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.

Matthew 27:57-66 Jesus Is Buried

Here is one of the greatest stories that prove the reality of Jesus' life, ministry, and resurrection. Joseph of Arimathea requests the body of Jesus from Pilate and it is given to him. Here is a rich man who was also a disciple. Rich people can become true disciples. It is not easy, but not impossible. He was also a member of the Council (Sanhedrin) and did not agree to go against Jesus. It is also possible to work in high places as a believer. He wraps the body in a linen shroud and places it in his new tomb cut out from the rock and rolls a great stone over it to fulfill the Scriptures that he would be buried in a rich man's tomb.

It was Jewish custom to bury their dead before the Sabbath. Jesus died on the day of Preparation and the Sabbath would start at sundown that day. It was imperative to act quickly to remove the body. This may have been the reason Pilate granted the body to Joseph. Come the next day, the Pharisees want to ensure that Jesus' body is not stolen by his disciples to claim his resurrection. They had heard Jesus teach on his death and resurrection on the third day and they wanted to avoid a "fraud." The opinion of the Pharisees and chief priests has not changed about Jesus; they still believe he is an "impostor." They get Pilate to order the sealing and securing of the tomb.

The world will go to great lengths to suppress the Gospel. They hate so much the truth of the kingdom of God that they are willing to do anything to see it squelched and fail. They will lie, bribe, and manipulate whomever they can in order to put a stop to it. Unfortunately for them, the will of the Lord is fulfilled according to the Scriptures. The plans of the Lord cannot be thwarted. Woe to the ones who stand in his way. 

Where are the disciples? There is a mention of the women, but the disciples are not mentioned at all. They were terrified and hid themselves not knowing what to do next. Not understanding the meaning of his death. Probably doubting that any resurrection would take place, though Jesus had been teaching it for quite some time. Will I shrink in my faith when things get difficult? Will I hide when things look grim?

Lord, help me believe in your Word no matter what is going on in the world. Fill me with the expectation of the fulfillment of your promises. Grant me strength in the midst of opposition.

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

The sabbath is a holy convocation of God's people every seventh day. No work is to be performed on this day. The purpose of the sabbath day is to find rest in God - not just physically, but also spiritually. The sabbath day is a sign. A sign is an event that points to a reality. The sabbath day points to the reality that God is Creator of all things and he is the one who sustains all things - not our work. When we observe it, we worship our God as Creator and Sustainer of the universe and find rest for our lives in him. The sabbath day also points to the reality that we are God's people, sanctified and holy (separated from the world and consecrated to him). For these reasons, God made it law. It is the fourth commandment.

Unfortunately, the law that was intended to give us rest has been twisted to burden us. The law that was given to serve was turned upside down to enslave. The Pharisees were experts on this. Instead of looking at the sabbath as a gift and an opportunity to worship, they turned it into a long list of rules and regulations that burdened God's people. On this occasion, the Pharisees accuse the Lord and his disciples of working on the sabbath as they plucked grain from a grain field to eat. The owners of grain fields, according to the law, would leave some of their harvest available for the poor and the widows to pluck so they could survive - they were not stealing!

Jesus cites two cases in the Old Testament that are precedents for an exception. David and his soldiers ate the bread of the presence from the temple on a sabbath. This bread was an offering to the Lord. The other case is the exercise of the priesthood which demands duties to be performed on the sabbath in service to God's people. Both cases were sanctioned by God. Jesus explains that he is lord of the sabbath. He established his authority and identity as the Son of God by sanctioning the feeding of his disciples on the sabbath day.

Jesus points to a principle to help me judge what is God's will: "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." Mercy is to show love and compassion to those who deserve judgment and condemnation. Sacrifice summarizes the attitude of a heartless, insincere, and mechanical ritual devoid of love and compassion. The Pharisees offered sacrifice, but no mercy. I definitely want to live day by day by the principle of mercy.

One day a week is a prescription to maintain my physical and spiritual health. When I twist my prescription into a display of my personal performance, I neither rest nor worship. Lord, help me set aside the busyness of life one day a week to worship you and find my rest in you. Protect me from burnout and exhaustion to be efficient and effective in the work of my calling. Help me live by the principle of mercy and even use the sabbath day to extend mercy to those around me when required.