Matthew 12:1-8 Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

The sabbath or day of rest, was instituted at Creation by our God. He created in six days and rested on the seventh. It is this reasoning that is used to justify a day of rest in the Law (Ex.20:11) for God’s creatures. Unfortunately, such a precious gift from our Creator was taken and misused in such a way that it no longer served the needs of the people. Instead, it became a furious master enslaving those it was supposed to serve. Many rules and regulations were developed later to define what it meant to “work.” Jesus’ disciples were hungry and plucked some heads of grain to eat. The Pharisees protested that they were doing something unlawful on the sabbath. What did they do wrong? The Law made provision for the poor by requiring field owners not to harvest their fields all the way to the edge but to leave the edges for those in need (Lev.23:22). It allowed the hungry person to pluck grain and eat from his neighbor’s field (Deut.23:25). The hungry person was not allowed to steal, but to satisfy his hunger. It was not the picking of grain from your neighbor that was unlawful. But according to the Pharisees, it was the picking of grain itself that was unlawful because it was “work.”

Jesus cites two cases from the Old Testament to explain why what his disciples have done is acceptable. The first case is David and his men ate of the Bread of the Presence (1Sam.21). After David was anointed king, Saul persecuted him to try to kill him. While fleeing from Saul, David came to Ahimelec the priest and asked for food. Ahimelec offered the bread of the Presence that was meant as an offering to the Lord and to be eaten by the priests only in a holy place. An exception was made for David and his men because he was the anointed king of Israel and had kept himself from women (ceremonially clean). The second case Jesus cites is the priests themselves working in the temple on the sabbath day. The priests are an exception because they are called to work on the sabbath day with God’s approval. Jesus explicitly states: “something greater than the temple is here,” but he is implying much more: he is not only greater than David, but he is greater than the priesthood. He is in fact the Lord of the Sabbath.

In the days of Hosea (6:6) and Micah (6:6-8), the people of Israel were indicted by the prophets for performing flawless rituals with rotten hearts. God stated to the people that he was not interested in such performances by using the phrase “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” The Pharisees were guilty of the same sin and condemned quickly Jesus and his disciple’s actions. Mercy is readiness to help those who are in need. And Scripture makes compassion the force that moves the doing of mercy (Luke 10:30-37). Am I so wrapped up in the performance of rituals (i.e going to church, fasting, praying, etc) that I can’t see the need of my neighbor? Worse, am I so busy performing what I think is expected of me that I don’t have time to do mercy? Even worse, am I so comfortable in the performance of my duties that I refuse to be moved by compassion into doing mercy missing out on the presence of the Lord himself right before me? To follow Jesus is to submit to his Lordship my whole life by learning to prefer mercy over sacrifice.

Jesus, I surrender all my life to you. Help me see you as the Lord of my whole life. Rescue me from vain rituals and performances that leave compassion and mercy outside. Teach me to love mercy over sacrifice.

Acts 7:1-53 Stephen's Speech

Stephens’ Speech is an indictment against Israel and its leaders. He calls them stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, always resisting the Holy Spirit, following in the footsteps of their fathers. He summarizes the history of the nation to point out how they have rebelled against God throughout all that time and continue to do so still.

Stephen recaps Abraham’s call and covenant with God highlighting the promises of land and a people. The rebellion of the patriarchs began in Joseph’s days. They were jealous of Joseph and disregarded his dreams selling him as a slave, but God was with him. After the mighty rescue of Jacob and his household by the hand of Joseph, they were enslaved in Egypt for 400 years.

God then raised Moses to liberate his people from slavery, but the Israelites also rebelled against him on several occasions. Stephen points out that Moses tried to intervene in a dispute between an Egyptian and an Israelite killing the Egyptian, but they “thrust him aside” not understanding that God was giving them salvation by his hand. Moses fled and God called him again from a bush and sent him back to Egypt. Still, the people rejected his leadership and committed idolatry turning back to Egypt in their own hearts after experiencing signs and wonders by his hand. It was Moses who prophesied that God would raise a Prophet from among them, referring to Jesus Christ.

Stephen continues his historical tracing of Israel’s steps pointing out that Joshua brought the people into the promised land carrying the ark of the presence as God drove the nations before them until the days of David and Solomon who built a temple for God, despite the fact that he does not dwell in buildings. But after that, prophet after prophet, had been killed for announcing the coming of the Righteous One, whom they betrayed and murdered - referring to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. They had been given the law and they did not keep it!

Again, I admire Stephen for knowing his history well. He also knows his theology well. He understands the fulfillment of God’s purposes throughout time and is able to point that out to his people. His message is Christ-centered, though an indictment against his people. He does not miss out on the fact that Christ is the One they were expecting since Abraham’s days.

How many times have I rebelled against my God if I were to review my own personal history? How many times have I acted as a stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ears person resisting the Holy Spirit? When I read the story of Israel it is as if I am reading the story of my own rebellion against God.

Father, circumcise my heart and ears so that I may stop resisting your Holy Spirit. May I obey you in all your ways. May Christ be the center of my whole life today and forevermore. Amen.