March 13: Lord of the Sabbath

Jesus Eats with Sinners at Levi’s House

Mark 2:13-17

Matthew 9:9-13

Luke 5:27-32

Jesus Is Questioned about Fasting

Mark 2:18-22

Matthew 9:14-17

Luke 5:33-39

The Disciples Pick Grain on the Sabbath

Mark 2:23-28

Matthew 12:1-8

Luke 6:1-5

Jesus Heals a Man’s Hand on the Sabbath

Mark 3:1-6

Matthew 12:9-14

Luke 6:6-11

Large Crowds Follow Jesus

Mark 3:7-12

Matthew 12:15-21

Today’s reading contains the first of many incidents where Jesus heals on the Sabbath. The Pharisees always became furious with Jesus when he healed on the Sabbath, since healing someone would have been considered work and working on the Sabbath was forbidden.

The three Synoptic Gospels all record this particular healing with slight variation, but Matthew’s account offers an interesting perspective. It is there where Jesus asks the Pharisees, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!” (Matthew 12:11-12a)

Tomorrow, we will read where Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to destroy them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17) We can’t fully appreciate what Jesus is saying here without understanding that the words destroy and fulfill have different meaning in this context than what one might think. When a Rabbi was said to have fulfilled the law, it meant that he was properly applying the law in a particular instance. If the Rabbi was accused of destroying the law, he was improperly applying the law. Jesus was claiming in this Matthew 5 passage that he came so that he could properly apply the law.

With that in mind, consider again Jesus’ words in our Matthew 12 passage. Jesus is properly applying the law when he compares a person to a sheep. If it is lawful to save a sheep on the Sabbath who is in danger, then of course it is lawful to heal a person on the Sabbath who needs healing. The final word on this can be found in Jesus’ words in the last part of verse 12: “Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

How does this relate to FULLER LIFE? It would be a fair assumption to make that the man with the shriveled hand had no idea that Jesus would heal him in the synagogue on the Sabbath with hostile Pharisees watching him so closely. But Jesus did it anyway, and with sound reasoning! Don’t underestimate our God! Don’t assume that he can only work through obvious channels or with limitations placed on him by this world or the enemy. Remember his words in Matthew 12:8, “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” And he is Lord of your life as well!