Justice, Law, History
Serving a Just God
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)
Matthew 12:1-13 English Standard VersionJesus Is Lord of the Sabbath12 At that time, Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him:4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” A Man with a Withered Hand9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him.11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. For ReflectionThe hypocrisy of a rules-based faith is spotlighted in this story. The Pharisees were always ready to trip up Jesus. In this case, they attempted to enforce indefensible Sabbath rules maliciously. In accusing Jesus of violating Sabbath work restrictions, the Pharisees neglected to realize that they too violated the rules. The temple needed daily maintenance, fires built, the preparation of animals for sacrifice, and so forth.
Not only was the literal enforcement of the Sabbath laws hypocritical, it indicated that the Pharisees lifted sacrifice over mercy. These two elements, sacrifice, and mercy, are paradoxical and provide a dilemma. Adhering legalistically to the rule of law may garner as much ire as being merciful. Thus the moral choice is illuminated, and the false equivalency of the choices was pointed out. PrayPray and let the Holy Spirit guide your life. Pray to be able to act in love. Pray and realize that in Christ, the implementation of religious rules should always be tempered by compassion and mercy.
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