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Jesus Works on the Day of Rest

¹ Jesus rode through a wheat field on the day God had told everyone to relax and rest. His cowboys were famished and picked some of the grain to eat. ² When the religious know-it-alls saw this, they said to Jesus, "Look at that! Your cowboys are breakin' God's law and workin' on the day he told us to rest."

³ He answered, "Haven't you heard what David did when his crew was hungry? ⁴ He entered God's church, and all of them ate the food that had been left there as offering to God. They weren't supposed to do that. Only the priests are supposed to eat that food. ⁵ When everyone else is supposed to be resting, the priests and preachers are up working and teachin' everyone else, but they are innocent? ⁶ I'm tellin' you that someone better than a church building is standin' right here. ⁷ Religious hypocrites don't ever understand these words, 'I want a relationship, not a religion'. ⁸ The Son of Man is Boss over the day of rest."

⁹ Then Jesus rode up to their church, watered his horse, and went in. ¹⁰ Inside was a fellow who had a deformed hand. Tryin' to catch Jesus in a trap, they asked him, "Is it wrong to heal on the day of rest?"

¹¹ Jesus told 'em, "If you had a baby calf that fell in a wash down by the creek and it couldn't get out, wouldn't you rope it and pull it out even if it was the day of rest? ¹² Cowboys mean a lot more to God than calves do! There ain't nothin' wrong with healin' on the day of rest."

¹³ Then he told the guy with the deformed hand, "Take your hand out of your pocket and hold it over here." The guy did what he was told and Jesus healed it completely. ¹⁴ The religious know-it-alls got so dad-gummed mad at Jesus for doin' this that they started ponderin' how they might take him out.

Folks Flock to Jesus

¹⁵ Jesus knew they was gonna try to take him out, so he left. A huge herd of folks followed him when he left and he healed all who were sick, ¹⁶ but he told 'em all not to tell anyone who did it. ¹⁷ This was because the great cowboy Isaiah had seen the future when he wrote, ¹⁸ "Look here at the guy who works for me, the cowboy who I love and the one I have chosen. I will give my power to him and he will bring justice to the whole world. ¹⁹ He will not squabble or raise his voice in public. ²⁰ He won't ride his horse over the weak and pitiful, nor will he dash the smallest dream until he conquers the world with his final showdown.²¹ His name will become the hope of the whole world."

²² Then the people brought him a possessed man who couldn't talk or see. Jesus healed him completely so that he was no longer possessed, nor blind or mute. ²³ Everyone was dumbfounded by the things that Jesus did and they asked, "Could this cowboy be the Son of David?"

²⁴ But when the religious know-it-alls heard them ask this, they said, "Jesus can only do this because he has Satan's power!"

²⁵ Jesus knew what they were thinkin' and said, "Any crew that is divided won't be able to get the job done. You can't pull on the reins and spur at the same time and expect to get anywhere. ²⁶ If the devil drives himself out, he won't be able to do his job. ²⁷ If I drive out demons by the devil's power, by what power do y'all drive them out? Y'alls followers are doin' the same thing I am, so what does that say about them? ²⁸ But if I bust demons out of people by the power of God, then that means that God is right here with ya.

²⁹ "Let's go on with this a little longer. How can you take a badger's babies without getting bit? If you shoot the mama, then you'll be able to take her babies.

³⁰ "If you don't ride with me, you are my enemy. If you don't gather with me, then you scatter what I am tryin' to do. ³¹ I'm tellin' you straight that every sin and wrongdoing will be forgiven except sinning against the power of God. ³² You can talk trash about me and it will be forgiven. But if you say that the Spirit of God is just hogwash and you will never want to ride with me or believe in God, for this, you will not be forgiven—in this time, or any time that comes.

³³ "A cow is judged on what kind of calf she throws. Make a cow healthy and she will throw a healthy calf. If a cow is unhealthy or sick, she will have a sick calf. ³⁴ Y'all know-it-alls are a den of snakes! How can a snake tell someone what is good? Whatever is in your heart will spill up and out of your mouth. ³⁵ A good cowboy will bring good things up out of his good heart without even knowing it, and the evil man will throw up his nastiness on everyone around and not think anything about it. ³⁶ But I'm warnin' you, the next time you let your tongue slip, you will have to explain every single slip and careless word on Judgment Day. ³⁷ Your words today will affect your outcome when you die. They will either get you turned out on perfect pastures or get you shipped off on the killer truck."

Religious Leaders Want a Miracle

³⁸ Some of the know-it-alls and legalistic teachers said to Jesus, "Mr. Teacher, we want to see one of these miracles we keep hearin' about."

³⁹ He answered them, "Only wicked folks who don't believe ask for proof of who I am. The only miracle you will see is the same one that happened to the great godly cowboy Jonah. ⁴⁰ He spent three days and nights in the belly of a big catfish. I will spend three days and nights in the belly of the earth. ⁴¹ When Jonah got out of the fish, he went to Nineveh and told them to quit behavin' like they were or they were goin' to hell. That city listened to him and turned to God. Now standin' before you is a cowboy greater than Jonah and you still don't believe. ⁴² Even the Queen of Sheba, who didn't even know who God was, came and asked Solomon where he got his great wisdom. She listened to him and believed. She will rise up and not speak favorably of all of y'all when Judgment Day comes because you do not believe or change after you've heard the truth. Now one greater and wiser than Solomon is standing here and you still refuse to believe.

⁴³ "When I chase the wolf out of your henhouse, it goes out and searches for another place to eat. ⁴⁴ When it can't find anything to eat, it returns with its whole pack and finds your henhouse standing wide open.⁴⁵ This is what happens when men are cleaned up, but don't start ridin' for God. They end up worse than when they started."

Jesus Tells Who His Real Family Is

⁴⁶ While Jesus was still talkin' to folks, his momma and his brothers waited outside to talk to him. ⁴⁷ Someone said, "Hey, your momma and your brothers are waiting outside. They want to talk to you."

⁴⁸ Jesus told him, "Who do you think my momma and brothers are?" ⁴⁹ He turned to his twelve cowboys and said, "My brothers and mother are sittin' right here with me. ⁵⁰ Anyone who rides for my Father's brand is my real family."