Lord of the Sabbath

Matthew 12:1-21

Immanuel – 6/30/24

Our passage begins with the words, “At that time.” At what time? Sometime shortly after the events of chapter 11. Though it is true that Matthew does not arrange this book chronologically, there are chronological arrangements. Chapter 11 through our passage today is one such chronological arrangement.

So, to be sure we understand what Matthew is driving at, let’s take a moment to refresh our memories.

First there were the disciples of John the Baptist. John was in prison, hearing about all the miraculous things that Jesus was doing. Still, John remained in prison. If Jesus truly was the Messiah, why hasn’t He begun taking steps to overthrow Israel’s oppressors and perhaps spring him from his cell? Doubts had visited John in his prison cell.

But Jesus assured John that He is the Messiah. Then, Jesus said words that touched off the series of events we find ourselves in today, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me (11:6). “

After John’s doubt, Jesus rebuked that generation of Jews for their unbelief. Doubt and unbelief are very different things. Jesus denounces the Jewish cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. These cities had seen the works of the Messiah and refused to repent.

At that time, Jesus called the weary and the heavy laden to Himself, offering rest for their souls.

Read 11:28-30

We camped out for two weeks on those precious words.

But there you see a whole series of responses to Jesus’ Messiahship: doubt, unbelief and unrepentance, and today we see offense – offense regarding rest. Remember, Jesus said, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” The ones that are the most offended by Jesus are the ones that are the most religious.

Read vs 1-2

Jesus had concluded speaking to the crowds the day before or earlier on this same day. Either way, it is now Sabbath; and like a faithful Jew, Jesus plans to go to synagogue. Taking His disciples with Him, they evidently have a relatively short walk. We know the walk was short because tradition prohibited walking more than half a mile on Sabbath – something that religious leaders would never do. And it appears that along this short walk, they bump into a group of Pharisees. It seems they are also walking to synagogue.

It's after this point that Jesus’ disciples meander from the road and begin to pluck heads of grain to eat. I imagine that since they began following Jesus, they have grown accustomed to eating in such a way. According to the Law of God, farmers were required to allow the poor and hungry to eat from the corners of their fields (Leviticus 23:22).

The Pharisees see this, and they pounce!

Rabbinic Law – which means religious traditions based off of God’s law but not God’s law – had agreed upon 39 prohibited activities during Sabbath. Here they all are: carrying, burning, extinguishing, finishing, writing, erasing, cooking, washing, sewing, tearing, knotting, untying, shaping, plowing, planting, reaping, harvesting, threshing, winnowing, selecting, sifting, grinding, kneading, combing, spinning, dyeing, chain-stitching, warping, weaving, unraveling, building, demolishing, trapping, shearing, slaughtering, skinning, tanning, smoothing, and marking.

By plucking heads of grain the disciples were reaping. They would roll the grain in their hands to get out the seeds: threshing. Then they would blow the fibers out of their hand while keeping the seeds: winnowing. This whole act, for the purpose of eating, was both harvesting and preparing a meal (which fell under cooking). The disciples were participating in at least five forbidden activities during Sabbath. The Pharisees couldn’t overlook such obvious and brazen guilt.

And since Jesus is their Rabbi/Teacher, they raise the accusation, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”

Read vs 3-4

It was June 18th, last year that we studied the exact story Jesus is talking about here. David, and a small band of loyal soldiers, were on the run from Saul. They were hungry. David went to the tabernacle for other reasons, but while he was there he also sought food for him and his men.

Every Sabbath, the priests placed freshly baked “show bread” in the tabernacle as an offering to the Lord. Then, later in the day, only the priests were allowed to eat the bread. But, because David and his men were starving, the high priest, Ahimelech, allowed David to eat this bread. It is critical to remember why Ahimelech allowed David and his men to do this: Ahimelech knew David was anointed by God to be king. Though it was not lawful for others to eat the show bread, it was because of who David was, and the mercy to feed his hungry men, that it was lawful for him to eat the bread.

And yes, of course the Pharisees had read this story. They knew it well.

Jesus brings up this example because He has an even greater identity than that of Israel’s greatest king. David was God’s anointed to rule Israel. Jesus is God’s anointed to rule over all the earth. Indeed, Messiah means ‘Anointed One.’ If the Pharisees understood who it was that they were talking to, and that Jesus was allowing His disciples to eat, they would never levy accusations.

Then Jesus brings up another point about how what is unlawful for everyone else is lawful for some.

Read vs 5-6

We saw in the list of 39 activities that slaughtering, carrying, and burning were all forbidden activities. But to carry out the Sabbath sacrifices, which the law required (Numbers 28:9-10), the priests had to engage in at least these three activities; and it was lawful. They were leading the people in worship and they were guiltless.

So it was for anyone who performed temple duties on the Sabbath. But something greater than Jerusalem’s temple had come: a new and living temple.

As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house… “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

-1 Peter 2:4-5,7

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ…Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. -1 Corinthians 3:11,16-17

Jesus is the chief cornerstone of the new and living temple. Everyone who repents and believes in Him is a living stone, built upon Christ. No longer would God dwell in a house made by human hands, but He would dwell in human hearts: the Spirit of Christ dwelling in our hearts.

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. -Romans 8:8-11

I point to this passage because here we can clearly see that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit have taken up residence in human hearts when people come to Jesus Christ in faith.

Oh yes, something greater than the temple is here! This is the hope of the Old Testament. This is the promised new covenant. This is the arrival of the kingdom of God.

And in the kingdom of God, there is a priesthood of all believers; meaning everyone whose heart is filled with the Spirit of Christ becomes a priest unto God. Thus, these priests of the kingdom of God may pluck and eat from the field and remain blameless, just as the priests of the temple may make sacrifices and remain blameless: because it’s not about the sacrifices, it’s about the mercy.

Read vs 7-8

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. He both determines what rest is and knows who is resting. And how does He do this? By offering rest for the soul and by knowing who comes to Him to find it.

Read Matthew 11:28-30

Only the Lord of the Sabbath can offer true soul rest! When Jesus calls Himself the Lord of the Sabbath, it is another divine claim. The one who created the Sabbath is also the one who created the world – and on the seventh day He rested. Once more, we see Jesus equating Himself with God.

As God, Jesus perfectly knows the will of God: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. This is the second time Jesus has quoted Hosea 6:6 to the Pharisees. The last time was back in 9:13, when the Pharisees were scoffing at Jesus for hanging out with tax collectors and sinners.

Jesus is not after sacrifices for the sake of sacrifices. God is not pleased by the sacrifices you make on Sabbath, whether animal sacrifices or the activities you sacrifice. You will not gain His favor by offering Him money, or giving up drinking, or reading the Bible for hours on end, or coming to every church activity. Your works and your sacrifices will not impress God.

What He desires is mercy, a heart that is tender like His gentle and lowly heart. And as we read in the Beatitudes,

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” -Matthew 5:7

The merciful are merciful precisely because they understand that they have received mercy from God. Before God we are broken and sinful, festering with selfishness and pride, unable to help ourselves. It is only by mercy that God would overlook our depravity. The merciful know they have received such mercy. The merciful have heeded Christ’s call and found rest for their souls in His mercy. And because they have received mercy, the merciful understand how important it is to give mercy.

If you are sacrificing as a person who has received mercy, rather than someone who is earning God’s favor, then your sacrifices are acceptable to God. So sacrifice your activities, give of your finances, read your Bible, come to church; for such things are being done in humble obedience and not favor-seeking achievement.

Again, the arguments Jesus has presented to the Pharisees work in the following ways. Jesus has a greater identity than David, and thus it is lawful for Him to show mercy to his hungry men even on the Sabbath. Jesus has initiated something greater than the temple, thus anyone who believes in Jesus is a priest unto God. So long as they are living worshipfully, they may do as they please.

The disciples have eaten. Jesus has masterfully used Scripture to defend them. He has called them blameless. He has equated Himself with Yahweh. The Pharisees are furious. They have more than taken offense. The words of Christ should echo in your mind: “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Read vs 9-10

Notice how verse 9 says that Jesus entered their synagogue. All of the events from chapter 11 until now have been happening somewhere along the northwest shore of Galilee – in the area of His home base. That means the synagogue He has entered in chapter 12 is a local synagogue, just as much His synagogue as anyone else’s. But by calling it their synagogue, Matthew is highlighting a rift that is about to grow into a chasm.

Up until this point, the Pharisees opposition to Jesus has been incidental (observing the disciples violating the Sabbath). Now they intentionally and overtly oppose Christ. Now they are looking for ways to condemn Him. Now they are setting traps.

All of them are inside the synagogue now, and so also a man with a cripple hand. The Pharisees are well aware that Jesus can heal, and that He heals prolifically. Here is a man with a withered hand, why would Jesus not heal?

Even though healing was not one of the 39 prohibited Sabbath acts, the religious leaders had a tradition that healing (like a doctor might engage in) was prohibited except in the case of a life-threatening situation. A withered hand, inconvenient as it was, was not a life-threatening situation. According to the Pharisaic, legalistic mind, these religious leaders had Jesus in a corner.

Read vs 11-12

In the grain field, Jesus rebutted the Pharisees accusations on the basis of Israel’s history, hope, and law. Now He rebuts the Pharisees on the basis of common sense. The Law did tell the Jews to help protect their neighbor’s assets – like if a donkey fell into a well; but it didn’t say anything about doing such a thing on the Sabbath. But common sense would dictate that helping livestock in crisis was a noble and acceptable thing to do, no matter what day it was.

Everyone in the synagogue who heard Jesus’s rhetorical question would have been nodding along – of course they would help their fallen sheep!

And if they would help a sheep – in a life-threatening situation – how much more does a person deserve help? The man with a withered hand might not be in a life-threatening situation, but he is so much more valuable than an animal. Jesus saw no reason why this man should suffer for one moment more. Mercy before sacrifice.

Read vs 13-14

Jesus commanded the man to do what he could not do: stretch out his hand. But because Jesus issued the command, what was once withered and crippled is stretched out in perfect shape and strength. There could be a whole sermon on that one truth: When Jesus commands people to do what they cannot do, it is joyfully accomplished. But that will have to wait for another time.

The man is healed, and His healing is all the more pronounced because of the attention that the Pharisees drew to the situation. And being that this is a local synagogue with local people, the whole congregation likely knew this man and celebrated his miraculous healing.

And being that this was a local synagogue with local people and Jesus was one of the locals, I wonder if Jesus encountered this man before in the synagogue. And if so, that means Jesus chose not to heal him before, though the man would have been anxious to be healed much earlier. But Jesus was waiting for the right moment, a moment that would echo through the ages, a moment that was the first step towards the cross. For immediately afterwards, the Pharisees begin to plot how they might destroy Jesus.

Of course, I speculate about Jesus knowing the man. But perhaps there is an application for someone in that observation. Jesus may wait because He has a bigger plan that is far better than our short-sighted desires, and that bigger plan might first traverse some difficult terrain.

Read vs 15-16

Crowds of people followed Jesus, and He healed them all. The people were with Jesus. But notice verse 14 again, the Pharisees left the synagogue. In verse 9 Matthew had called it their synagogue. But it is almost like Matthew is subtly suggesting that after the man’s withered hand was healed, the synagogue got flipped: from the Pharisees to Jesus. Now many, presumably from that same synagogue, are all following Him.

Jesus only withdrew from the synagogue because there is now a murderous intent against Him. Jesus does not want open conflict. Now is not the time for confrontation. He orders His followers not to make Him known.

When the time comes for a show down in Jerusalem, Jesus will not hold back. But even there, Jesus does not seek attention and He is not looking to grab power from those who hold it. He is fighting for truth and mercy and rest for His people.

Always, Jesus prefers to operate on the edges. He wants no celebrity. It is just as was prophesied.

Read vs 17-21

Matthew is quoting from Isaiah 42:1-4. Words of this prophesy have already been spoken over Jesus; when the Father spoke over His Son, still wet from baptism:

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” -Matthew 3:17

This beloved Son will bring justice to the Gentiles. Already we see the Jewish establishment beginning to reject Jesus. But it is by their rejection, and the cross they will bloody, that the Gentiles will receive the greatest news ever to break upon the earth.

God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…For while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son (Romans 5:8,10).

We Gentiles, of Immanuel Baptist Church, have heard this good news and we have come to Christ! In His name we Gentiles have found our hope! The prophecy is fulfilled, and it is being fulfilled!

In verse 20 the prophecy talks about a bruised reed and a smoldering wick. Reeds were used as measuring rods, or flutes, or writing instruments, or a whole host of over things; and reeds grew by the millions along the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan and other waterways. If a single reed became bruised and lost its straightness, the reed was worthless. Naturally, you would throw away the bruised reed and get a better one to work with.

A wick was made from flax. Flax was cheap and abundant. If a flax wick wasn’t functioning properly, and smoldered instead of burned, it was a nuisance. It didn’t give proper light and it filled the air with unpleasant smoke. It could be fixed, but that was tedious work requiring much patience. It was far easier to snuff out the smoldering wick and replace it with a better one.

But Jesus does not take the easier road. He does not do what everyone else would naturally do. If you are in Christ, Jesus will never throw you away. He will never leave you nor forsake you! He is filled with endless reservoirs of patience and care. He loves to give light where there is darkness. He loves to heal the bruised and battered. He loves to lift our heavy burdens and give rest to our weary, smoldering hearts. For He is gentle and lowly of heart.

The Pharisees created 39 prohibitions during Sabbath. Each forbidden activity was a larger category for hundreds and hundreds of lesser forbidden activities. They were exacting. The amount of work it took to make sure you were resting was exhausting. Their demanding lists of rules and traditions created very heavy burdens for the people. Who could lift such punishing weights?

That’s what legalism does. That’s what sacrifice, for sacrifice’s sake, creates. Exhaustion. Heavy Burdens. When we make ourselves the morality police; when we insist that people meet the demands of our expectations, we are like the Pharisees: foisting legalistic and heavy burdens on people’s backs.

When we would rather be right than merciful, that’s legalism. If we think we’re never doing enough for God, that’s legalism. If we more quickly judge rather than seek to understand what a person is going through, that is legalism. If we give a lot of advice and rarely take it ourselves, that’s the effect of legalism. If we quietly enjoy when people get what they deserve, that’s legalism.

Listen again, priesthood of believers, to the words of Jesus:

“I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.”

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

“For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

“Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”