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Matthew Chapter 12 Sabbath Controversy

by Paul George  
7/10/2008 / Bible Studies

Matthew 12:1-14

The Law of Moses allowed anyone walking through a grain field to pick the grain for his own needs if he was hungry. The picking of the grain was not considered reaping and harvesting. Therefore, the disciples were within their rights in what they were doing. What we have in this incident is the interpretation of the Law by the Elders that contradicted the intent of the Law.

The question is not whether the disciples should observe the Sabbath. The question is, can what they were doing be interpreted as work. If what they were doing can be interpreted as work, they are breaking the Law and deserve the punishment for not only breaking the Law but a failure to observe the Sabbath.

Note Jesus' response to the charge against the disciples made by the Pharisees, "Haven't you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless? But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless'" (Matthew 12:3-7 WEB).

In the first question Jesus is referring to an incident recorded in First Samuel chapter twenty-one verses one through nine, when David persuaded the High Priest of the day to let him and his men have the old showbread which had been taken from the Table of Showbread in the Tabernacle and could be eaten only by the priests. Although it was not lawful for David and his men to eat the showbread, no one, not even the scribes spoke out against what David did because he was performing a service for the king. The argument why the priests are not charged with breaking the Law is they are doing a service for the Lord.

Note what Jesus tells the Pharisees in verse six, "But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here" (WEB). Jesus is speaking from a position of authority. His words are carefully chosen; He did not say that He was the One who was greater than the temple. He left it to be implied. But again the claim is clearly indicated. He is indicating that He is greater than the temple, that His importance outranks the importance of the temple; therefore He has the right to interpret the Law as it applies to His followers. He has more right to interpret the Law than any other living person. For centuries the temple has represented God on earth. But now Jesus is the primary means God will use to reveal Himself, His plan of salvation and the course of history.

Jesus closes the discourse with the Pharisees with a statement that would wound their pride, "But if you had known what this means" implies there is something lacking in their knowledge concerning God. He quotes Hosea chapter six verse six, this was God's reply to Israel's attempts at self-reformation; they were like the morning clouds that move across the heavens and the dew that fades away after the rising of the sun.

If the Pharisees had known what God desires they would have recognized that God desires compassion and would have allowed the hungry to gather for their own need on the Sabbath. They would not have condemned those who in fact had done no wrong. It is a reminder that when we read the Scriptures we have a tendency to see what we want to see. The Pharisees saw disobedience. Jesus did not consider what the disciples did as disobedience. He saw what the disciples did was what they had the right to do.

Jesus points out a fact that we need to keep in mind when we witness an act by someone that does not fit into our viewpoint of what is right and wrong. This does not mean we are to overlook any act that transgresses the Law of God. Even if we see someone transgress the Law of God we are not to deal with them in the way the Pharisees were dealing with the disciples. We are to do is deal with them in a compassionate way. We are to explain the Word of God rather than use it as a baseball bat to beat their head.

What right did Jesus have to say these things to the Pharisees; He is the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is made for humanity; the Lord of humanity is the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is subject to Him; He is not subject to the Sabbath.

Departing from the Pharisees Jesus enters the synagogue. In the synagogue was a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus ""Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?" The Pharisees did not ask Jesus if it was lawfully to heal on the Sabbath for the purpose of knowing what Jesus' opinion about healing on the Sabbath was, they asked if it was legal to heal on the Sabbath so that they might accuse Him of contradicting the fourth commandment. Jesus asked, "What man is there among you, who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won't he grab on to it, and lift it out." Jesus did not wait for an answer because He knew there was not one man in the synagogue that would not lift his fallen sheep out of a pit.

Then, Jesus asked "Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?" Note what Jesus is doing. He was telling the Pharisees they were putting more value on a sheep than on a man when they charged the disciples with breaking the Sabbath when they picked some grain to satisfy their hunger. If a sheep has value and a man has more value than a sheep it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day and He told the man "Stretch out your hand. He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other."

What is the lesson in the healing of the man with the withered hand? Doing good on the Sabbath should not be neglected for fear of offending. There are many ways of doing good on the Sabbath, such as worship, attending the sick, relieving the poor, helping those who are fallen into a dangerous situation. Doing good on the Sabbath must be done from a principle of love and charity, with humility and self-denial.

A second lesson is found in the man's response to Jesus telling him to stretch out your hand. Through his own effort, this man could not stretch forth his withered hand any more than the impotent man could arise and carry his bed, or Lazarus come out of his grave; yet Jesus told him to stretch out your hand and when he obeyed Jesus command his hand was healed. When the Lord commands us to do something we think is impossible because of our situation, just as it was in the case of the man with the withered hand there is the promise of grace that if we obey we can do whatever the Lord commands us to do.

A third lesson is we must not deny ourselves the satisfaction that comes from serving the Lord because it may offend someone. We must follow Jesus' example, rather than send this poor man away uncured, He exposed Himself to the wrath of the Pharisees.

This miracle, as other miracles of Jesus has a spiritual significance. By nature our hands are withered, we are unable of ourselves to do any thing that is good. It is only, by the power of God's grace, that cures us; He heals the withered hand by putting life into the dead soul, works in us both to will and to do. He commands us to "stretch forth our hands." We stretch them out in prayer to God. We stretch them out to lay hold on Christ by faith. We stretch them out in holy endeavors. Though our hands are withered, and we cannot of ourselves stretch them out, we must attempt it. We must lift them up to God in prayer, lay hold on Christ and eternal life, and employ them in good works. Though our hands be withered, if we will not stretch them out it is our own fault that we are not healed; but if we do, and are healed, Christ and His power and grace must have all the glory.

Retired pastor,Church of the Nazarene

Author of web site Exploring God's Word

www.thewordofgodonline.net

New American Standard Bible

King James Version

The World English Bible

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