lord!
Verse 20:"A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench until He brings forth justice unto victory." A bruised reed cannot produce a sound, yet the Lord will not break it. The Gentiles are already bruised; they are like dogs. However, the Lord still turns to the Gentiles; He still expects to hear music from the bruised reeds. Israelites often put flax in a bull horn and poured oil upon it, using it as a torch for their walking. When the flax began to smoke, they quenched it. "Smoking" Christians not only cannot help others to see, but actually prevent others from seeing. It is easy for them to cause problems in the meetings. However, the Lord will not quench such ones; He still expects them to give light again.
According to the strict interpretation of the Bible, this section refers to the Gentiles. According to teaching, it also refers to us, the believers.
Verses 22 through 32 form the third subsection. This section advances further than the previous section. In the first section the sign of the covenant was put aside. In the second section the Pharisees plotted to destroy Jesus. In the third section they not only plotted to cause Jesus to suffer physically; they also blasphemed the Holy Spirit.
Verse 22:"Then there was brought to Him one possessed by a demon, blind and dumb, and He healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw." The Bible speaks of different kinds of demons, such as a weak demon, an unclean demon, and a blind and dumb demon. In man's eyes, blindness and dumbness are of natural causes, but here we are told that they are caused by demon possession. When the demon is cast out, the symptom caused by the demon will also be cast out.
Verse 23:"Is this not the Son of David?" This means that if this man is not the Son of David, then who is He? From this we can see that the crowds in general had some faith. "The Son of David" is an honorable and great title. Therefore, such an address implies honor. This fits the significance of this book.
Verse 24:"But the Pharisees, hearing this, said, This man does not cast out the demons except by Beelzebul, ruler of the demons." "But" indicates that what was expressed here is just the opposite of the thought in the preceding verse.
Verses 25-26:Here the Lord Jesus brought up a very great matter. A demon casting out another demon simply means that one demon goes and another demon comes; it is merely a change of demons. This is like a first robber coming to kidnap a person, and a second coming to negotiate for his release after the first one is gone. In essence, both are from the same source. What the Lord spoke is concerning the fact. Therefore, that the Lord's authority was from God also is a fact. A kingdom requires unity; otherwise, even the unlawful kingdom of Satan will not be able to stand.
Verse 27:"And if I, by Beelzebul, cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges." This is the reason given by the Lord in His argument.
Verse 28:"But if I, by the Spirit of God, cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." What is the outward manifestation of the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is the sovereignty of God. Where the sovereignty of God is, there the demons have no sovereignty. There are two main things in the Bible: one is the kingdom of God, and the other, the power of God. The kingdom of God represents the sovereignty of God, whereas the Spirit of God represents the power of God. God has authority because there is power behind His authority; the Holy Spirit is the power of the kingdom of God. How does the kingdom of God come? It comes through power. If the King has power here, then the kingdom of God has come, because power is behind authority. The casting out of the demons is the most important matter in the manifestation of the kingdom of God.
Verse 29:"Or how can anyone enter into the house of the strong man and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will thoroughly plunder his house." All spiritual works are open plundering, not secret stealing. It is the same in dealing with Satan. The term "goods," strictly speaking, refers to all those who are demon possessed. Broadly speaking, it refers to all unbelievers (1 John 5:19). The "strong man" is Satan, a mighty one. Every demon possessed person and every unbeliever have become the goods in Satan's hand. Therefore, he will guard them. The Lord sees such power of Satan, so He plunders openly. To rescue an unbeliever, to release one who is demon possessed, or to heal one who is sick is to openly snatch people out of Satan's hand. One thing has to be done first before demons can be cast out, and that is to bind the strong man. To plunder is to seize by force what someone is unwilling to give. If one casts out demons by the ruler of the demons, he must first make peace with the ruler of the demons.
Binding the strong man is by the Spirit of God. This was directly mentioned by the Lord. The strong man dwells in the world. The casting out of demons requires the power of the Holy Spirit. The casting out of demons needs to be done in the name of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit is the power of the name of Jesus. How does one bind the strong man? Indirectly, it is done through the cross of the Lord Jesus. On the cross, the Lord crushed the head of Satan. (Genesis 3:15 — Satan's whole body will be dealt with in the millennium. The cross dealt only with Satan's head, removing his power. He attempts to bruise the Lord's heel because the Lord is advancing.) Satan tried to bite the Lord from behind. While the Lord was on earth, Satan could do nothing. But after the Lord ascended, Satan tries his best today to bruise His heel by shaking the believers. After the Lord's death, resurrection, and ascension, the Holy Spirit descended to execute what the Lord had accomplished on the cross. With the cross as the base and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can bind Satan. On our side, we can bind Satan by our prayer out of faith. A great principle of the work is first to bind, and then to plunder. We must bind the strong man by prayer.
Verse 30:"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters." Because what is happening today is a positive matter, there are only two sides, with no neutral ground. This is why the Lord spoke this word. " With Me" means "standing on My side"; this refers to position. To "gather" is to gather others together; this refers to work. Not one Christian on this earth should fail to stand on the Lord's side. (Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were believers who were not absolute for the Lord.) Moreover, not one Christian should fail to gather. It is not right to never bring anyone to the Lord.
Verse 31:"Therefore I say to you, Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." Every sin will be forgiven. Sin here particularly refers to one's conduct. Even blasphemy can be forgiven. But blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Verse 32:"And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the one to come." What does it mean to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit? To speak against the Holy Spirit is to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. This is not to cheat the Spirit or to quench the moving of the Spirit. Rather, it is to speak against the Holy Spirit. And what does it mean to speak against the Holy Spirit? This is a sin committed with full awareness. It is not merely to say something by mistake; it is to say clearly that the Holy Spirit is the ruler of the demons. This is not to be against the Spirit in conduct; it is to be against the Spirit in speaking.
"It will not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the one to come." In Questions and Answers on the Gospel (The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, Set 1, Volume 20) we mention five kinds of forgiveness: (1) eternal forgiveness, (2) forgiveness for fellowship, (3) governmental forgiveness, (4) forgiveness through another party, and (5) forgiveness in the millennial kingdom. This age, or the present age, is the age of grace; the age to come is the age of the kingdom. The sin of speaking against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come. The forgiveness in this age is related to the matter of eternal salvation, whereas the forgiveness in the coming age is related to the matter of position in the kingdom.
Verses 33 through 37 form the fourth subsection.
Verse 33:"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for by the fruit the tree is known." What the Lord meant here is that people can know your heart by looking at your fruit.
Verse 34:"Offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." An error in the mouth is preceded by an error in the heart. First the heart has a problem, then the mouth speaks it forth.
Verse 35:"The good man, out of his good treasure, brings forth good things, and the evil man, out of his evil treasure, brings forth evil things." The word treasure in the original language implies the way a person keeps valuables in a bank safe-deposit box.
Verse 36:"And I say to you that every idle word which men shall speak, they will render an account concerning it in the day of judgment." A man's being judged only according to his words would be enough to make him feel that he has no place to hide; he would wish that he could crawl into a hole in the ground. When the Holy Spirit is offended and ceases to work, man does not have any hope of salvation. Therefore, it is more difficult for the rebellious ones to repent than it is for the sinners.
The reason the Sabbath is placed first in this chapter is to show a change of dispensation. This chapter refers to David because David typifies the Lord. It particularly cites the case of the eating of the bread of the presence to prove that David was rejected by the Israelites. It refers to the priests for the purpose of sin. In the millennium the Israelites will still keep the Sabbath and eat the bread of the presence. When David ate the bread of the presence, God did not acknowledge it as the bread of the presence. There were twelve cakes of the bread of the presence, signifying that the Lord was for the children of Israel and the children of Israel were for the Lord. When David was fleeing, not one of the twelve tribes followed him. Therefore, the bread of the presence was not considered as the bread of the presence. If they had received David, how could the occasion of eating the bread of the presence have happened? Likewise, the question today is not a matter of whether or not one should keep the Sabbath, but a matter of whether or not one cares for the Lord.
What mattered to the Lord was whether or not He was rejected. In verses 1-8 the Lord spoke on the doctrine; in verses 9-13 the Lord did a certain thing. The Lord did not mean to say that the disciples could violate the Sabbath. Rather, He meant that the Sabbath was spoiled by the sin of the children of Israel. What God wants is the Sabbath in reality. If the spiritual reality exists, then the outward appearance of spirituality can be kept. Speaking against the Spirit because of ignorance is not considered blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Speaking against the Spirit knowingly and deliberately is considered blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 12:37 is different from Romans 10:10. The former refers to being justified before God, whereas the latter refers to being put in a new position before men, that is, to being saved.
Verses 38-42 form the fifth subsection. All the "thens" in Matthew are different in time from those in Mark, at least by a few months. Matthew recorded the events according to chronological order, with the stress on doctrine.
Verse 38:"Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." The Bible mentions the following three kinds of miraculous things: (1) miracles — merely pointing to God's acts, (2) wonders — wonderful things, and (3) signs — miracles that have some significance.
Verse 39: "But He answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet." The length of time the adultery continues determines the duration of this generation. Here we should take note of the following three words, which are renderings of three different words in Greek: (1) world, referring to the organized world on earth; (2) age, referring to time; and (3) generation, referring to man's entire lifetime, in the narrow sense, and to a generation, in the broad sense. "Evil" refers to the nature; "adulterous" refers to the communication.
Why did the Lord specifically mention the prophet Jonah? We should keep in mind that in this chapter the Lord still took care of the line of doctrine. Jonah was sent not to the Israelites but to the Ninevites. Corporately, the children of Israel were given up by the Lord. Because they blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, the Israelites no longer had prophets. Individually, they were placed in the position of sinners. Therefore, at Pentecost three thousand, and later five thousand, were saved (Acts 2:41; 4:4).
Verse 41:"Ninevite men will stand up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something more than Jonah is here." Formerly the Ninevites repented after hearing what Jonah preached. Today's Jonah first passed through Judea. Formerly, Jonah was thrown into the sea because of his rebellion. Today the Jews cast "Jonah" into the sea; they reject the Lord of life.
Verse 42:"The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something more than Solomon is here." The queen of the south was also a Gentile. Today's Abyssinia [name changed to Ethiopia after World War II — Editor's note] is the country of Sheba, which still exists. Jonah as a prophet went to Nineveh; the queen of the south came to Solomon. The One who is more than Jonah goes to the Gentiles; the One who is more than Solomon attracts the Gentiles to come to Him. The Gentiles receive the Lord and are attracted to Him.
The cross is a sign. Jews require signs and Greeks seek wisdom (1 Cor. 1:22). However, the cross is not only a sign but also wisdom. Hence, it is sufficient for us. The case of Jonah is a sign, and that of Solomon is wisdom.
Verses 43 through 45 form the sixth subsection.
Verse 43:"When the unclean spirit goes out from the man, it roams through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it." "Waterless" may also be rendered "dry." The demon possessed people were the Jews. This conclusion is based on the last part of verse 45, which says, "Thus shall it be also with this evil generation." Only human bodies can make the demons feel comfortable. Therefore, the unclean spirit goes everywhere to seek rest, that is, to seek men whom he can possess.
Concerning the unclean spirits, or the demons, there are two ways to look at this verse:
First, we consider it from the teaching in 1 Corinthians: demons and idols are the same (1 Cor. 10:19-20). Because of their worship of idols, the children of Israel were carried away captive to Babylon. Later they cast away the idols. After their return, there was the sect of the Pharisees. In the beginning Paul also belonged to this sect. As a religious sect, they were very strict; nonetheless, they were still empty. Therefore, they were still in their former state. When the Lord came, they rejected Him, and their last state was worse than their first state.
Second, we consider this verse in the light of demon possession. Whenever the Lord sees demons, He casts them out. During the Lord's time, it seemed that the demons had gone out from men, yet men remained empty because they did not receive the Lord. In the coming great tribulation, the last three and a half years of this age, demon possession will be more severe.
The previous section talks about the repentance of the Gentiles, whereas this section describes the condition of the unrepentant people.
Verse 44:"Then it says, I will return to my house from which I came out. And it comes and finds it unoccupied, swept, and decorated." The unclean spirit takes man's body as his house. The Greek word translated "decorated" implies that things were added. "Swept" is negative; it is to take things out. "Decorated" is positive; it is to add things in. The Jews were exactly like this, yet the Lord said that they were empty. Historically, this verse refers to idolatry. Morally, it refers to some superficial changes.
Verse 45:"Then it goes and takes along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter in and settle down there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Thus shall it be also with this evil generation." The demons prefer to dwell in the bodies of those who are morally good. Concerning the immoral ones, the most evil ones, not only God and men have no way with them; even the demons have no way with them. If a person has only some improvement in morality but does not have the Lord in him, his condition becomes worse. "The last state" refers to the persecution during the time of the great tribulation; this is seen in the record in Matthew 24:15-31. Some thought that the Jews considered one generation as forty years. Therefore, they said that the Lord's word here referred to the things that would come to pass within forty years. It did so happen that forty years later Jerusalem was destroyed. Hence, the thing referred to by the Lord already has passed. This seems to be quite correct. However, we know that such an explanation does not fit with the context here. "Generation" may also be rendered "race." This is why some people say that this passage refers to a race of people. However, if it is speaking of the race of Israel, does this mean that the race of Israel will be annihilated? Of course, this is not correct. Therefore, "this generation" does not refer to a race in the flesh or to a definite number of years. Rather, it implies that this generation will last the same length of time as the evil and adulterous generation, even longer than one particular age.
Verses 46 to 50 form the seventh subsection.
Verse 46:"While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and His brothers stood outside seeking to speak to Him." By reading Mark 3, we can see that the Lord's relatives came to find the Lord to lay hold of Him, for they thought He was beside Himself (v. 21). Matthew did not record this in that way; his record is different from Mark's because it was written according to the line of doctrine. Here, the Lord's relationship in the flesh with the children of Israel had already been severed.
Verses 47-48:Here the Lord Jesus showed them that His relationship with the children of Israel, and with His mother as well, had been cut off.
Verse 50:"For whoever does the will of My Father who is in the heavens, he is My brother and sister and mother." A brother is for rendering help, a sister is for showing sympathy, and a mother is for loving tenderly.
