Good on the Sabbath

Good on the Sabbath

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. Matthew 12:9-14

Observation:

As a prelude to this passage, the Lord has just rebuked the Pharisees for not understanding the meaning of God desiring mercy, not sacrifice and their shallow interpretation of the Sabbath. Straight after that controversy, the Lord now walks straight into another one.

A man with a shriveled hand was there and according to the interpretations and traditions of the Pharisees, it was not lawful to be healed on the Sabbath. With the intention of setting up charges against Him, the Pharisees set a trap for Jesus by asking Him “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” The Lord, true to form, rebuked them yet again by pointing out how hypocritical it was for them to save their own sheep from a pit on the Sabbath yet condemn the healing of a person on the Sabbath. The Lord then states clearly His stand, that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, and proceeds to back it up with yet another miracles, healing the man’s hand completely.

The Pharisees cannot say anything but retreat to plot together how they might kill Jesus.

Application:

The Sabbath is a day of rest, yet the Lord says it is lawful to do good on a Sabbath. What is doing good? It is doing the Lord’s will. Healing, blessing, praying for others, helping the poor, encouraging the depressed, all these are things that our Heavenly Father is pleased with. Is working to earn more and more money doing good on the Sabbath? It all depends on our heart. What is our intention? What are our priorities? There is always the struggle of selfishness versus selflessness. To put one’s self first or to put others first.

Prayer: 

I thank You Lord for the Sabbath that You gave us, the day of rest that every man needs. Thank You, Lord, for Your great wisdom shown to the world through Jesus Christ. Help us to love what He loved, to put mercy always before sacrifice. Teach us and enable us, to do much good, be it on the Sabbath or on the other days, for even in doing Your will, we enter a wonderful rest. May Your name be praised forever.