Matthew 12

ScriptureMatthew 12:12¹² How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!  Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.Observation The disciples were hungry and broke off some of the grain as they walked through the grain fields.  The Pharisees, seeing this, were quick to jump to judgment and criticize the disciples for “being unlawful.”  Jesus backs up his disciples, then is challenged again – this time on the matter of healing on the Sabbath.  The challenge comes from the thought that healing is “work” and, therefore, healing someone on the Sabbath is not in compliance with the commandment to rest and keep the Sabbath holy.UnderstandingThe Pharisees required course correction.  Earlier in Matthew – Chapter 5 – Jesus had discovered and rectified the issue of the Pharisees being to “loose” with the commandments.  And, now, here they were being to legalistic – in particular in reference to commandment number for regarding keeping the Sabbath holy. But Jesus counters that works of necessity and mercy are still to be done.A couple things come to mind…

1. We need accountability.

The Pharisees were out of control – leaning towards the extremes in how they chose to follow the commandments.  Too loose or too strict, depending on what was to their benefit or to the end that resulted in their desired outcome.  But neither extreme was to the benefit of God’s desired end result – relationship with their creator and the spreading of the gospel.  So, they needed course correction.Like the Pharisees, we require course correction. Bummer for us, Jesus no longer physically walks this earth.  BUT bonus for us, he’s placed us in our church family which is right here in Santa Clarita (not thousands miles away where Jesus did walk), where we can experience fellowship, accountability and some soul loving.  However, we need to be obedient to engage, create those relationships, be transparent, etc.

2. Where legalism exists, love dies and Satan/evil thrives.

 Is there even one person who has read this that would side with Pharisees?  Most human beings – probably even the not so nice ones – would read this and agree that Jesus did the “right” thing, the noble thing, the holy thing, the loving thing by providing healing…even though it was the Sabbath. 

Levi talked yesterday about the body of the church and how Satan attacks the church by turning the various parts against themselves (the people of the church against themselves).  This can happen as churches argue about their differences, instead of focusing on the areas they agree…or as church members allow their differences to keep them from working together towards the greater good.  When we become legalistic and stuck in our ways of believing “this is how it should be,” we lose the opportunity to see how it could be.

Life Application

There’s a saying, “check yourself before you wreck yourself.”  I believe it originated in the hip-hop world and I’m sure it’s tied to lyrics in a song marked “explicit.”  [So I’m not suggesting you google it.]  However, source aside, there is wisdom to the advice (if you will) that could be applied here.  

 

It is important as we seek to become more like God and to better know the [biblical] truth, that we check ourselves.  How am I doing on keeping the commandments?  Am I bending them to my will?  Or am I bending my will to be in alignment with God’s standard?  Am I being too legalistic and, thereby, potentially pushing people away?  Or maybe losing the “love connection” with God as I seek to strictly adhere to the rules?  Am I staying accountable? 

They say what gets measured, improves.  So, I challenge you (and I say this as much to you as I do to myself) to ask yourself these questions…then go to work at measuring and noting your progress.God, I thank you that you do not call me to rules, but to relationship.  I thank you that you love me enough to have given me healthy boundaries and guidelines to live withing…AND an incredibly Christ-following family to help keep me accountable.  Lord, I pray that I would honor you in the way that I follow your commandments and that I would do so in a way that brings others closer to you as well.  In your name I pray, Amen.

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- ReiAs  side note.  The first couple times I read through this, the verse(s) that stuck out most were v. 13 & 14. ¹³ Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.It reminded me that sometimes people just have their own agendas and, even as we do good, they may not.  May we remember that we serve a God with the power to “hold [our] head up.”  The world may not always accept us, but that should never be our end game.