text:
Equality news round-up: New Ohio lawsuit, and more
LGBT Legal Cases Marriage equality Marriage Equality Trials
– At the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the officials defending Oklahoma's and Utah's same-sex marriage ban submitted letters (here and here) to the court citing the recently-decided Supreme Court case Schuette v. BAMN. Both letters argue that the case supports their positions on the law. The Court upheld a state's ban on affirmative action, and the two letters point to language in the opinion about letting the people decide. The plaintiffs are likely to respond to the letters.
– The United Church of Christ is challenging North Carolina's same-sex marriage ban. You can read the complaint here.
– A poll shows that 61% of Coloradans are in favor of marriage equality.
– A new lawsuit has been filed this morning in Ohio, challenging the state's marriage equality ban. The complaint is here. The case has been assigned to a judge appointed by President George W. Bush.
Thanks to Kathleen Perrin for these filings
Sixth Circuit denies request for initial hearing... READ IT HERE: Norfolk County Circuit Court Clerk...
3031456 Commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.equalityontrial.com%2F2014%2F04%2F30%2Fequality-news-round-new-ohio-lawsuit%2FEquality+news+round-up%3A+New+Ohio+lawsuit%2C+and+more2014-04-30+15%3A00%3A14Scottie+Thomastonhttp%3A%2F%2Fequalityontrial.com%2F%3Fp%3D30314
1. Michael Grabow | April 30, 2014 at 8:22 am
Tomorrow will be two weeks from when the hearing on Arkansas was held. Judge Chris Piazza said he would deliver a verdict by then.
2. Thomas | April 30, 2014 at 8:24 am
A nice try, but like all the "the people should decide" arguments I don't think it can trump the 14th amendment. Affirmative action is I believe one, among possibly others, remedy for past discrimination not a right in and of itself. Marriage the courts seem to say is a right and thus subject to the equal protection and due process clauses of the constitution.
3. Ragavendran | April 30, 2014 at 8:27 am
Finally! A lawsuit in Ohio challenging the full ban! What took them so long? I thought they should follow Kentucky's lead and intervene in Henry so the same judge would preside over the case. Also, why just a TRO and not a preliminary injunction?
Regarding Schuette, our side can respond with a barrage of quotes that favor us as well. But this might well give Kelly some much needed ammunition if he chooses to dissent in Kitchen and Bishop. And, bottom line – there was no fundamental right violation at stake, was there? So Schuette cannot interfere here with any due process claim!
4. Rose | April 30, 2014 at 8:38 am
I would agree with you….though we all understand why Affirmative Action was needed in it's early days, we also know that one minority group CAN'T have preferential treatment based solely on just one's race……..and the other issue is that a "RIGHT" , more specifically a Fundamental right CAN NOT be voted on by the people that TARGET'S one specific minority group like Gays and Lesbians in my opinion and the Courts have consistently agreed on that…….if because of the Michigan win regarding an Affirmative Action initiative, both Utah and Oklahoma should prevail……..our Marriage Equality fight just got set back years…….hopefully that's NOT the case!!!
A curious motion to intervene in Kentucky's Love case was filed by one Chris Sevier, who seeks to marry his computer. Here is the Judge's response (denied, of course).
6. davep | April 30, 2014 at 9:33 am
These letters are nothing to be concerned about. The Supreme Court has indeed ruled that marriage is a right, and a fundamental right, many times. The opposition lawyers are just padding their billable hours with these types of letters.
7. Brenton | April 30, 2014 at 9:39 am
That was…very, very strange.
8. sfbob | April 30, 2014 at 10:14 am
If you read the entire motion to intervene (go ahead, I dare ya), you'll see it is the sort of thing that might have been better as a post on some right wing fundie website.
"Marriage is a Biblical concept."
"Sexual orientation didn't exist as a class until Obama said it did."
I presume it cost some money to prepare and file that brief; evidently some people need assistance in managing their finances.
9. Chris M. | April 30, 2014 at 10:33 am
Well, you could make the case that Schuette is a fundamental rights violation: a violation of the right to participate in the political process on equal terms, somewhat analogous to Romer. The amendment banning the consideration of race in admission to public universities makes it impossible for a minority group to lobby elected officials, the regents of the university, to enact a policy in their favor. And that is a disability that is not inflicted on other groups, let's say, residents of the Upper Peninsula, or alumni, or graduates of certain high schools, if they sought preferential treatment for their group.
10. Michael Grabow | April 30, 2014 at 10:43 am
I'm glad to see he and his computer have reconciled since the lawsuit against Apple.
11. Eric | April 30, 2014 at 10:47 am
But, unlike the non-protected classes you list, race is a protected class. Laws can't favor one race over another on the basis of race alone.
12. Lynn E | April 30, 2014 at 10:53 am
I was going to ask if this is the same man. If I remember correctly, he was warned about frivolous arguments and wasting the Court's time. But I guess if your Apple Computer doesn't protect you from online porn, you end up with a lot of free time.
13. Dann | April 30, 2014 at 11:48 am
We are fighting for EQUAL RIGHTS not SPECIAL or PREFERENTIAL RIGHTS. By denying gays and lesbians the RIGHT to marry is a crystal clear violation of the 14th amendment of the United States Constitution. This has nothing to do with affirmative-action!
14. skrekk | April 30, 2014 at 11:50 am
In fact the Schuette case directly undermines the bigots' argument since in essence it's saying that when a state chooses to treat people equally the courts shouldn't intervene, but when a state treats people unequally on an otherwise irrelevant trait like race then it becomes worthy of judicial review.
15. DrPatrick1 | April 30, 2014 at 12:02 pm
"And that is a disability that is not inflicted on other groups…"
This requirement, as noted in Romer, is to compare if the disability is applying within a group differently than without the group. That is to say, GLBT's should not be excluded from access to the voters through referendums while Straight people retain their access. Saying a university cannot use affirmative action, also means they cannot favor whites either. It doesn't mean they can't favor gathering their students from various areas around the state, or make zip code preferences that would favor students who come from disadvantaged neighborhoods. Racial groups are not disadvantaged relative to each other (under this ruling).
16. Rose | April 30, 2014 at 12:44 pm
Oh Brother…….and this person is considered sane…….umm, NOT!!!
I would have love to seen the Judge's reaction when reading this………my guess is he probably thought WTF???
17. Ragavendran | April 30, 2014 at 5:21 pm
News from Wisconsin: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/judge-…
News from the Vatican: http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/04/30/p…
18. Zack12 | April 30, 2014 at 8:58 pm
http://hamptonroads.com/2014/04/gay-marriage-ban-…
The lawyers defending the gay marriage ban in VA have already cited the ruling from last week's AA ruling in Michigan as to why the judges should keep the ban in place.
Sad to say but given some of the language used in the ruling, they could have a stronger argument then they did a couple of weeks ago.
I still think it will fail as many people view AA and gay marriage in different lights but this IS something that will be used going foward.
19. Tim | April 30, 2014 at 10:29 pm
The same ruling is also being used by the pro-equality side. I don't have the exact quotes now but many have been made on this site and the Prop 8 Trial Tackers Facebook page. It helping marriage equality may be a sliver lining of the ruling.
20. Zack12 | April 30, 2014 at 11:19 pm
I've seen that as well. You take what you want out of the ruling.
I'll say this in that I don't think one has to do with the other.
As several legal pundits in MI have noted, Judge Friedman had no qualms going after AA and yet ruled differently when it came to same sex marriage.
I have a feeling that it what Kennedy and Breyer will do as well.
Though I know I SHOULDN'T be concerned regarding the AA ruling out of Michigan having ANY affect on our Marriage Equally fight……..I am a little nervous with 3 different States trying to use that ruling to there advantage……..and even though the 2 are NOT related……..I can see where the States are trying to use it because both issues were voted on by the people……this is where I believe that the question that needs to get asked of SCOTUS is if Marriage is truly a FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT…..is it ONLY fundamental if the individuals involved are of the opposite-sex or is it fundamental regardless of gender make-up? Otherwise the AA ruling COULD come back and bite our fight on the azz……..as it is trying to being used right now!!!
22. Margo Schulter | May 1, 2014 at 12:41 am
Both the fundamental nature of the right of marriage, and the fact that marriage bans discriminate according to a gender classification, distinguish such bans from the issue of a State's decision not to use affirmative action programs.
Judge Holmes of the Tenth Circuit spelled this out (thank you, Ragavendran, for two great transcripts!) when he drew an obvious parallel with Loving v. Virginia: The Virginia miscegenation statute used a racial classification to decree who may or may not marry whom, calling for strict scrutiny; so why shouldn't a statute using a gender classification to make the same decision be subject to intermediate scrutiny?
And here Justice Ginsburg's opinion, writing for the Court, in United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515, 531 (1996), very relevantly observes: "Parties who seek to defend gender-based government action must demonstrate an `exceedingly persuasive justification' for that action."
So when Judge Holmes commented that if the level of scrutiny was anything higher than basic rationality (the standard for usual economic legislation), then Utah would evidently lose, he was stating what is, among other things, a logical deduction from United States v. Virginia.
23. SeattleRobin | May 1, 2014 at 12:58 am
The whole thing is wacko and there are so many things wrong with his arguments it's downright funny, but he doesn't even seem to grasp that his starting point immediately undermines anything else he has to say. His claim is that he and his (porn-filled) computer were denied a marriage license for the SOLE reason they aren't one man and one woman. (Just like the plaintiffs.) I think it's safe to say that was not the sole reason.
24. Thomas | May 1, 2014 at 7:37 am
The thing which most amazed me were the endless citations of instances in which someone married some object or non-human being. Where does one go to find this information? Of course there may be a website devoted to exactly this. The insane industry of some of these nuts is a cause for wonder.
25. Dann | May 1, 2014 at 8:08 am
The whole AA thing is just a "fly in the ointment". Similar to that of the anti-ssm bigots who try to get judges to recuse themselves for being gay. This too shall pass!
26. Ragavendran | May 1, 2014 at 4:27 pm
Letter from the Court Clerk issued today says he needs more time:
Dear Counsel: Judge Piazza has asked me to notify you that he would like to take an additional week to consider the case law, briefs of parties, and arguments of counsel. He feels confident that he will have a ruling for the parties no later than Friday, May 9th. On the day that the ruling is to be filed, this office will contact the attorneys of record to inform them that the order is prepared. Furthermore, we will advise the attorneys of a more specific time-frame when the order will be filed and accessible on the Pulaski Clerk's website.
27. Rose | May 1, 2014 at 10:57 pm
You probably are right, but it just seems as this is like a shiny new penny to them and it's just frustrating.
28. TKinSC | May 2, 2014 at 3:16 am
And indeed it is. And it is open to anyone who wants it. Just because gays and lesbians (by definition) don't want it doesn't mean they are being discriminated against or denied the right to it, and it doesn't mean they have a right to a distortion of the very term to fit their sexual/romantic proclivities.
Really? I bet the clerk was like "You're a man, but your computer is not a woman. Application denied."
Gays and lesbians already have the right to marry, in all 50 states. No state asks your sexual orientation on a marriage license application.
The two questions are distinct, but the AA ruling bolsters the states' case here, IMO.
I'm not SCOTUS of course, but based on their precedent I would answer your question by saying marriage IS a fundamental right, but that marriage by its very definition (and certainly the only kind that SCOTUS has ever talked about as being fundamental) involves s man and a woman.
32. Valquiria | May 2, 2014 at 5:13 am
And a tax on tampons affects everyone who happens to menstruate, whether they be male or female.
33. JayJonson | May 2, 2014 at 6:47 am
I agree, Dann. While it is possible that some district judge or even a conservative Circuit Court panel might attempt to misconstrue the AA ruling, they can't get around Justice Kennedy's caveat in Windsor: while states get to regulate a number of aspects of marriage, they cannot do so at the expense of the constitutional rights of their citizens. The fact that Justice Kennedy wrote both the Schuette and the Windsor decisions indicates that his chief concern is with the individual rights of citizens to be free of discrimination on the basis of race, gender, and sexual orientation.
34. KarlS | May 2, 2014 at 7:06 am
Do the letters Fuck Off And Die mean anything to you, knuckledragger?
35. JWinKY | May 2, 2014 at 8:36 am
Computers, dogs and minor children can not offer informed consent to sign a legal document like a civil marriage license. No slippery slope.
The logic of that argument was foreclosed in Loving about 45 years ago. The limited right to marry any other non-white is not that same as the universal right to marry another consenting adult.
37. KarlS | May 2, 2014 at 10:26 am
It looks to me like he has decided…to keep looking for a way to avoid deciding.
When Justice Kennedy asked last year about the well-being of all the children parented by same-sex couples in California, and then wrote about the well-being of such children in New York and other states in Windsor, he was recognizing that marriage can be a powerful institution for transmitting cultural and human values from generation to generation. That transcends any narrow focus on the ability of two partners to engage in conventional biological procreation — a test, of course, that would rule out lots of heterosexual marriages, as Justice Kagan neatly observed in oral argument.
For a classic case about the "real meaning" and intent of a law under the Equal Protection Clause, see Yick Wo v. Hopkins (1886). Here there was a law supposedly to regulate laundries with a noticeable impact on certain people thus prevented from carrying on their businesses, "all of whom happen to be Chinese subjects." The Court wrote of this discrimination, "[T]he conclusion cannot be resisted that no reason for it exists except hostility to the race and nationality to which the petitioners belong…." A fascinating ancestor of Romer!
40. Ragavendran | May 2, 2014 at 12:40 pm
Exactly. In fact, I loved today's response of the Sevcik counsel to this, when the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage wrote a letter claiming that Schuette supports their cause:
Intervenor claims that Schuette endorses the notion that the people of Nevada had
an absolute right, unreviewable by the Courts, to enshrine Nevada's ban on marriage for same-sex couples in the state constitution. But it remains a foundational principle that state laws—including state marriage laws—must comply with federal constitutional guarantees, United States v. Windsor, 133 S. Ct. 2675, 2691 (2013), and Schuette does not alter that. Schuette involved a challenge to the political process by which restrictions on government efforts to promote racial diversity were adopted, not the enactment's underlying constitutionality. 2014 U.S. LEXIS 2932, at *33 (holding that the "constitutional validity" of the voters' "choices regarding racial preferences is not at issue here"). Plaintiff Couples do not raise any political process claim here, challenging instead the underlying validity of Nevada's prohibition on marriage for same-sex couples. In those circumstances, voter approval does nothing to inoculate a law from federal constitutional requirements, as Schuette itself recognizes. Id. at *39 (observing that the Court's decision is consistent with the principle that when the underlying law injures racial minorities, "the Constitution requires redress by the courts."). Moreover, should the Ninth Circuit wish to consider the political process by which Nevada's ban on marriage for same-sex couples was adopted, the plurality in Schuette and the dissenting justices in the case concurred that political process arguments remain viable, id. at *39-40, *129, but the majority and concurring justices in the case rejected that the doctrine had been violated given the nature of the constitutional amendment at issue in the case, which the Court distinguished from measures that directly harm members of a minority group, as here. Id. at *39-40, *42.
The punchline cited above, from Page 13 of Kennedy's opinion:
Perhaps, when enacting policies as an exercise of democratic self-government, voters will determine that race-based preferences should be adopted. The constitutional validity of some of those choices regarding racial preferences is not at issue here.
Moreover, Kennedy also stresses this on PAGE ONE of the slip opinion:
This case is not about the constitutionality, or the merits, of race-conscious admissions policies in higher education. Here, the principle that the consideration of race in admissions is permissible when certain conditions are met is not being challenged. Rather, the question concerns whether, and in what manner, voters in the States may choose to prohibit the consideration of such racial preferences.
This precludes any relation to the same sex marriage cases, because the constitutional validity of those choices IS at issue.
In the same manner though, and this is perhaps only me nitpicking, Kennedy also expressly said in Windsor that "this opinion and its holding are confined to those lawful marriages," meaning marriages legally performed in other states. So, if one goes with a literal interpretation of Kennedy's writing, then he is saying, "use this opinion of mine only to secure marriage recognition in all states, but not for the right to marry." This issue came up during the last two minutes of oral argument in Kitchen, where the State's attorney brought this up, and Judge Lucero countered that by saying that that didn't preclude recognition of out-of-state marriages, and then compared it to Dred Scott. (The attorney then simply punted, deferring the blame to DOMA Section 2, which wasn't being challenged.)
41. davep | May 2, 2014 at 4:30 pm
Looks like you haven't been paying attention. Not only is marriage a right, but it is the right to marry the consenting person that you choose to marry. It is a fundamental component of a person's capacity for autonomous self-determination for their own life, and it may not be infringed upon by the state unless doing so is necessary and advances a states interest.
Your "argument" is no different from the tactic used by racists in the Loving trial: "They can marry, they just have to marry someone of the same race, like everybody else!!" they cried. And the court made it clear that their "argument" was nothing but specious wordsmithing. There is no states interest served by a law that targets a group of people whose marriages are disfavored by others, and requires them to abandon the person they wish to marry and marry someone they don't wish to marry just to access the protections of civil marriage.
Instead of parroting old debunked rhetoric, try reading the rulings in these recent trials and if you find an error in the evidence or the arguments, come on back and tell us all about it. We'll wait.
As soon as your computer becomes sentient and gains the ability to comprehend and agree to commit to the legal responsibilities of civil marriage, you'll have an argument. Obvious troll is obvious. Yawn.
43. JustMe | May 2, 2014 at 4:37 pm
"but it is the right to marry the consenting person that you choose to marry."
No its not. It didnt come to this country that way, and it sure is not that way today.
If that nonsense about 'the very definition' were true, it would be impossible for same sex couples to marry regardless of the law. Yet every time a state removes the unnecessary restriction from it's laws, these couples can and do legally marry with no problem at all. The pointless restriction in the law itself was the only thing preventing them from doing so. There is nothing inherent in them being the same sex which prevents this.
And feel free to check the current versions of Webster's Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary and many others, which now include reference to same sex couples in the definition of the word "marriage". These couples are just as legally married as other couples.
A 15 year old can consent to a marriage proposal, but still needs the permission of their parents to marry.
An 'appeal to tradition' fallacy? Really? You think we determine if a law complies with our Constitution based on whether that law would have been allowed over two hundred years ago?
And in case you didn't notice, it IS this way today, in a rapidly growing number of jurisdictions. Well over a third of Americans already live in a state that allows same sex couples to legally marry.
instead of you two just whining over and over with your tired old NOM bumper sticker rhetoric, do yourself a favor and read the rulings. Find out WHY the laws against same sex marriage are being repealed in state after state all across the country. You might actually learn something. And if you are so sure there's a valid argument against same sex marriage, check those trial records, see if your 'argument' survives scrutiny, and if it does, tell us about it. And be sure to tell all of those lawyers who are trying to defend those laws because they can't come up with a valid argument).
Does anyone know if there has been an appeal in Henry, the Ohio marriage recognition case, to the Sixth Circuit? It has been nearly three weeks since the decision (and nearly a month after he announced how he is inclined to decide), and still no activity on PACER at the appellate level. Judge Black's stay pending appeal is only valid if there is an appeal, no? According to FRAP Rule 4, they only have 30 days from the day the judgment was entered, meaning until May 14, to file an appeal. Otherwise, they concede defeat, and the stay expires, right?
The North Carolina lawsuit's First Amendment claims could be tossed out, going by this article.
50. DaveM | May 2, 2014 at 7:12 pm
Ragavendran,
The 6th keeps a list of filings and case statuses at http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/daysheet/daysheet.htm
No sign of Henry v. Himes. Though Obergefell is awaiting panel assignment.
51. Schteve | May 5, 2014 at 5:19 am
Nah, the computer just wouldn't sign the paperwork.
52. Ragavendran | May 5, 2014 at 11:23 am
Update: He also filed a motion to intervene in Kitchen last week. Judges Kelly, Lucero and Holmes denied the motion today without comment.
53. Zack12 | May 5, 2014 at 11:33 am
http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/m…
This guy has a doozy of a history.
54. DaveM | May 7, 2014 at 12:03 pm
Still nothing on Henry v. Himes, only 1 week to go.
Also, filings due today in 3 of the pending CA6 cases – Love (Bourke), Tanco, and DeBoer… Someone planning to post these when available?
55. The dark side of common s&hellip | May 7, 2014 at 11:45 pm
[…] Equality news round-up: New Ohio lawsuit, and more So when Judge Holmes commented that if the level of scrutiny was anything higher than basic rationality (the standard for usual economic legislation), then Utah would evidently lose, he was stating what is, among other things, a logical deduction from … Read more on Equality on Trial (registration) […]
56. DaveM | May 10, 2014 at 4:50 am
Appeal filed in Henry v. Himes, reports the Dispatch. I can't find a copy of the Notice of Appeal, but it might be on PACER.
http://mobile.dispatch.com/coldispatch/db_338961/…

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Travel Teams
Mites 6U/8U
Squirts 10U
PeeWee 12U
Bantam 14U
Clinics/Summer Camps
Birth Year 2012/2013
House League (YETI) - GHA is proud to partner with Flathead Valley Hockey Association (FVHA) to provide local hockey opportunities through our Yeti House League program. Yeti League is currently offered and included in the base option for programs at the 6U/8U/10U age levels. Players participate in all team practices and play games locally in Kalispell and Whitefish. Games will be played at Woodland Ice Rink in Kalispell on Friday nights, or will be played as a jamboree format across several weekends throughout the playing season. This season there will be only one session with two levels for YETI (season long).
Travel league options are part of the programming for the 2022/23 season:
10U/Squirts -
Option #1: $600
Local tournament @ Stumptown Ice Den plus YETI League games (minimum of 14 games, including Yeti League). Base price
Home Association TSL play plus 3 out of town tournaments (additional 12 games over base).
Option #3: $1,100
Home Association TSL play plus League Play in East Kootenay League (EKL) (Additional 16 +/- games over base).
Head Coaches:
Dave Schmid-Sommer
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Assistant Coaches:
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Team Practice:
Tuesdays 5:45-6:40pm
Wednesdays 6:00-6:55pm
Glacier Hockey Squirt Philosophy
From the coaches and Board members of the GHA, we are thrilled to welcome you to the upcoming hockey season. This letter is to introduce the coaches, our philosophies and approach to the game. This should provide a framework to guide expectations on the team and individual development. At the simplest, hockey should be fun for all involved.
Kids play sports to have fun and playing with friends adds to the enjoyment. Team sports like ice hockey, provide kids with the physical activity and challenges that they enjoy and a ready-made group of new friends to play with. We will strive to develop a team atmosphere, playing together and working towards a common goal. Development of the individual hockey player can and will occur simultaneous with team development.
There are many factors beyond our children's control that contribute to who is "good" in youth sports at 10U. And these same factors have little to do with who ultimately becomes a top performer in the years to come. It's extremely important for all adults involved in youth sports to have patience in the development of children. The focus at 10U needs to be fun, participation with friends and basic skill development that sets the table for future success.
GHA is part of USA Hockey and each team will have all coaches certified for that age level. All players must be members of USA Hockey in order to practice or play games. We will follow the USA Hockey ADM model. Improving Agility, Balance and Coordination (ABC) among all youth hockey players is a main goal for the American Development Model. Extensive information regarding the ADM, and its success, can be found at the USA Hockey website.
Expectation of Coaches:
The primary goal of our coaches is to help players create positive experiences on and off the ice. We want all players to learn to strive to play to the best of their abilities. We will emphasize sportsmanship in all aspects of the game – courtesy, respect and effort will be expected of all coaches, players and parents. This is expected in all practices, games and any situation in which the GHA is represented. Coaches coach, players play, referees ref and parents cheer.
Coaches will be positive role models for the children both on and off the ice. They will treat all players regardless of skill level as equals. Ice time will be distributed evenly to all players given the child attends practice regularly. Coaches will focus on developing all players and recognize that all children develop at different rates. They will follow the belief of team first, individual second. They will make hockey fun for all!
Player and Parent Expectations
Ice time is limited. We expect that players and coaches are punctual and ready to practice on time. During practice we will focus on skating, passing, shooting and positioning. We will often share the ice during practice with other teams.
Advanced players will be expected to assist others for the benefit of the team. Beginning players will give their best effort at all times to improve. Prior to 13 years of age, all USA Hockey players compete under body-contact rules, but it's important to understand that no-check hockey doesn't mean no contact. Playing time in games will be divided equally among all players present given that the child attends practice on a regular basis. If your child is ill and will not be able to attend practice, please inform the coaching staff. We will practice twice a week and have many weekend games. Travel to tournaments will include many weekends throughout the season. Commitment to travel games in advance is required for team planning.
In some tournament situations, we will be in very tight games. During the last minutes of the game, the coaches have full discretion on playing time. Coaches may play the strongest/more experienced players in the final moments of tight games.
We require that parental concerns allow 24 hours of thought prior to bringing issues to the coaches. If the coach is unable to resolve the issue to your satisfaction, please contact the GHA board. Major penalties and misconduct on and off the ice will be addressed by coaches and, if necessary, the GHA Board.
We hope you find this information useful as we all get ready for the greatest of seasons – Hockey season. It should be fun and exciting for us all.
Glacier Hockey Association
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Home Streaming Hulu's 'Interview with the Vampire' to Start Filming in September
Hulu's 'Interview with the Vampire' to Start Filming in September
Racquel Keyes
About a year ago Hulu picked up Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles and it looks as filming has been set to begin in the early fall of this year. The Vampire Chronicles is a 11-book series, so I am hoping for lots of Vampire blood to take me over for years to come.
According to Discussing Film, The Vampire Chronicles will begin filming this September in Budapest. This info arised just a couple of weeks after the announcement that the series had found its showrunner, Dee Johnson(Nashville/The Good Wife).
Christopher Rice announced on Facebook, "Today, I'm thrilled to tell you that after an exhaustive search, we've joined forces with the perfect showrunner, a woman of vast experience and impeccable professionalism who brings with her a deep respect for the material," Rice wrote. "Say hello to Dee Johnson. Dee is a wildly talented and versatile writer/producer whose credits range from critically acclaimed dramas like BOSS, to network hits like NASHVILLE, to the world-building, science-fiction odyssey, MARS. An openly gay woman of color, during her extensive years on name brand shows like E.R. and THE GOOD WIFE, Dee championed the representation of minority characters, marrying diversity to smart and compelling drama and delivering it to millions of homes around the world."
With The Vampire Chronicles not set to film until the fall, it's vague when the series will make an entrance on Hulu. However, vampire admirers have quite the array of vampire-related content to look forward to. The CW is producing a series centered on 1987's The Lost Boys with Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf) Kiele Sanchez (Kingdom), Medalion Rhaimi (Still Star-Crossed), and Dakota Shapiro (Valley of the Boom). There is also What We Do in the Shadows, based on the 2014 horror comedy, heading to FX in March.
What is your favorite book from The Vampire Chronicles? Let Nerdbot know in the comments.
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カテゴリーを選択 The way of living Technique コミュニケーション 心 道具・武器 コロナ時代への対応力 Ninja Spirituality How to live Communications Tools & Weapons Technique
What is NINJA FOREST?
What this site conveys is the "aesthetics of the ninja. "
The ninja is mysterious and attracts people from all over the world. We were fascinated by it, and as we gathered more information, we realized:
There is something that penetrates all of the ninja's "way of being" that is the source of their power of action and mentality to carry out their missions even in a harsh environment.
NINJA FOREST passes this down to the present day as the "aesthetics of the ninja." We will transform the incredible wisdom and culture we learn from the ninja into the power to survive in the present and pass it on to the future.
Recent research has revealed the history and behavioral patterns of the ninja, who used to be in the shadows, and the historical background that gave birth to the ninja. Still, we are challenging ourselves to illuminate their minds and the aesthetics behind them. We hope that by doing this, the spirit of the ninja who was once active in Japan will continue to live on this earth without ceasing.
Understanding the historical ninja, the created ninja, and the modern ninja, we respect all of them and share with you here "how to live a sturdy, gentle, and interesting life even in turbulent times," which we have developed with admiration and excitement. The forest sends cheers from the ninja to all people living in the modern world. That is NINJA FOREST.
May our challenge be a light in your heart that shines even brighter in these unstable times.
NINJA FOREST's Writer
NINJART Representative: Kuze:
During my childhood in Hiroshima, I was a tomboy with constant scratch as I enjoyed climbing trees and playing in the river in the natural environment.
After working for an airline company, I lived in Canada, China, and Brazil for about 12 years. I experienced childbirth and child-raising, served on school boards, and did volunteer work before returning to Japan. When coming back to Japan, after a long time, I felt a great sense of crisis at the sense of stagnation that fills the country and the "dead eyes of adults. I strongly felt that adults should be energized before entrusting the future to children, and I started to take the initiative to become such an adult myself.
I have obtained certifications as a health care manager, life coach, and inbound customer service coach, and have attended an NLP communication seminars, etc., to create and explore "what I can do now. In the process, I met the master of a Ninjutsu Dojo. When I first heard about "Ninja" in detail, I was highly impressed by its profundity, desire for peace, and philosophical nature. I felt a hint to unravel the "clumsy way of life of Japanese people" that I could notice as I had lived abroad, then I entered the Dojo, and started training to become a ninja.
After the constant endeavor, I managed to win the championship in a Ninja skill competition held in Odawara-city and win second place in the National Shuriken Tournament held in Iga, the home of Ninja. I also extended my Ninja training activity to the arena of kids' education by holding Ninja Experience Class at a famous leisure facility located in the center of Tokyo. Now, I am working as a ninja to energize adults all over Japan and the world, employing "not a method to win by force, but a method to survive in a persistent, smart, and interesting way"!
Ninja Spirituality
Tools & Weapons


Georgia is a very mountainous and inaccessible country. These mountains have isolated people, allowing their traditional ways of life to survive in the past and even today to some degree. Despite Soviet efforts to urbanize the Georgians, their efforts were only partially successful as today only about half the people are urbanized with the other half in the farm fields or in mountain valleys.
Soviet efforts to industrialize Georgia also failed (although some would argue the efforts to industrialize Georgia were poor at best since Josef Stalin was an ethnic Georgian and distrusted the people, placing fewer important industries in the region). Today over half the population of Georgia works in the agricultural industries, with only about 10% working in industry. The agriculture is based on the growth of citrus fruits, grapes, tea, and others, including vegetables, animals, and nuts.
For the many farmers in the country the day is dictated by the sun as work begins at sun up and ends with the setting of the sun. There is little difference from the work week to the weekend as farming is a full time job during the warm summer months. Winters tend to be slow and quite for these people in many parts of the country, although on the lower lands the weather is better year round. For everyone else businesses tend to operate from about 9:00 am to about 5:00 or 6:00 pm. Despite the long hours in the fields, the GDP per capita is only about $6,000, which is perhaps partially indicative of the heavy agricultural base of the country's economy.
School is an important part of life in Georgia, with most schools open from mid-September to about the end of May, although there are variations on this schedule. School life in Georgia also varies significantly from cities to villages as everything from transportation to school culture varies based on the location of the school.
Free time in Georgia is heavily based on family, food, wine, and religion. Evenings and weekends (Saturday-Sunday) tend to bring families together for a meal, dessert, and the national favorite, wine, preferably homemade, or locally made wine. Family is the center of the culture in Georgia and most free time is spent with family, especially in more rural areas. In cities there is a growing nightlife for couples and singles, but the culture surrounding this way of life only caters to a very small percentage of the people.
Georgia is a country of minorities and hidden mountainous people in addition to the ethnic majority of Georgians. These various ethnic groups tend to identify by their ethnicity and this can put them at odds with the majority and the government, particularly if they're Muslim. This friction has led to a number of independence movements in Georgia and has created difficulty in uniting the people. The ethnic majority identifies as Georgian, which is a term that is based on ethnicity, but is also linked to the language and the religion, as Georgia is one of the oldest Christian (Georgian Orthodox) countries in the world. The term Georgian can also be used to identify a citizen of the country, but due to ethnic divisions and conflicts, few ethnic minorities use this term to identify themselves, even if they are citizens of the country.


Drinking water supplies are prone to contamination with sewage and excreted matter which can cause outbreaks of intestinal infections such as typhoid fever. Regular bacteriological tests are crucial to ensure that drinking water supplies are microbiologically safe for human consumption. Monitoring and detecting the indicators and disease-causing microorganisms are the major parts of the sanitary microbiology. Most disease-causing bacteria present in the drinking water supplies can be significantly reduced by means of chlorination method.
The major concern is about the inability to consistently remove viruses and protozoa and to achieve quality standards for these microorganisms. The contamination of water with human faecal wastes would result in viral, bacterial, and protozoan diseases. Many of these pathogens can be detected directly. The environmental microbiologists usually examine the water by focusing on the indicator organisms which are considered as the index of possible water contamination developed by human pathogens.
1. "The indicator bacterium should be suitable for the analysis of all types of water: tap, river, ground, impounded, recreational, estuary, sea, and waste."
2. "The indicator bacterium should be present whenever enteric pathogens are present."
3. "The indicator bacterium should survive longer than the hardiest enteric pathogen."
4. "The indicator bacterium should not reproduce in the contaminated water and produce an inflated value."
5. "The detailed procedure for the indicator should have great specificity; i.e. other bacteria should not give positive results."
6. "The testing method should be easy to perform."
7. "The indicator should be harmless to humans."
8. "The level of the indicator bacterium in contaminated water should have some direct relationship to the degree of faecal pollution."
The following are usually analysed to determine the presence/absence of commensal bacteria of intestinal origin:- Coliform group- Streptococcus faecalis- Clostridium perfringens The presence of these bacteria in the water indicates that faecal matter has entered the water supply and the water is therefore liable to contamination with more dangerous organisms. The coliform bacilli are usually the most reliable indicators of faecal pollution. They make up approximately 10% of the intestinal microorganisms of humans. They lose their viability in fresh water slowly (compared to the majority of intestinal bacterial pathogens). Escherichia coli bacteria (members of the family Enterobacteriaceae are categorised as the main species of faecal coliform group.
Coliforms are defined as facultatively anaerobic, gram-negative, nonsporing, rod-shaped bacteria that ferment lactose with gas formation within 48 hours at 35°C. There are currently numerous techniques to test coliforms in water which include the multiple tube fermentation assay (the original method). This method is based on three basic steps consisting of presumptive, confirmed, and completed tests.
klebsiella pneumoniae) may be identified by presumptive coliform test when the production of gas and turbidity is detected.
The confirmed test provides an inhibiting activity against the growth of all present microorganisms except for the existing coliforms. The completed test is carried out (if positive results detected in the tubes of the confirmed test) to determine the presence of coliform organisms and to supply quality control record.
Coliforms consist of a wide range of bacteria and their primary sources may not be the intestinal tract. In this regard, specific tests have been developed that allow water to be tested for the presence of faecal coliforms. These characteristic coliforms are derived from the intestine of warm-blooded animals and are able to grow at the restrictive temperature of 44.5°C.
The multiple tube fermentation technique is effective in the elimination of most bacterial pathogens but it is not effective against viruses and protozoan parasites. These tolerant organisms are able to destroy coliform bacteria; thus their presence in the water samples can produce inaccurate results. For example, E. coli O157 may be present in the sample while the results display the absence of faecal coliforms (due to the suppressing effect of the present viruses and parasites against coliforms). Furthermore, viruses and most protozoan parasites such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, are resistant to chlorination and filtration.
The presence of Faecal coliforms, faecal streptococci and Clostridium perfringens in water supplies necessitates immediate action to remove the source of faecal pollution. These organisms are normally controlled through the disinfection of water.
Two days of great discussion and debtae surrounding new and emerging techniques for enumerating microbial compliance parameters in EU regulated waters. Thanks to all who took part briefing papers will be drafted in due course!
I want the simplified procedure for doing Microbiological analysis for drinking water at water plant.


Asset Templates allows marketers create, manage and deliver digital assets for digital and print. Creating marketing brochures, business cards, flyers, ads and post cards are much easier with Asset Templates when integrated with InDesign server. Configuration of InDesign server with AEM is covered in this section.
AEM must be connected to a running InDesign server when the INDD template is uploaded. Part of the initial processing on the INDD file requires InDesign server.


East Malvern Community Bank® Branch opened on 5 May 2000. Our charter is to return banking services to the community, and to return up to 80% of our profits to the community by way of grants and sponsorships.
With great community support, we have been very successful. As at 30 June 2016 we have returned more than $ 4,000,000 in sponsorships and grants to over 120 community groups, and in dividends to our shareholders.
East Malvern Community Bank® Branch, however, is not a charity but a business. Like all businesses we need to be continually writing new business to maintain our profitability and continue to provide community sponsorships.
Clubs and groups seeking sponsorship should be aware that proactively supporting the branch with business opportunities will enhance their prospects of success.
We are located at 300 Waverley Road, East Malvern.
Call us on 9563 6044 or come in to discuss all your banking requirements.


text:
import typing as tp
import numpy as np
Location = tp.Tuple[int, int]

class World():
    def __init__(self, world_size, random_source):
        self.world_size = world_size
        self.world = np.zeros((world_size, world_size), dtype=float)
        self.random_source = random_source
        self.peak_resource = 255
        self.bin_size = self.peak_resource / 4
        # add some resource pyramids to initialize the world
        for i in range(20):
            self.generate_resources(self.random_location())
        self.consumption_counter = 0.

    def generate_resources(self, loc: Location):
        """
        Generates a new pyramid of resources centered a the loc
        """
        for dx in range(-8, 8):
            for dy in range(-8, 8):
                distance = abs(dx) + abs(dy)
                if distance < 8:
                    resource = 255 * (1 - distance / 8)
                else:
                    resource = 0.
                self.set((loc[0] + dx, loc[1] + dy), resource)

    def sense(self, loc: Location):
        """
        Turns the amount of resources available in a location into 4 possible
        values (2 bits of indormation)

        Args:
            loc: location from which to extract the 2 bits of information
        Return:
            the two bits as an integer value
        """
        resources = self.get(loc)
        if(resources >= self.peak_resource):
            return 3
        else:
            return int(resources / self.bin_size)

    def get_sensory_state(self, loc: Location):
        """
        Builds the 10bit sensory state assembling the 2 bits of the current
        with the 8 bits coming from the 4 neighbours.
        Do so each value is shifted by 2 bits and then all the values are
        summed together to compute the final sensory state

        Args:
            loc: current location of the Agent
        Returns:
            sensory state
        """
        partial_state = []
        partial_state.append(self.sense(loc))
        partial_state.append(self.sense((loc[0] + 1, loc[1])) << 2)
        partial_state.append(self.sense((loc[0] - 1, loc[1])) << 4)
        partial_state.append(self.sense((loc[0], loc[1] - 1)) << 6)
        partial_state.append(self.sense((loc[0], loc[1] + 1)) << 8)
        return sum(partial_state)

    def get(self, loc: Location):
        """
        Gets the value at the specified position
        Args:
            loc: a tuple (x,y) that can be outside the limits of the world_size
        Returns:
            the resource at the corresponding location on the torus
        """
        return self.world[loc[0] % self.world_size][loc[1] % self.world_size]

    def set(self, loc: Location, increment: float):
        """
        Sets the resource at the specified position to value
        Args:
            loc: a tuple (x,y) that can be outside the limits of the world_size
            increment: amount to add in the specified position
        """
        self.world[loc[0] % self.world_size][loc[1] %
                                             self.world_size] += increment

    def probe(self, loc):
        resource_available = self.get(loc)
        resource_to_collect = min(resource_available, 100)
        self.set(loc, -resource_to_collect)
        return resource_to_collect

    def print_world(self):
        for row in self.world:
            print(''.join(map(lambda x: str(int(x)).ljust(4), row)))

    def random_location(self):
        return (self.random_source.choice(self.world_size),
                self.random_source.choice(self.world_size))

    def residual_resource(self):
        return self.world.sum()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home > Commentaries > Coffman Commentaries > Matthew > Chapter 12
Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Treasury of Scripture
CD-ROM $39.95
QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SABBATH, BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE SIGN OF THE PROPHET JONAH, THE EMPTY HOUSE AND THE RETURN OF THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT
At that season, Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grain fields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears to eat.
This action of Jesus' disciples should have been passed over and ignored altogether; but the bitter, hair-splitting Pharisees, finding no genuine fault in the conduct of Jesus and his disciples, attempted to make a case out of this. Their knowledge of so trifling an incident shows how minutely they observed all his deeds. Their spies must have included half the population! The time was April or May, when the grain was formed in the ear but not yet harvested. The grain was likely wheat; Indian corn would not be known until after Columbus discovered America.
But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath.
This charge was false. God's law did not prohibit the preparation and eating of food on the sabbath day. At the conclusion of the interview, Jesus referred to his disciples as "guiltless" (Matthew 12:5). It is true, however, that the disciples had violated a Pharisaical "interpretation" of the law; and such interpretations were held even more sacred by the Pharisees than the law itself. In the Pharisees' view, the disciples were guilty of threshing wheat! Such pedantry, nit-picking, and magnification of trifles would also have made them guilty of irrigating land, if they had chanced to knock off a few drops of dew while passing through the fields! The Pharisees were out to "get" Jesus; and any charge was better than none.
Verses 3, 4
But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and ate the shewbread which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests?
Note that what David and his companions did on that occasion was UNLAWFUL, nor does Jesus say that they were blameless in so doing. That was not the point of bringing up the conduct of David. Some commentators have drawn unjustifiable conclusions from this, as, for example, Dummelow, who wrote:
He (Christ) laid down the principle that even the Divine Law itself, so far as it is purely ceremonial, is subservient to human needs, and can be broken without sin for adequate cause. F1
We agree with McGarvey's words,
If Christians may violate law when its observance would involve hardship or suffering, then there is an end to suffering for the name of Christ, and an end, even, of self-denial? F2
Why then did Christ mention those unlawful actions of David? It was because the Pharisees wholeheartedly approved of that far more flagrant case of sabbath-breaking by David (for David's action WAS unlawful; the disciples' was not), and yet were willing to press an accusation of wrongdoing against the Christ for something of infinitely less consequence. That the Pharisees did approve David's conduct was well known; and, if they had not approved it, they could have turned Jesus' words against him by saying, "So, you class yourself with David, but both you and David are sinners." That they did not so respond proves that they approved of David's conduct. Thus, their hypocrisy was open for all to see.
Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?
This reference is to the fact than an exception was made for the priests who served in the temple, and who could, therefore, do work on the sabbath that would otherwise have been unlawful. Christ's stress on that exception called attention to an analogy between himself and the temple. He referred to his body as "the temple," stating that he would raise it up in three days (John 2:19). The argument is that, just as the priests served the temple on the sabbath day and were guiltless, his disciples might also serve Christ, the Greater Temple, without incurring guilt. Thus, even if his disciples had violated the sabbath restrictions (which they had not done), their doing so in the service of Christ would have granted them exemption. "Profaning" the sabbath does not refer to any actual profanation, but means that their actions, if performed otherwise than in temple service, would have profaned it.
But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here.
Who but God Himself could be greater than the temple God ordained? Christ again made a statement fixing a gulf between himself and all ordinary men. This is a dramatic reference to the analogy between Christ and the temple, mentioned under the preceding verse, and makes it crystal clear that Jesus' disciples were totally within the law, and were, like the temple priests, GUILTLESS! Those expositors who assume the charge of the Pharisees to have been correct, making Jesus' justification of his disciples to be merely that "David did it too," appear totally to have misunderstood this portion of God's word. And then, to go forward and formulate a law authorizing in prescribed circumstances the breaking of God's laws, is to forget that Jesus said, "Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:19).
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Christ said the disciples were guiltless. Therefore, he was not attempting to justify their conduct on the basis that David had also been guilty of sabbath breaking. Christ's quotation from Hosea 6:6 (See more on this under 9:13) was a plain reference to the corruption and guilt of the Pharisees, and suggests that a proper attitude of mercy in their hearts would have rejected the criticism of this action before it was made. The real trouble was not in Christ and his disciples but in the hearts of the Pharisees.
For the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath.
This proclamation of his own authority took the whole matter out of the context of their law, and their interpretations, and their opinions, and even out of the Law of Moses. Christ had the right to set aside all of those; and, in the final analysis, his disciples needed no permission except Christ's to do whatever he permitted. This place has been cited as proof that Christians should keep the sabbath day, but the opposite is taught. The sabbath should be ignored and rejected utterly, unless Christ commanded it (which he did not); for Paul said, "He took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross" (Colossians 2:14).
Verses 9, 10
And he departed thence, and went into their synagogue: and behold a man having a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? that they might accuse him.
Following so closely on the preceding, this question amounted to a continuation of the conflict regarding the sabbath day: Their question, Matthew declared, sprang not from a desire to learn, but from hope of a chance to accuse.
And he said unto them, What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
The obvious answer was affirmative. The Pharisees, with one accord, made an exception for "the ox in the ditch," basing their view upon Exodus 23:4,5 and Deuteronomy 22:4.
How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day.
In this, Christ continued to prove that his conduct and that of his apostles was altogether correct and lawful. He did not lay claim to any "excusable violations," but he claimed strict and wholehearted compliance with the law, the whole law. He said, "Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I came not to destroy but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17). Certainly, healing was allowable on the sabbath day, or upon any other day. That principle was honored by the Pharisees, as it applied to animals; but, in their blindness, they rejected the same principle applied by Christ to a man!
Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, as the other.
Christ demonstrated the principle he had just enunciated. As Luke expressed it, it was both in "preaching and bringing" the gospel to men that Jesus surpassed all other teachers (Luke 8:1). Christ always fitted the deed to the precept and the precept to the deed.
But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.
Hatred and blind rage will always try to destroy that which cannot be removed by more conventional means. Mark's mention of the Herodians in their conference shows the grounds upon which the Pharisees would attempt his legal murder; that is, by accusing him of sedition. This added to the difficulties confronting Christ in a situation where he was constrained to convince as many as possible of his Messiahship, yet without giving grounds for his legal punishment as a mere plotter against the government.
And Jesus perceiving it withdrew from thence: and many followed him; and he healed them all.
Knowing of the evil plot to kill him, Christ withdrew, as Mark added, to the Sea of Galilee (Mark 3:7). This was in keeping with Jesus' own rule (See under 10:23). Significantly, he healed them all. There were no failures.
And charged them that they should not make him known.
To have given wide publicity to his deeds at that time would have prematurely precipitated his eventual showdown with the Pharisees; and Christ was not yet ready for that. He was the Great Architect of all those events; and, although he intended to die, he intended also to accomplish his death at a time and manner fully in harmony with his own eternal purpose.
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying.
Characteristic of Matthew are the numerous appeals to the writings of the prophets of the Old Testament. The reason for this reference is that it shows that Christ was doing exactly what it was prophesied that he would do.
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 declare judgment to the Gentiles.
- Isaiah 42:1ff
The area into which Christ then entered had a heavy Gentile population. "Judgment," as used in this place, means "God's truth." The meekness and submissiveness of the Lord in that withdrawal were also in keeping with prophecy.
He shall not strive, nor cry aloud; Neither shall any one hear his voice in the streets.
Jesus was no street-corner egotist, bawling for attention. Techniques of the rabble rouser, the sensationalist, and the soapbox orator were beneath his dignity. Barnes wrote, "The meaning is that he should not seek publicity and popularity." F3 In keeping with these words concerning Christ, some of the antics of certain religionists appear to be totally improper. On Times Square in New York City, one often sees screaming advocates of this or that doctrine jostling the throngs pouring forth out of the theaters; and, although their zeal may be commendable, one cannot help remembering that the Christ drew the throngs to himself. He did not invade them, beating on a bucket, and yelling for the attention of the passers-by.
Verses 20, 21
A bruised reed shall he not break, And smoking flax shall he not quench, Till he send forth judgment to victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles hope.
The last sentence of this quotation gives the sense but not the exact words of Isaiah 42:4. The bruised reed and dimly-lighted lamp are symbols of weakness and feebleness of faith, applicable in this place, no doubt, to the general spiritual condition of the Gentiles, but also a pledge that Christ does not despise the faith of any of his children, however weak and ready to perish. Barnes saw in the bruised reed a symbol
of the soul, broken and contrite on account of sin, weeping and mourning for transgression. He will not break it. That is, he will not be severe, unforgiving, and cruel. He will heal it, pardon it, and give it strength. F4
The metaphor of the smoking flax referred to the string-like fabric, or wick, one end of which was contained in the bowl of ancient lamps, and the other end lighted. Flax was the material of which such wicks were made. "Smoking flax" indicated a lamp, nearly out of fuel, and almost ready to go out.
There is also in this place a contrast between worldly conquerors and the Pharisees, on the one hand, riding rough shod over the weak and helpless; and, on the other hand, the lowly Christ, withdrawing from popular clamor, solicitous for the bruised reed or the smoking flax. But make no mistake. Christ, not the Pharisees, was THE VICTOR. Look to the last word of the quotation from Isaiah. He will send forth judgment "to victory"! Christ will continue in the way of the meek and humble. His methods did not lead to nor tend towards defeat. Far from it. Total and final VICTORY was, and ever shall be, his.
Then was brought unto him one possessed with a demon, blind and dumb; and he healed him, insomuch that the dumb man spake and saw.
"Dumb" in this place means "mute," which was the original meaning of that word. More recent connotations, indicating feeble mental powers, are not implied. Extensive events developed from this gracious deed, the populace hailing him as the "Son of David" (a popular name for the Messiah), and the Pharisees accusing him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub.
And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, Can this be the Son of David?
The contrast in attitude between the Pharisees and the multitudes showed that Christ was getting his message over to the majority of the people in spite of the bitter opposition of the leaders. For more on "Son of David," see under Matthew 1:1.
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons.
Regarding the meaning of "Beelzebub," see under Matthew 10:25. Charges of the Pharisees were not honest. They would have denied the miracles if possible; but, unable to do that, they spoke maliciously about the source of his power. "Beelzebub" was a combination of two ancient words, "Baal," the name of the old god of the Canaanites, and "zebul," meaning "dunghill." In the lore of the Pharisees, "Baal-zebul," or Beelzebub, as he came to be called, was said to be the prince of devils, or demons. How shameful it was that they linked the name of the Saviour with that false god. In spite of those vile charges having been initiated in deceit and malice on the part of their progenitors, the widening river of sin carried those slanders far from their source; and thus it is found that Celsus repeated them, with embellishments of his own, more than a century later, in 170 A.D., as did also the later Jewish Talmudists.
And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.
The argument in this and the following verse is simple, but profound. If Satan was really casting out Satan, a ridiculous absurdity on the face of it, then Satan's kingdom was being destroyed. Note that Jesus knew their thoughts, a knowledge that only God could have.
And if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?
Christ, in this argument, took full advantage of the fact that the Pharisees, in malice, had overreached themselves by making an argument that was fraudulent and illogical on the face of it.
And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
Christ here referred to the widespread practice of some of the disciples (sons) of the Pharisees of casting out demons, or pretending to do so, which practice the Pharisees openly accepted, and upon which they based claims of divine approval of both themselves and their doctrines. Josephus described such a case thus:
I have seen a certain man of my own country, whose name was Eleazer, releasing people that were demoniacal, in the presence of Vespasian and his sons and captains. He put a ring to the nostrils of the domoniac, and drew the demon out through his nostrils, making mention of Solomon, and reciting the incantations which he composed. F5
Christ's argument was: You Pharisees accept so-called exorcisms by your disciples, in spite of all the "mumbo jumbo" and evident witchcraft connected with them, but you reject my miracles which are accomplished with only a word of authority. If the miracles of your disciples are acceptable, surely mine, the Christ's, should also be acceptable. Of course, Christ did not endorse the exorcisms of the Pharisees' disciples any more than he endorsed the Pharisees.
But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.
In this, Christ turned their own arguments against them. His works, accomplished by God's power, were proof enough that the kingdom of God was at hand. "Come upon you" does not mean that the kingdom had been set up at that point, but that the King had certainly appeared, and that its establishment was near.
Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
In some real sense, Satan was "bound," else the Lord could not have cast out demons. Satan is still "bound." All the evil on earth seems, at first, to negate this view; but, when it is considered that things might be infinitely worse than they are, and when certain passages of the word of God are taken into consideration, it appears certain that Satan is limited and restrained by divinely imposed boundaries encompassing all infernal activity: (1) Satan cannot tempt a child of God more than is possible to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). (2) He could not enter even a herd of swine without our Lord's permission (Matthew 8:32). (3) God's specific permission was necessary in the satanic harassment of the patriarch Job (Job 1:12). (4) Satan sifted Peter only after the Lord allowed it (Luke 22:31). (5) Satan and his angels are reserved "in chains of darkness" until the day of judgment (2 Peter 2:4). (6) He sowed tares in the wheat, but could do so only "while men slept" (Matthew 13:25). (7) He snatches the word of God from men's hearts, but he can do so only when hearts are hardened (Matthew 13:4). From these and countless other implications in the Scriptures, it may be positively concluded that Satan does not share control of the universe with God. Whatever Satan may do, it is always under God's permissive will; and all that he does will finally serve the eternal purpose.
He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
Of this, Boles wrote:
In the great conflict between life and darkness, good and evil, the kingdom of God and of Satan, there is no middle ground; there is no neutral position; there is no third power to which these miracles may be attributed. These Pharisees were obliged either to join Christ or to be against him. They had to become allies of God or co-workers with Satan; there was no other alternative. F6
Also, since their disciples were doing the same thing, or professing to do so, their judgment of Christ was automatically a judgment of themselves.
Therefore, I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
There is an unpardonable transgression, and here is an example of it, "blasphemy against the Spirit." Boles' comments that the passage speaks not of "a sin against," F7 but of "blasphemy against" the Spirit does not exclude a class of sins which are unforgivable and known collectively as "the sin" against the Holy Spirit. From the gospel of Mark comes, "Whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of AN ETERNAL SIN; because they said, He hath an unclean spirit" (Mark 3:29,30). Significantly, Mark spoke not of "the" but "an" eternal sin, showing that the transgression under consideration in this place is one of a class of sins designated as "eternal."
We shall note the whole class of eternal sins first and then consider the example of it, committed by the Pharisees.
The word of God teaches:
"There is a sin unto death; not concerning this do I say that he should make request" (1 John 5:16). Note that John spoke not of sin "until," but "unto" death. Such a sin is, therefore, not UNTIL physical death, but it is UNTO spiritual death.
"For, as touching those who were once enlightened, and tasted the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then fall away, it is impossible to renew them" (Hebrews 6:4-6).
"She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth" (1 Timothy 5:6; 5:6 ).
And regarding certain violations of the Lord's table, Paul declared, "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and some sleep" (1 Corinthians 11:30). "Sleep" in this place is a euphemistic expression for death.
That the Holy Spirit in one's heart can be "quenched" is evident from the admonition, "Quench not the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
Concerning apostates, "The last state is become worse with them than the first" (2 Peter 2:20,21), indicating a condition worse than being lost, and which is fulfilled only by being lost without possibility of recovery. Now of this general condition, variously described as death while one lives, a sin unto death, the quenching of the Spirit, worse than being an alien sinner, and impossible to renew, and for which there is no need to pray - all such sins qualify for Mark's description, "an eternal sin."
What, then, is THE sin that does all this? It may be any sin, hence the deadly and dangerous nature of all sin. In the physical world, what is THE fatal disease? It is the one the doctor writes on the death certificate, and may be any one of a countless number of maladies. The analogy holds in the spiritual realm; and the eternal sin is the one that destroys the soul of the sinner. That such may occur even while physical life is extended appears certain from all of the references noted above.
Now, with reference to blasphemy against the Spirit, Christ named it as "an eternal sin," making it unforgivable. It was not the only sin that could have destroyed the Pharisees, but it is the one that did. The peculiar aggravation of their wickedness springs from their reviling Christ although they knew him to be righteous. Contrary to what they KNEW, they said he had an unclean spirit. They put falsehood for truth, darkness for light, evil for righteousness, and shut their eyes and hearts against the Lord. Their blasphemy was of a kind that blotted out the hope of heaven; and there can be little doubt that the same type of blind, senseless opposition to the Lord today would have the very same consequences.
Acknowledgment of the influence of the highly-esteemed Grover Cleveland Brewer in the understanding of this difficult question, is hereby registered. His convincing sermons on this subject are reflected in the above comments.
Seven different sins against the Holy Spirit may be noted in these references: (1) lusting against (Galatians 5:16);(2) resisting (Acts 7:51), (3) grieving (Ephesians 4:30); (4) lying to (Acts 5:3); (5) insulting (Hebrews 10:24); (6) blaspheming against (Mark 3:29); and (7) quenching (1 Thessalonians 5:19). It might be assumed that Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:3) committed an eternal sin, but it is not so stated in the word of God. It is implicit, however, in the very nature of all sin that ANY SIN, persisted in, can result in quenching the sacred fire within the soul and issue at last in eternal death.
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.
Many did speak against Christ, but when the Spirit of God came of Pentecost, they obeyed the gospel message and were saved. Those who spoke against the Spirit, rejecting the gospel which he delivered through the apostles, were not saved. No other means of redemption was given. Those who rejected the Spirit received no forgiveness then, or ever. One should avoid reading into this passage any hope that some sins will be forgiven in the world to come which remain unforgiven now. We agree with Boles. "No sin, unforgiven here, or in this world, will be pardoned or forgiven hereafter." F8
Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit.
Dummelow's paraphrase on this passage brings the meaning into sharp focus:
Pharisees, be logical. You say that to cast out devils is good, but that I who do it am corrupt. That is as if you said, The fruit of this tree is good, but the tree itself is corrupt. Make up your minds which way you will have it. Either say that my works are good, and therefore that I am good also, or else that my works are corrupt, and that therefore I am corrupt also. You cannot separate a tree from its fruit, for a tree is known by its fruit. Nor can you separate a man from his works, for he is known by them. F9
Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
In this, Christ applied to them the principle expounded in the preceding verse. The evil works of the Pharisees proceeded from inner corruption. Their hearts were not right in the sight of God. People should keep the heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). As Adams expressed it, "When the citadel of the heart is won, the turret of the understanding will not long hold out." F10
The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
This is an elaboration of what Christ had already said. Such full attention to the Pharisees' slanders endows the entire event with tremendous significance; and, when it is recalled that their sin consisted principally of "speaking against" Christ, the implication is mandatory that an evil mouth can damn the soul forever. Evil and unbelieving words are not merely evil within themselves, but are like the escaping bubble to the surface of the lake, that betrays the rotten carcass beneath. Evil words proceed out of evil hearts.
And I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment.
This is a strong admonition to guard what is spoken. "Idle" words are not necessarily those casual and insignificant sayings indulged in the course of social fellowship, nor such words as may be calculated to bring a smile to care-worn faces, but rather, they are the words that betray a bias of the soul against God and expose the evil heart of the sinner.
Again, Christ referred to "the day" of judgment. See on Matt. 12:41, below.
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Speech is one of the greatest endowments of humanity; and the greater the gift, the greater the sin of perverting it to unworthy purposes. It would be impossible to sum up all the sins of mankind in the area of sinful speech. It must appear even to casual thought of it that words, as used by millions, constitute the bulk of human shame and wickedness. James said, "If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also" (James 3:2). Beyond everything else, man should watch what he says. One's words can justify when they confess Christ, or teach the truth, or serve to make peace, bestow a blessing, or give encouragement; but on the other hand, when words condemn, cast a reflection, subvert the truth, utter profanity, vulgarity, hatred, or malice, or any one of a million other evil things - then such words bring the condemnation of those who speak them.
Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee.
This arrogant request came from a group who had already accused Jesus of being in league with the devil and who had already seen signs aplenty; but in this case, they were demanding a sign of their own choosing. Luke stated that they sought a "sign from heaven" (Luke 11:16). By that, they no doubt meant some spectacular wonder without moral value but which would appeal sensationally to a man's curiosity. Christ always rejected that type of sign, as, for example, when he refused to jump from the pinnacle of the temple (Matthew 4:6). In fact, there is more than a suggestion that the Pharisees' request for a sign was but a renewal of Satan's temptation of the Lord in the wilderness. Christ always refused to perform wonders for his enemies like Herod or the Pharisees. He did work miracles for the benefit of John's disciples (Luke 7:18-22), and raised Lazarus that the people might believe (John 11:42). For more on "a sign from heaven," see under Matthew 16:1.
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.
The "adulterous generation" refers not merely to the morals of the people but to the rejection of Israel's covenant with their God. Barnes wrote:
The relation of the Jews to God was represented as a marriage contract with God as the husband and the Jewish people as his wife (Isa. 57:3; Hosea 3:1; Ezek. 16:15). Hence, their apostasy and idolatry are often represented as adultery. F11
The "sign of the prophet Jonah" refers to the resurrection of Christ, the greatest and most wonderful miracle of all time. Jesus' announcement of this "sign" at that time was actually a prophecy of his death, burial and resurrection. The Old Testament had plainly indicated the Messiah would rise from the dead (Psalms 16:10); but, in keeping with his usual methods, Christ again laid claim to Messiahship, but in such terminology, and in such analogies, that his enemies would not see it, or if they did, would be unable to prove what he meant!
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
The use of "whale" in this verse is in error; the Greek word is "sea-monster," as a glance at the English Revised Version (1885) margin will show; not that there is any essential difference, for the Bible states that "God prepared" a great fish (Jonah 1:17). In the book of Jonah is related also how God "prepared" a gourd (Jonah 4:6), a worm (Jonah 4:7), and a sultry east wind (Jonah 4:8)! Why it should be considered for God a more difficult matter to prepare a great fish than any of those other "preparations" is surely a mystery!
Regarding the truth of the Jonah narrative, it appears absolutely incredible that Christ, one of the Godhead, would have made a mere folk tale the principal prophecy and sign of his resurrection from the dead. We here register a protest against those expositors who are so wise above their Saviour in casting a reflection of doubt upon this astounding incident from the Old Testament. From Jesus' reference to it here, it appears that the experience of Jonah was an authentic event which God "prepared" to be a prophecy of a still greater one, the resurrection of Christ.
The question of "three days and three nights," as signifying the time of our Lord's remaining in the tomb, is one of the most widely discussed issues in the New Testament. An overwhelming number of scholars hold the conviction that the expression is a Hebrew idiom referring to any part of three days and nights which included an entire day, the two nights on either side of it, and portions of the other two days. The present custom of accepting a month to be 28, 30, or 31 days is held to be similar to the Hebrew custom of so loosely determining "three days and three nights." The traditional view that Christ was crucified on Friday and raised on Sunday draws its principal support from Matthew's word that Christ should be raised "the third day" (Matthew 16:21). This view asserts that if he was crucified on Thursday, and raised on Sunday, then he would have been raised on the fourth day.
In spite of the fact that a good case can be made out for the above explanation, some very respected students of God's word take another view. Torrey said, "There is absolutely nothing in favor of Friday crucifixion, but everything in Scripture is perfectly harmonized by Wednesday crucifixion." F12 Torrey's argument is the following: (1) Christ was crucified the day before the sabbath (Mark 15:42). (2) This does not necessarily mean the day before the ordinary sabbath, because the Jews always honored the day before the Passover (15th of Nisan) as a special "high" sabbath, no matter what day of the week it fell upon (Exodus 12:6; Leviticus 23:7; Numbers 28:16-18). (3) The truly important question is, therefore, whether "day before the sabbath" refers to an ordinary Saturday, or the special "high" sabbath related to the Passover, and occurring on any day of the week, depending where the 15th of Nisan fell. (4) John's gospel plainly says it was "the preparation of the Passover" (John 19:14), and that it was "an high day" (John 19:31). These Scriptures plainly show that the ordinary sabbath was not meant. (5) Thus, Christ was crucified on the day before the "high day," or first day of Passover. Since the Passover (15th of Nisan) in the year 30 A.D. fell on Thursday, the "day before" would make it Wednesday on which Christ was crucified. (6) Scriptures supporting this view are: Christ said he would rise "after three days" (Mark 8:31). "After three days" he would rise again (Mark 9:31; 10:34). "This is now the third day since these things were done" (Luke 24:31). Whatever one thinks of Torrey's argument, it must be admitted that it is supported by more Scriptures than the traditional view.
Warning: devout souls will not be troubled by this question; for, if it had been necessary to know the day of the week, the Lord would have revealed it. Furthermore, to resolve this question finally and dogmatically, it would be positively necessary to know the exact year of our Lord's passion; and THAT is not certainly known. Not even the exact year of his birth can be determined. It can never be known what day of the week was the 15th of Nisan until the overriding question of WHAT YEAR is fixed. This, of course, is the weakness of Torrey's position. He takes the year 30 A.D. as the base of his calculations.
The heart of the earth
is a figurative expression for the grave which is also called "the lower parts of the earth" (Psalms 63:9; Ephesians 4:9).
The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.
Of surpassing interest in this passage is Christ's reference to "the judgment." Some fancy they see seven judgments in the word of God; but Christ continually spoke of only ONE. As already noted repeatedly in this commentary, THE JUDGMENT was a constant theme of Christ's teaching. Christ's view of the judgment envisioned a day of wrath and glow toward which all the world is moving, a day on which God shall rise in righteous anger and cast evil out of his universe. Christ's word on this subject makes it impossible to hold "our age" as the judgment; for "it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). Nor is the day of death to be viewed as the day of judgment. THAT comes after death. The verses before us show that the judgment is a simultaneous judgment of all nations and conditions of men, regardless of the ages in which they lived. The Queen of the South, the men of Nineveh, and the people of Christ's generation are spoken of as all appearing simultaneously for judgment, though, of course, their lives were separated by many centuries in time. Paul referred to that occasion as "that day" (2 Timothy 4:8). Thus, it may be logically concluded that "the judgment" of Scripture is a specific occasion, a cataclysmic day, upon which every man ever born on earth shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive the deeds done in the body (2 Corinthians 5:10).
How commendable was the repentance of the men of Nineveh! They repented without any command to repent, without any promise of relief if they did repent, with no invitation to repent, without even a small desire on the part of the preacher that they would repent (but, on the contrary, a fervent hope that they would not), and without any appreciation on Jonah's part when they did repent! A preacher will know how to elaborate this!
Christ's being greater than Jonah is seen in the contrast between the messages, one secular, the other spiritual; between the messengers, one true, the other untrue; and between the miracles that certified each, one disgorged by a sea-monster, the other raised from the dead. See also Matt. 8:25.
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
The superior faith of the Queen of the South is seen in that she came upon a paucity of evidence, responding to rumor, or hearsay.
The ends of the earth
, according to Barnes, referred to "the most distant parts of the habitable world then known." F13 Christ as "greater than Solomon" was expounded by James H. Childress as follows: (1) Christ was greater in his birth, (2) his wisdom, (3) his temple, (4) his throne, (5) his prayers, (6) in his mansions, and (7) in the sacrifice Christ offered. As one example, Solomon offered at the dedication of the temple "twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred twenty thousand sheep" (2 Chronicles 7:5). Christ offered his own blood within the holiest place of all for the sins of all men (Hebrews 9:14).
But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places seeking rest, and findeth it not.
This parable of a wandering demon applies to the Jewish nation, which is "the man." The "going out" represents the spiritual rebirth of Israel under the preaching of John the Baptist. The "swept and garnished" period (in next verse) referred to the lack of any meaningful change in the character of the people, and the relatively innocuous neglect of Christ during the early part of his ministry. The restlessness of the demon showed the anxious and unrelenting hostility of the forces of evil and their determination against Christ.
Waterless places
were supposed to be attractive to demons, who were thought to take advantage of people who borrowed water, and were said to take up residence in crumbs, or fragments of food. Christ flaunted all those popular notions by borrowing water from the woman at the well of Samaria (John 4), by commanding the disciples to gather up the fragments after the feeding of the five thousand, and the four thousand, and by himself frequenting desert places. Although the primary application of the "swept and garnished" condition must be to Israel's lack of the fruits of repentance, it is also proper for the Christian teacher to base a warning to all Christians upon these words. No house can remain long empty, unused, swept, garnished, or idle. Alas, such is a true description of the spiritual condition of many. They are "good," but "good for nothing." Their righteousness consists of emptiness, superficial decoration, and negative goodness. However, the life that is not constantly improved and dedicated, and pressed, and worn out in service to God, will finally revert to a condition worse than at the first. The evil spirit cast out of a man is ever lurking and seeking an opportunity to return with seven companions worse than himself, and to take over and plunge the soul in greater wickedness than ever. That is exactly what happened to Israel.
Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
See comment on preceding verse. The failure of Israel to carry forward the good impulses initiated by the preaching of John and the early popularity of Christ and his teachings became the occasion for a far more terrible thing than mere neglect and casual indifference. In the diabolical intentions of the wicked leaders, coupled with the relative "emptiness" of the people regarding any genuine righteousness, Christ clearly saw that the Pharisees would be able to deceive and command them all in a catastrophic rejection of himself as the Christ. That is why the warning came at that moment, when the evil heart and purpose of the Pharisees had become so evident to Christ.
Then goeth he and taketh with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation.
These words were doubtless spoken in sorrow. They were a firm, dogmatic prophecy of Israel's rejection of Christ, reminding one of 2 Peter 2:20. What state is worse than being unsaved? It is the apostasy from which it is impossible to be renewed (Hebrews 6:4-6).
While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak with him.
If the mother of Jesus in this passage was his literal mother, then there is no reason to suppose that his brothers were not his literal brothers. Medieval theology has warped the views of expositors on such Scriptures as this and others like it. See more on this subject under Matthew 13:55. What they desired to discuss is not known.
And one said unto him, Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking to speak to thee.
Whoever delivered that message apparently expected Jesus to drop everything and honor the intrusion. He did no such thing. He plainly declared that the ties of flesh and blood would not take precedence over the spiritual ties of the kingdom itself. At least, this would appear to be a logical inference from what Christ said and did.
But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren!
Probably due to his foresight of the gross idolatry that would flourish around the name of his mother, Christ was careful to guard against it. More on this will be found under Matthew 13:55. Mary was never set forth as a female deity by Christ. If she had been, in any sense, the "Mother of God," Christ's treatment of her on this occasion was improper. Although there is no hint that they were aware of it, Mary and his brothers were interfering with his work; and Christ refused to see them, at least until the business at hand was completed.
For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Relationship to Christ does not depend on fleshly kinship but on obedience to God's will. As John's gospel has it, "As many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12,13).
Footnotes for Matthew 12
1: J. R. Dummelow, One Volume Commentary (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 666.
2: J. W. McGarvey, Commentary on Matthew (Delight, Arkansas: The Gospel Light Publishing Company), p. 104.
3: Albert Barnes, Barnes' Notes (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1954), p. 129.
4: Ibid., p. 129.
5: J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 668.
6: H. Leo Boles, Commentary on Matthew (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1961), p. 268.
10: R. A. Bertram, A Homiletic Encyclopedia (New York and London: Funk and Wagnalls Company, thirteenth edition), Item 2690, p. 458.
11: Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 134,
12: R. A. Torrey, Difficulties in the Bible (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1907), p. 109.
13: Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 135.
14: Revised Standard Version.
15: Emphatic Diaglott.
16: Goodspeed, New Testament in Modern Speech.
17: Williams, The New Testament.
18: Moffatt, The New Testament.
19: Paul Blanchard, American Freedom and Catholic Power (Boston, Massachusetts: Beacon Press), pp. 138-139.
20: J. W. McGarvey, Commentary on Matthew and Mark (Nashville, Tennessee: The Gospel Advocate Company), p. 16.
21: Ibid., p. 16.
22: Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Sermons, Volume 5 (New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company), p. 20.
23: Robert Milligan, Commentary on Hebrews (Nashville: World Vision Publishing Company), pp. 73-74.
James Burton Coffman Commentaries reproduced by permission of Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. All other rights reserved.
Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on Matthew 12". "Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament". <http://classic.studylight.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=012>. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.