Matthew
12 reminds me of Sundays while I was in college. My meal plan only
served food 6 days. I had no extra money, so often I did not eat on
Sunday. Fasting did not make me more righteous; in fact it probably
made me grouchy. In today’s chapter we see the delicate balance
between loving others, and following the Law. It begins, “Jesus
went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were
hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them“.
It is important to understand that this was the welfare system of
the day; the poor were permitted to pick the leftovers after harvest.
“When the Pharisees saw this,
they said to Him… ‘Your disciples are
doing what is unlawful on the
Sabbath’“. They referred to
the fourth commandment, “Remember
the Sabbath day by keeping it holy…
For in six days God created
the heavens and earth… but He rested on the seventh“.
We have to pause here to review; the Pharisees were the legalists
that believed the path to righteousness was through following the
letter of the law perfectly. Many today create a holy to-do list of
worthiness to prove that they are godlier than you. Friend, does
your list include loving others? Jesus gave meaning to the Law and
restored balance. In Mark 2:27, He explained, “The
Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath“.
This day He would demonstrate “the
Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath“.
He is Lord of Monday and Friday too!
Next,
“He went into their synagogue”
as was His custom. These Legalists were “Looking
for a reason to bring charges against Jesus“,
and they posed a question, “Is
it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
It is not wise to debate the law with its author. He asked them
about a sheep falling into a pit on the Sabbath, noting they would
rescue it. He punctured their understanding with “How
much more valuable is a person than a sheep!”
With that, He told the man, “Stretch
out your hand“, and it was
completely restored. How did they react? “The
Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus“.
Are your rituals making you grouchy?
Jesus
continued healing “all who were
ill” which frightened the
Pharisees. The crowds began to hope He was the promised Messiah,
“Could this be the Son of
David?” The Legalists began
to spread rumors claiming He was performing miracles by Beelzebul.
Jesus answered their thoughts, “Every
kingdom divided against itself will be ruined… it is by the Spirit
of God that I drive out demons… the kingdom of God has come upon
you“. Every act of
righteousness we add as a requirement for salvation diminishes the
cross of Christ. He is very clear, “Whoever
is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me
scatters“. There is no
neutral ground. He explains that every “tree
is recognized by its fruit“;
and our actions should be an outgrowth from the change inside-out.
“For the mouth speaks what the
heart is full of“. Do your
words and actions say the same thing? Finally they asked Jesus for a
sign to prove He is Messiah. He gave them a lesson from scripture
referencing Jonah, “the Son of
Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth“,
but He pointed out the hated people of Nineveh needed no sign! They
repented and believed and “will
stand up at the judgment“.
The chapter closes with someone interrupting Jesus to say, “Your
mom’s calling You”. He answered, “Who
is My mother, and who are My brothers?”
Many were probably asking Mary for special favors, but guys, there
are no VIP’s in heaven; you have to bring your requests directly to
the Savior. Are you putting any laws before people?