Matthew Chapter Twelve Poem by Day Williams

1 Around that time, upon a Sabbath Day,
Jesus, along with his disciples, walked
Through fields of grain. His followers were hungry

And started picking heads of grain to eat
Them.2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said
To him, "Your followers are lawbreakers.

3 He answered, "Haven't any of you read
What David did when he and his companions
Were hungry? 4 They went in the house of God,

And ate the consecrated bread−which he
And his companions weren't allowed to eat,
Since only priests can eat it.5 Haven't you

Read in the Law that every Sabbath Day
The temple priests can break the Sabbath
And yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that

One greater than the temple's here.7 If you
Had grasped the meaning of the Scripture, ‘I'll
Have mercy, and not sacrifice, ' you would

Not have condemned the innocent,8 because
The Son of Man is Master even of
The Sabbath." 9 Going from that place, he went

Into their synagogue,10 in which there was
A man who had a shriveled hand. "Is it
Lawful to heal on Sabbath days? " they asked-

Hoping to bring a charge against him.11 He
Replied, "If one of you possessed a sheep
Which fell into a pit upon the Sabbath,

Would you not work to rescue it? 12 How much
More precious is a man than just a sheep!
So it is lawful to do good upon

The Sabbath, " 13 then he told the man, "Stretch out
Your hand." And so he stretched it out and it
Was wholly healed, sound as the other,14 but

The Pharisees went out and plotted how
They might kill Jesus; 15 but he knew what they
Were planning and he left the synagogue,

With many following him, and he healed
Their sick,16 while warning them they
should not talk
About his miracles,17 fulfilling what

Isaiah prophesied: 18 "Here is my servant,
The one I've chosen, my beloved, in
Whom I delight; I'll put my Spirit on

Him, and he'll judge the nations.19 He will not
Quarrel or cry out; none will hear his voice
Out in the streets.20 A bruised reed he won't break;

A smoking wick he won't snuff out, until
He sends forth justice unto victory.
21 The Gentiles will put their trust in his name."

22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man -
He was both blind and mute, and Jesus healed
Him, so that he could talk and see.23 The crowd

Was staggered and exclaimed, "Is Jesus not
The Son of David? " 24 But the Pharisees,
When they heard this, said, "It is only by

Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that
This fellow drives out demons." 25 Jesus knew
Their thoughts and said to them,
"Each kingdom that's

Divided ends in ruin; every town
Or household that's divided will not stand.
26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is fighting

Himself, destroying his own kingdom.27 If
I drive out demons by Beelzebub,
By whom do your sons drive them out?

So then, they'll be your judges,28 but if I'm
Driving out demons by God's Spirit, then
God's kingdom has come on you.29 Or again,

How do you think that anyone can go
Inside a strong man's house and carry off
His property unless he first ties up

The strong man? He can rob his house then.30 He
Who is not with me is against me; he
Who does not gather with me scatters,31 so

I tell you, every sin and blasphemy
Will be forgiven men, but blasphemy
Against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son
Of Man will be forgiven, but the one
Who speaks against the Holy Spirit will

Not be forgiven, either in this age
Or in the age to come.33 Make a tree good
And its fruit will be good; make a tree bad

And its fruit will be bad, for by its fruit
A tree is recognized.34 You brood of snakes!
How can you who are evil say what's good

And right? For a man's words depend upon
What fills his heart.35 The good man brings good things
From treasures stored in him; the evil man

Brings evil things out of the evil stored
In him,36 but I tell you that men will have
To give account for every idle word

That they have spoken on the Judgment Day,
37 For by your words you'll be acquitted; by
Your words you'll be condemned." 38 Some Pharisees

And teachers of the law said, "Teacher, we
Would like to see a sign from you, " 39 But he
Replied, "A wicked and adulterous

Generation requests a sign! But none
Except the prophet Jonah's sign will be
Given it,40 for as Jonah was three days

And three nights in the belly of an immense
Fish, so the Son of Man will be three days
And three nights in the earth's heart.41 Nineveh's

Men will stand with this generation at
The judgment and condemn it; for they did
Repent at Jonah's preaching, and you have

A greater one than Jonah here.42 The Queen
Of Sheba will rise at the judgment with
This generation and condemn it; for

She traveled from a distant land to hear
Solomon's wisdom, and you have more than
Solomon's wisdom with you here.43 Now when

An evil spirit leaves a man, it goes
Through arid places seeking rest and does
Not find it,44 then it says, ‘I will return

Inside the house I left.' When it arrives,
It finds the house unoccupied, swept clean
And put in order,45 then it goes and takes

Seven more spirits, each more wicked than
Itself, and they go in and live there. And
The final situation of that man

Is worse than ever. That is how it will
Be with this wicked generation." 46 While
Jesus was talking to the crowd, his mother

And brothers happened to be standing outside,
Wanting to speak to him.47 Somebody said
To him, "Your mother and your brothers are

Standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
48 He answered him, "Who is my mother, and
Who are my brothers? " 49 Stretching forth his hand

Toward his disciples, he remarked, "Here are
My mother and my brothers. For whoever
Obeys my heav'ly Father's will, to me

Is brother, sister, mother-he's all three."