Daily Devotional For Wednesday, February 7, 2024

The next miracle Jesus does in Matthew is found in Matthew 12:9-14, “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. (14) But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, how to destroy Him” (ESV).

I pray you have not been overwhelmed by all the contextual background material I have been sharing that sets the stage for our healing passages. After being attacked by the Pharisees in our passage yesterday, Jesus immediately went to the lair of this “brood of vipers” (Matthew 12:34) called the synagogue. Jesus wasted no time. He wanted to teach these “experts in the Old Testament Law how God intended for us to live our lives on the Sabbath and how He is Lord over the Sabbath.

Now do not miss this. Jesus is intentional here. He knew prior to going into the synagogue what was going to happen. This is planned and nothing here catches Jesus off guard. The text says this in verses 9-10, “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” (ESV). Did you see it? The religious leaders know Jesus’ heart and compassion for those less fortunate and they see here the perfect opportunity to set a trap for Him. In Matthew 12:7, we saw yesterday, Jesus reminded them of one of God’s intention of the Sabbath — “And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless” (ESV).

One of the reasons God created the Sabbath is so we would show mercy and compassion to others as our sacrifice. Within minutes they have already forgotten or were ignoring His teaching about this. They see the perfect trap; Jesus sees the perfect truth to live out. And in their usual arrogant and boastful attitude they ask Jesus this question in verse 10b, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (ESV). And like vultures flying over a dying person, they were not looking for truth, but for a reason to accuse Him and attack Him. They want to find a way to dispose of this young rabbi rather than be discipled by Him.

Here is another point I don’t want you to miss here. The fact they asked Jesus this question showed that believed He had the power to do this healing. Jesus’ miraculous power was clearly undeniable. It was indisputable. They had seen Him heal lepers, heal Peter’s mother-in-law, raise a dead child to life, give hearing to the deaf and mute and cast out demons. But their approach to attack Jesus when He cast out demons was to accuse Him of this in Matthew 9:34, “But the Pharisees said, `He casts out demons by the prince of demons’” (ESV). This was their same accusation against Jesus in Matthew 12:24, “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons’” (ESV).

We saw Jesus’ rebuttal that shut them up in Matthew 12:25-29:

“Knowing their thoughts, He said to them, `Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. (26) And if satan casts out satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? (27) And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. (28) But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. (29) Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house” (ESV).

Jesus’ words need no explanation. You can follow Jesus’ logic and reasoning here and so could the Pharisees. This is why it shut them up and they had to try to come up with another game plan against Him. So, why did the Pharisees choose the man with the withered hand? Well, Jesus had refuted them with Old Testament Scripture that God allowed healing on the Sabbath especially if t was a life-or-death situation. A man with a withered hand is not in a life-or-death situation. If he was, then the Pharisees knew Jesus would be justified in healing him on the Sabbath and they would be forced to accept this healing.

Feeling their scowls, Jesus took this as an opportunity to teach these Jewish teachers another biblical principle. Jesus said this in verses 11-12, “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’” (ESV). For the religious leaders, rescuing a sheep from a pit on the Sabbath was permissible because it involved a financial or economic loss if you did not. Well, it always seems to come down to money doesn’t it with Pharisees, even "Pharisees" we have in churches today.  When godly people want to do something great for God, the “Pharisees” in the church raise the red flag of, “We can’t do that because we haven’t discussed it or voted on it?” Or, “How much money will this cost?” Instead of looking for a way to be used by God in faith, not sight, “Pharisees” show their real god — money and wealth. 

Jesus’ question to these Pharisees was rhetorical and hopefully we see it that way as well. The answer to it was obvious. If the Law allowed for a Jew to rescue a sheep from a pit on the Sabbath, surely God would allow one of His sheep — us — to be rescued on the Sabbath. Why? We are more important to God than sheep because we are the only ones created in God’s image. Well, this shut the Pharisees up again. They made no attempt to argue with Jesus because they know He knew was right. 

No Pharisee would have said that sheep were just as important or valuable as we God's "sheep," who are not created in God’s image. But as we see in the Gospels, the Pharisees always treated other people with less respect than they did their animals. Why? Because the Pharisees always love their traditions, rules, rituals, and regulations more than they love people. They chose to show contempt by forcing other Jews and people to be under the burden of their rules, rituals and regulations. Judaism was not the only religion that operated this way:

John MacArthur says:

"In Hinduism, “they show a total disregard for human welfare in the name of human welfare. A beggar is not given food because it would interfere with his karma and prevent him from suffering his way to the next highest level of existence. A fly is not killed because it is the reincarnation of some unfortunate human being of past ages. Rats are not killed for the same reason and are allowed to eat and contaminate food supplies without any interference. Cows are considered sacred and are given what food is available, while human beings are allowed to starve” (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 289).

In Jesus’ day, the religious leaders had a similar attitude. They showed more compassion to their animals , sheep, than they did for other Jews. In Mark’s Gospel, he tells us more of the question Jesus asked. Look at Mark 3:4, “And He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?' But they were silent” (ESV). Jesus was so intentional in countering legalism. If the Pharisees approved that it was good to save life and do good on the Sabbath, then they would have found themselves in a contradiction and hypocrisy. If not, they would appear to be advocating doing evil and killing. 

Don’t you love it? They tried to trap Jesus with their traditions but Jesus ultimately trapped them with the truth of Scripture. That is the best way to deal with any kind of Pharisee in the church — use Scripture. If they ignore it or disagree with it, they are calling God a liar. I can imagine by this time everyone was seeing and experiencing Jesus’ righteous anger. You can almost feel it in His question to them — “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath?”

We can almost see Jesus staring at the Pharisees when He said this to the man in verse 13a, “Stretch out your hand” (ESV). And look at what happened next in verse 13b, "And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other” (ESV). Anyone ready to do shout a “Praise the Lord” or do a little happy dance? Jesus proved that He not only approved of doing good on the Sabbath, He did it personally. Meaning — Jesus taught that the Sabbath was not the supreme day to rest. It was the supreme day to do good for the glory of God.

Do you think the Pharisees repented and saw God’s truth here. Oh, no. Look at Matthew 12:14,  “But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, how to destroy Him” (ESV). The Greek New Testament word translated here as “conspire” is [συμβούλιον, sumboulion] and it means “to intentionally plot against; to carry out a decision that has already been made.” So, now they are having secret meetings to figure out how to destroy Jesus. The Greek New Testament word translated as “destroyed” is [ἀπόλλυμι, apollumi] and it means “to put out of the way entirely, to ruin, to abolish, to exterminate.” Need I say more? 

Probably the only two reasons the Pharisees didn’t kill Jesus right there is because Roman law restricted them from inflicting capital punishment and second, they were probably fearful of the people’s reactions who were admiring and following Jesus. There is a phrase we have in our English vernacular, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” 

The Pharisees hated the Herodians. These were the Jews who loved King Herod, and who were worldly and irreligious, The Pharisees actually reached out to them in their plot. King Herod was half-Idumean and half-Jew. Look at Mark 3:6, “The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him” (ESV). 

The Herodians were just the opposite of the Pharisees in almost every way possible. This just shows how legalists will join forces with liberals and secularists to destroy a common enemy they considered more of a threat than their polar opposite. Legalism is always the opposite of grace and love. Legalism loathes grace, godliness and biblical truths. Legalism is a barrier to the Gospel and to salvation for others. 

This was the Apostle Paul’s issue with the Galatian church in Galatians 3:3, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (ESV). When any church’s traditions, legalism, rules, rituals, regulations, attitudes, and mindsets are a hindrance for the Gospel, then God needs to close the doors of that church. 

So, we see several things Jesus did for this man with a withered hand (William Barclay, The New Daily Study Bible Series, “Matthew,” Vol. 2, pp. 36-37).

1. First, Jesus gave him back his health. Jesus is vitally interested in people’s physical wellbeing . . . The cure of human bodies is just as much a God-given task as the cure of their souls.
2. Second, because Jesus gave him back his health, He also gave him back his work. Without work to do, many people feel incomplete, because it is in their work that they find satisfaction and discover a real sense of identity. Over the years, idleness can be harder than pain to bear; and, if there is work to do, even sorrow loses at least something of its bitterness. One of the greatest things that any human being can do for others is to give them work to do.
3. Third, Because Jesus gave this man back his health and his work, He gave him back his self-respect. We might well add a new beatitude: blessed are those who give us back our self-respect. We discover our own worth again when, on our two feet and with our own two hands, we can face life and, with independence, provide for our own needs and for the needs of those dependent on us.

“We have already said that this incident was a critical moment. At the end of it, the scribes and Pharisees began to plot the death of Jesus. In a sense, the highest compliment you can pay people is to persecute them. It shows that they are regarded not only as dangerous but also as effective. The action of the scribes and Pharisees is the measure of the power of Jesus Christ. True Christianity may be hated, but it can never be disregarded.”

Questions To Consider

1. Do you use your Sabbath as a day to do good to others for the glory of Jesus Christ? Why or why not?
2. Do you ever allow church money, budgets, traditions, programs, ministries and positions become a barrier for doing good and bringing people to Christ through the Gospel? Why or why not?
3. Do you ever make phone calls or send text messages or emails or meet in secret to build a team to join you to stop, oppose, or conspire against others in the church as the Pharisees began to meet with others to conspire against Jesus? If not, have you ever been asked to do this and if you were, how did you respond? 
4. How often you do you do what Jesus commands us to do in Matthew 18:15-17, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. (16) But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. (17) If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (ESV). Jesus point is going to anyone else first is a sin against both God and that person.
5. Chuck Swindoll, writing on this, ask several questions on this text:: 

“First ,do you allow legalists to control you? Many people are so desperate to avoid conflict that they just let legalists get their way. But this is never a good policy. It’s not good for you, for the church, or even for the legalist. The truth is that you can never fully please a legalist. As an old proverb says, if you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile. And if legalists get used to getting their own way, they’ll create an entire culture around their man-made list of rules and regulations” (Charles Swindoll, Swindoll Living Insights, “Matthew,” p. 238). 

So, how would you answer Swindoll’s first question above and why?

“Second, has your spiritual maturity been stunted by legalism and are you stifling the growth of others in the same way? My heart goes out to you if you were raised in a legalistic home or grew up in a legalistic church. Many people I’ve spoken with in my own generation were raised in homes filled with rules and requirements that had nothing to do with the Bible or true Christian morality. These made-up rules were enforced by parents or churches as if they had come down from Sinai itself. Parents and Christian leaders often thought that by creating rules for every situation, they would protect their children and church members from going astray. But that approach fails to teach self-control, wisdom, and how to walk in the Spirit. Legalism actually stunts true spiritual growth. One of the marks of spiritual maturity is working through “gray” issues. And it’s important to know when you’re taking something too far. As you grow up in the Lord, you develop that sense of knowing what’s best without needing to be told by some authority figure or consulting some noninspired set of dos and don’ts” (Charles Swindoll, Swindoll Living Insights, “Matthew,” pp. 238-239).

So, how would you answer Swindoll’s second set of questions in his point above and why?

“Third, can you discern between God’s instructions and others’ expectations? The Christian faith isn’t without its imperatives and mandates. Jesus issued commands to His disciples, and the Bible is filled with lists of things to embrace and things to avoid. Those are lists worth following because they are God-breathed! But then there are other instructions that come from people’s preferences, opinions, and personal experiences, with only a contrived relationship to the principles of God’s Word. As you grow in the Lord, you need to be able to tell the difference. When you do, you’ll be liberated from the carnal constraints of legalism and freed to live by the spiritual principles of the Lord: “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31–32)  — (Charles Swindoll, Swindoll Living Insights, “Matthew,” p. 239).

So, how would you answer Swindoll’s third question above and why?

“Fourth, are you becoming an agent of grace? As a true disciple, set free by God’s grace to live according to divine wisdom and righteousness, you are to broadcast messages of grace as often as you can—both in your words and in your actions. Here’s a way to tell if you’re an agent of grace: Are you resisting the tendency to control others? Start with your own older children if you have them. Are you still trying to control them, or do you release them? They’re on their own now. Are you releasing others from various forms of probation, or do you hold people back for a period of time until they prove themselves? Do you look for opportunities to affirm others? Do you offer encouragement to at least one person every day? Are you breaking the habits of shame and blame? If so, you’re an agent of grace” — (Charles Swindoll, Swindoll Living Insights, “Matthew,” p. 239).

So, how would you answer Swindoll’s fourth set of questions above and why?

Scripture To Meditate On: Psalm 147:3, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (ESV).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, I do to want any legalist to control me. I want Your Holy Spirit controlling me. Lord, I do not want to be guilty of stifling the spiritual growth of others through be legalistic. Please stop me in my tracks if I ever attempt to impose legalism on anyone. God, with so many voices we get through the day, at times, it is hard for me to hear Your voice, Your instruction and Your expectations. Yell if necessary at me God for me to hear You Lord, not the legalist. God, I want to be like You — a dispenser of grace to everyone. I want to be an agent of affirmation to others, not an agent of defamation to others. Jesus, I do not want to try to control others; instead I want to point them to Christ to control them. Jesus, I want to live by Your righteousness and holiness, not my own self-righteousness and hollowness Jesus, I want to live by Your sanctification, not my shallowness. I ask You help me do this for Your glory, Your Gospel and the growth of Your church. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you!, Pastor Kelly