Opposition Mounts: In chapter 12 Matthew relates a number of incidents that reveal the basis for Pharisaic opposition to Jesus and his ministry. Jesus vindicates his disciples’ plucking grain on the Sabbath (vv. 1–8), restores a paralyzed hand on the Sabbath (vv. 9–14), moves away when he hears of a plot against him (vv. 15–21), refutes the Pharisees’ claim that he drives out demons by the power of Beelzebub (vv. 22–32), calls his antagonists “snakes” who will be held accountable on the day of judgment (vv. 33–37), and refuses to perform a miracle for the “wicked and adulterous” people of his day (vv. 38–42). Small wonder that the unrepentant religionists rose up against him! So strong is the opposition that some writers have decided that the material belongs to the Jewish-Christian contro…