Verse 1
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Even Jesus took leisurely walks with His disciples, and to enjoy a snack. Don't despise these small joys!
Verses 2-14
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The Sabbath law was originally given to benefit man, and to bring rest, not to restrict.
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Verse 7. The Pharisees were so concerned about strict adherence to the letter of the law that they no longer cared for people's lives. Because of this, they misinterpreted the Sabbath law.
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Verse 8. Jesus determines the meaning of the Sabbath law. He lived its meaning by brings rest to others.
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Therefore, a person is living out the purpose of the Sabbath if they bring rest and refreshment to others.
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Serve others, and you are living the purpose of the Sabbath.
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Verses 15-21
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Jesus was modest about His identity as the Messiah and the Son of God, in part, because He wanted people to realize for themselves who He was (this also fulfilled prophecy). The Father has to reveal Jesus to a person (Matthew 16:14-17).
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It's not helpful to openly proclaim that Jesus is Lord to absolutely everyone. Some people are not ready to hear it. It's possible to talk about Christ too much; it can even be annoying (Acts 16:16-18).
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Be wise and discreet about who you share Christ with. Don't overshare.
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Verses 22-32
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Satan will not do anything that works against him, otherwise he would fail. He won't bind himself or do anything that works against him.
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Therefore, Satan has no part in miracles that come from the Holy Spirit.
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It is blaspheming the Spirit to say that a work of the Holy Spirit is actually a work of the devil (Mark 3:29-30).
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It is a growing danger to call the Holy Spirit evil. And hesitate to speak evil of a work that could be from the Holy Spirit!
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Verse 30. A person who is not working for Jesus is working against Him. Even believers, if their actions are not guided, can work against the kingdom.
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Be careful to take actions that benefit the kingdom, or your actions will be contrary.
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Verses 33-37
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Your words matter!
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A person reveals who they are and what they believe, in part, by how they speak.
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If you want to recognize a believer, watch for how they speak. Do they talk about Christ?
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We are justified or condemned by our words, chiefly, because if we confess that we believe in Jesus, but do not obey Jesus, that confession will be our downfall, because we spoke falsely.
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Therefore, mean what you say, and do what you say. Especially mean it when you say that you're following Jesus. Don't be a hypocrite.
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Verses 38-42
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God does many miracles, but He cannot be tempted to do miracles, nor will He act just because we want Him to. He is not controlled by us, nor does He have to answer to us.
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The primary sign that we have from God, to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, is Jesus' death and resurrection.
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It is evil to demand more proof from God. Look into Jesus' resurrection, and be content with that. Don't demand more proof.
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Verses 41-42. Even though cities of previous generations had a lot of sin, they repented when prophets of God came to them, and so they were saved.
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Those who reject Jesus are far more evil, because they did not repent at the teaching of the greatest Prophet of all!
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Let this bring you a sense of godly fear. Do not disrespect Christ and obey His Word!
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Verses 43-45
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Some people, if they are not ready to receive the gospel and have demons cast out of them, will end up possessed again, and seven times worse!
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Don't cast demons out of everyone that you see is possessed. This can bring more harm than good if you don't use wisdom.
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Verses 46-50
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Those who are obedient to Christ are His family. We, as believers, are His brethren(Hebrews 2:11-12), and our fellow believers are our true, eternal family. Love fellow believers like family!
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So, don't let time spent with biological family cause you to neglect time with believers.
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Prioritize time with believers. Jesus spend most of His time with His disciples.
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Also, it is wrong to relax the commands of Scripture for your family, in order to avoid offending them. Jesus was not afraid to offend His family (Luke 4:20-22, Mark 6:3).
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Jesus taught that we should not continue to fulfill any familial or cultural obligations that compromise our obedience to the Word (Luke 9:59-62).
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The fear of disappointing or offending one's culture or family hinders many from being willing to turn to Christ.
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