Caleb Walker

PowerPoint here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ljvbpsa84jdjurgl0ojgj/Matt-12.pptx?rlkey=i5kzmohn8rz317sh5dzyymtvr&st=sew6iqh7&dl=0

**All material Comes Directly from Lifeway Explore the Bible, minus personal anecdotes and illustrations and comments along the way**

Legalism and license stand at opposite poles of the same problem: hypocrisy. In the biblical context, legalism requires strict adherence to the letter of the Mosaic law and rabbinical traditions with little or no regard for God’s royal law of love (Jas. 2:8-9). At the other end of the spectrum, license uses opposition to legalism as an excuse for self-indulgence. Both reveal hypocrisy: the first because breaking one law means breaking them all (2:10) and the second because people simply want the freedom to sin without consequence.

Hypocrisy involves both being something you’re not and demanding of others what you excuse in yourself (Matt. 23:1-4). Not all Pharisees in Jesus’s day were hypocrites, and they weren’t the only hypocrites in Israel. But Jesus did condemn them for a hypocrisy that held others accountable to the law while ignoring their own responsibilities to God.

As you study Jesus’s encounter with the religious leaders in Matthew 12, examine your own heart for hypocritical attitudes. Confess those to God and consider sharing what you have learned with the adults in your Bible study. Encourage them to confess and reject legalism in their hearts as well.

We love freedom. Seldom do we like it when someone tells us what to do. And so we often chafe against rules that limit our freedom. Most people who live in an orderly society follow the rules willingly. Occasionally, though, we may hear of situations that demand a rule or regulation be set aside. When established rules become burdensome or unreasonable, we often become angry at the system. (PSG, p. 107)

What situation can you think of where laws and regulations were administered when mercy might have been a better approach?

1. Religious Rules (Matt. 12:1-2)

(v. 1) Confusing tradition for Scripture is not a new problem. First-century Pharisees made the same mistake. One example occurred as Jesus went through the grainfields. Walking through fields was not unusual. Roads were not as well-defined as they are today. People often followed paths through fields without harming the crops.

This incident occurred at that time, meaning after the preceding events. Some commentators reason that it was spring, perhaps following the Passover. Regardless of the season, Jesus’s disciples were hungry. Following accepted custom, they started to pluck heads of grain and to eat them. Rather than a full meal, the handfuls of grain were more like eating a snack on a short journey.

This activity was not considered stealing. It was a common practice of compassion and hospitality (Deut. 23:25). While using a sickle to harvest another person’s field would be a crime, taking a few handfuls of grain was permitted. While trespassing or stealing weren’t issues, the fact that it happened on the Sabbath raised questions in the minds of some.

(v. 2) The Pharisees must have been following Jesus since they saw it and confronted Him. Later verses suggest the group was on the way to the synagogue. Instead of preparing their hearts for Sabbath services, though, the Pharisees were judgmental. Jesus knew what was happening, but the religious leaders felt the need to call special attention to the “problem.” To them, the disciples were participating in an activity not lawful to do on the Sabbath.

Apparently, Jesus was not personally involved in taking or eating the grain. Still, the Pharisees attacked Him by condemning your disciples. They felt Jesus should have instructed them according to rabbinical traditions.

Instead of adhering to Scripture, the Pharisees tried to conform people’s activities to their own ideas of what was right and wrong. By “not lawful,” they did not mean it was breaking civil laws, but religious traditions.

The fourth commandment set apart the seventh day for rest, worship, and remembrance (Ex. 20:8-10; Lev. 23:1-3; Deut. 5:12-14). By not working on the Sabbath day, people honored God who rested from His creative work on the seventh day (Gen. 2:1-3). It also recalled how God brought His people out of the bondage of Egypt into a land of rest (Ex. 20:2; Deut. 5:15).

Mosaic law forbade harvesting or reaping on the Sabbath (Ex. 34:21), but rabbinical traditions listed another thirty-nine prohibitions that served as a “hedge of protection.” These man-made religious rules were not part of God’s commands. Instead, they reflected human application of the law. Although the disciples only plucked a little grain by hand, the Pharisees viewed this as a kind of harvesting and, as such, was contrary to their understanding of the law.

The Pharisees’ real problem was a critical spirit. Their external adherence to traditions showed a lack of appreciation for God’s written Word and an ignorance regarding His walking Word (John 1:1). Their attitude revealed a harsh spirit that was contrary to the Scripture they supposedly were defending.

We should avoid judging others based on their adherence to a religious tradition or practice. Believers should be kindhearted toward others as we follow God’s Word. While we must not violate our own consciences, we have to acknowledge that God is the ultimate Judge of what honors Him. Our ideas about righteousness only matter if they align with His Word.

Key Doctrine

The Lord’s Day

Activities on the Lord’s Day should be commensurate with the Christian’s conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. (See Mark 2:27-28; John 4:21-24.)

• Something Greater (Matt. 12:3-8)

(vv. 3-4) In answering the Pharisees’ attacks, Jesus relied on Scripture, reminding these Old Testament scholars about an incident from the life of David (1 Sam. 21:1-6). Before becoming king, David was hunted by a jealous Saul. On the run, David and his men had trouble finding food and, like Jesus’s disciples, got hungry. A short distance from Jerusalem, David came to Nob where the tabernacle was located.

At the house of God, David asked Ahimelech, the priest, for some bread. Only the bread of the Presence was available. This bread, set on a table in the Holy Place represented God’s presence among the twelve tribes of Israel. This bread was reserved for the priests (Lev. 24:5-9), so it was not lawful for David and his followers to eat it. Yet they ate it without consequence.

(vv. 5-6) Jesus also reminded the Pharisees that the very Law they were upholding allowed priests to profane the Sabbath. The wording includes the seventh day, as well as special days of rest observed during holy feasts. In their temple service, priests labored on these Sabbath days, but were not considered guilty.

Neither illustration specifically applied to the disciples’ situation, but Jesus was addressing a larger principle. The Pharisees had seen Jesus demonstrate His power. Now, He plainly told them something greater than the temple is here.

(v. 7) The Pharisees had condemned the guiltless disciples because, despite all their training, they did not comprehend the Scriptures. I desire mercy, and not sacrifice comes from Hosea 6:6 and was not a repudiation of the sacrificial system. Jesus’s death on the cross was the culmination of sacrificial atonement for which the temple sacrifices were but a picture (Heb. 9). But God considers mercy greater than sacrifices because mercy reflects His heart.

(v. 8) Jesus asserted that the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath. Jesus often referred to Himself by the messianic title “Son of Man.” As God the Son, He rules over all things, including the Sabbath. Mark’s Gospel helps by including Jesus’s saying, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). The disciples needed no excuse or forgiveness. Jesus declared them innocent (v. 7) because He best understood the Sabbath’s true purpose.

The Sabbath was a way for people to rest and worship God. But if our hearts are filled with His love, we will serve Him by serving others.

3. Compassionate Response (Matt. 12:9-14)

(v. 9) Jesus finished the discussion and headed to the synagogue. The pronoun their likely referred to the Pharisees. Jesus regularly attended Sabbath worship at whatever synagogue was nearby. He likely chose this place purposefully. He knew a need, an opportunity, and a challenge was ahead.

(v. 10) At the synagogue, Jesus saw a man with a withered hand. The man’s condition was not an immediate emergency, but Jesus embraced this opportunity to show the mercy He had been teaching. Meanwhile, the Pharisees were seeking a reason to accuse him. The Greek wording can suggest civil matters, but here it was another reference to religious law. Some writers suspect the Pharisees made sure the man was present so they could trap Jesus.

The leaders asked Jesus a loaded question: Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? His earlier teachings did not satisfy them. Like picking grain, they equated healing with work, which was prohibited on the Sabbath. If Jesus said, “Yes,” they could accuse Him of violating the law. If He said, “No,” they could question His mercy.

(v. 11) Jesus answered the question with a question. If an animal fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, would they take hold of it and lift it out? The implied answer was “yes,” so their silence was no surprise. He phrased the proposition in a way that proved they would violate their own Sabbath rules for livestock. The Pharisees wanted to put Jesus into a theological corner but found themselves trapped instead.

(v. 12) Jesus further revealed their hypocrisy by emphasizing that humans hold much more value than livestock. So, if it was acceptable to rescue an animal, God would not be offended by helping another human. When all is said and done, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. In his Gospel, Mark added that Jesus grew angry at the Pharisees’ manipulative hearts (Mark 3:5).

(v. 13) Having answered the question, Jesus commanded the man to stretch out your hand. The man may have felt uncomfortable being the center of attention, and obeying Jesus could have turned the Pharisees against Him. So, he had a choice to make.

The man chose to be healed. When he stretched it out, his hand was restored. When Jesus heals, He does so absolutely.

(v. 14) The Pharisees responded with murderous intent after they went out of the synagogue. Instead of praising God, they conspired against Jesus. Some commentators think the leaders only wanted to arrest Jesus. However, when used in regard to human beings, the Greek word for destroy indicates the taking of life. Their goal was no longer to embarrass Him or simply prove that He was wrong. He had threatened their authority and their way of life. As a result, they were convinced that He deserved to die.

We must seek to make our priorities and practices consistent with what God values most. The Lord’s love and mercy isn’t limited to days on a calender. Every moment is the right moment to be His hands and feet in the world. And if we truly love Him, we will desire to live accordingly.

CHALLENGE

Review:

Review these points from Apply the Text on page 116 of the Personal Study Guide:

• We should avoid judging others based on their adherence to a religious tradition or practice.
• We should give greater attention to the condition of our heart than to adherence to man-made rules.
• We must seek to make our priorities and practices consistent with what God values most.

Reflect:

Encourage a few volunteers to paraphrase these statements and to identify ways they can put them into practice each day.