Seeds for 08/22/2023 - Matthew 12:9-14
Scripture: Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 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?”
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? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
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. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Observation: Yesterday we noted that Jesus got into trouble for allegedly breaking Sabbath. That raised two questions: What is the Sabbath for? and Who decides?
The episode in 12:1-8 leads to an answer to the second question—Jesus decides. As He says, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Jesus is the Messiah (“Son of Man”) and He is God. Having established who gets to decide what the Sabbath is for, Matthew recounts a second episode on its heels in order to tackle the other question, What is the Sabbath for?
Let’s pause to acknowledge the Sabbath’s purpose for the People of God. The Sabbath provides boundaries for our time and attention in order to channel freedom into our lives and the lives of others. The simplest summation I’m aware of is that Sabbath is for “praying and playing.” It’s for worship, fellowship, rest, and renewal—connecting with God, with the Body of Christ, with others, with ourselves. Even if we’re in a season or situation that presses against our ability to practice a weekly pattern of 6:1 for work and Sabbath, we can practice boundaries for our time and attention that facilitate authentic connection with God and Christian community through worship, connection with others through play and fellowship, and with ourselves through rest and life-giving activities that renew us.
If boundaries are so good for humans, including boundaries for our time and attention, then we can see why the Pharisees were reluctant to compromise about the Sabbath. We can also see why they saw Jesus as a threat and therefore looked for a way to bring charges against Him.
So, let’s tweak the question from “What’s the Sabbath for?” to “What constitutes breaking the Sabbath?” Jesus makes it very simple to understand. You would seek the health of an animal in a bad situation on the Sabbath. You wouldn’t let it remain in suffering or distress until Sabbath’s end. How much more should Jesus do good, promoting healing and wholeness on the Sabbath as well? For one, promoting wholeness is at the core of the Sabbath’s purpose in the first place—think about the results of the rhythms described above. And for another thing, as “Lord of the Sabbath,” Jesus of all people has both the authority and the wisdom to determine what authentically falls within the purpose of Sabbath and what is stretching the definition to the breaking point.
Application:
What makes it challenging for you to practice Sabbath, if not on a weekly 6:1 rhythm, then authentically integrating praying, playing, worship, and renewal into your life?
How do you need Jesus to promote wholeness in your life right now?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, I submit myself to the wise rhythms and boundaries for human flourishing in your Word. And I acknowledge you as Lord over them. Make me neither legalistic or lax, just faithful. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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