Post by foxjj on Feb 5, 2024 8:25:16 GMT
Matthew 12:1-28. (NIV)
The Sabbath Law was very strict, forbidding any “servile work”. Over the years the rules had been interpreted very strictly, thereby expanding on the original Sabbath instructions found in Exodus 20:8-10: “8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.” In Matthew chapter 12 we see Jesus challenge the strict interpretation of sabbath rules:
“1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.””
Deuteronomy 23:25 makes allowances for picking heads of grain: “If you enter your neighbor’s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain.” The objection of the Pharisees was not that the companions of Jesus ate the grain, it was the day on which they did it. In their eyes, the picking of grain and rubbing the heads between their heads to remove the chaff qualified as servile work, thereby braking the Sabbath. Pharisees were men who studied and interpreted the Law in a very strict manner. Known for their piety, they taught that God’s grace was only extended to those who strictly kept the Law. Their sect could be traced back to the early days of the Maccabees.
“3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.”
The incident regarding David of which Jesus referred is recorded in 1 Samuel chapter 21. For an understanding of the consecrated bread which is also known as showbred in the KJV, and the bread of Presence in the ESV, let us read Leviticus 24:5-9:
“5 “Take the finest flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf. 6 Arrange them in two stacks, six in each stack, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. 7 By each stack put some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be a food offering presented to the LORD. 8 This bread is to be set out before the LORD regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant. 9 It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in the sanctuary area, because it is a most holy part of their perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the LORD.””
Jesus then made a reference to the priestly duties required to be performed on the Sabbath. As examples, on special occasions double sacrifices were required, also the rules concerning the consecrated bread required servile work on the Sabbath. Parents were required to have baby boys circumcised on the eighth day which would sometimes fall on the Sabbath:
“5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?”
In Mark 2:27 Jesus explained: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
The strict unbending sabbath rules had taken away from God’s intention of a day of rest. To Jesus, the men accompanying Him had been travelling with Him and were hungry, consequently they did not break the Sabbath rules when they ate some heads of grain:
“6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.”
Micah 6: “8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”
Jesus then made this declaration:
“8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.””
Although the Pharisees may not have understood, we who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior know personally how He brings spiritual rest into our lives.
Following this exchange, Jesus went to the local synagogue as was His practice on the Sabbath:
“9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
The Pharisees had followed in the hope of finding fault in which they could bring charges against Jesus:
“11 He said to them, “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? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.”
Verse 14 shows the heart of these religious men who had witnessed the healing power of Yahweh before their very eyes, yet allowed spiritual blindness to rule their actions:
“15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. 16 He warned them not to tell others about him.”
The healing ministry of Jesus, was a witness to the people that He was fulfilling the prophecy concerning the ministry of Messiah, the servant of Yahweh:
“17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”
History has seen this prophecy fulfilled as people from all nations continue to put their eternal hope in The Lord Jesus.
“22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?””
The Son of David was one of the titles of the long awaited Messiah. The people recognized the miraculous healings of Jesus to be revealing Him as Messiah. This was contrary to the Pharisees:
“24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
Although the ministry of Jesus brought only good, the closed minds of the Pharisees could not recognize the hand of Yahweh. Jesus challenged them with logic:
“25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
Jesus clearly declared that The Kingdom of God was among them, evidenced by the working of The Spirit of God. People had been healed from leprosy, blindness, demonic possession even raised from death. What further evidence do these religious leaders need in order to recognize God’s Kingdom among them? What more does the world require before they believe that Jesus is Lord?
Today, let us give thanks to The Father for His Son.
John Joseph Fox.
The Sabbath Law was very strict, forbidding any “servile work”. Over the years the rules had been interpreted very strictly, thereby expanding on the original Sabbath instructions found in Exodus 20:8-10: “8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.” In Matthew chapter 12 we see Jesus challenge the strict interpretation of sabbath rules:
“1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.””
Deuteronomy 23:25 makes allowances for picking heads of grain: “If you enter your neighbor’s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain.” The objection of the Pharisees was not that the companions of Jesus ate the grain, it was the day on which they did it. In their eyes, the picking of grain and rubbing the heads between their heads to remove the chaff qualified as servile work, thereby braking the Sabbath. Pharisees were men who studied and interpreted the Law in a very strict manner. Known for their piety, they taught that God’s grace was only extended to those who strictly kept the Law. Their sect could be traced back to the early days of the Maccabees.
“3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.”
The incident regarding David of which Jesus referred is recorded in 1 Samuel chapter 21. For an understanding of the consecrated bread which is also known as showbred in the KJV, and the bread of Presence in the ESV, let us read Leviticus 24:5-9:
“5 “Take the finest flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf. 6 Arrange them in two stacks, six in each stack, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. 7 By each stack put some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be a food offering presented to the LORD. 8 This bread is to be set out before the LORD regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant. 9 It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in the sanctuary area, because it is a most holy part of their perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the LORD.””
Jesus then made a reference to the priestly duties required to be performed on the Sabbath. As examples, on special occasions double sacrifices were required, also the rules concerning the consecrated bread required servile work on the Sabbath. Parents were required to have baby boys circumcised on the eighth day which would sometimes fall on the Sabbath:
“5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?”
In Mark 2:27 Jesus explained: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
The strict unbending sabbath rules had taken away from God’s intention of a day of rest. To Jesus, the men accompanying Him had been travelling with Him and were hungry, consequently they did not break the Sabbath rules when they ate some heads of grain:
“6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.”
Micah 6: “8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”
Jesus then made this declaration:
“8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.””
Although the Pharisees may not have understood, we who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior know personally how He brings spiritual rest into our lives.
Following this exchange, Jesus went to the local synagogue as was His practice on the Sabbath:
“9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
The Pharisees had followed in the hope of finding fault in which they could bring charges against Jesus:
“11 He said to them, “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? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.”
Verse 14 shows the heart of these religious men who had witnessed the healing power of Yahweh before their very eyes, yet allowed spiritual blindness to rule their actions:
“15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. 16 He warned them not to tell others about him.”
The healing ministry of Jesus, was a witness to the people that He was fulfilling the prophecy concerning the ministry of Messiah, the servant of Yahweh:
“17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”
History has seen this prophecy fulfilled as people from all nations continue to put their eternal hope in The Lord Jesus.
“22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?””
The Son of David was one of the titles of the long awaited Messiah. The people recognized the miraculous healings of Jesus to be revealing Him as Messiah. This was contrary to the Pharisees:
“24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
Although the ministry of Jesus brought only good, the closed minds of the Pharisees could not recognize the hand of Yahweh. Jesus challenged them with logic:
“25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
Jesus clearly declared that The Kingdom of God was among them, evidenced by the working of The Spirit of God. People had been healed from leprosy, blindness, demonic possession even raised from death. What further evidence do these religious leaders need in order to recognize God’s Kingdom among them? What more does the world require before they believe that Jesus is Lord?
Today, let us give thanks to The Father for His Son.
John Joseph Fox.