Matthew 12:9-10 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?”
The Pharisees in today’s scripture aren’t concerned with keeping the Sabbath. They want to trap Jesus, to arrest and kill Him. This scripture seems the ultimate example of getting so far away from the spirit of the law that you’ve totally missed the point.
Matthew 12:11-12 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.”
Sabbath is about rest and reconnection. Mark 2:27 reminds us, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,” which tells me that we are the ones who need Sabbath, who need intentional rest and reconnection so that we can be our best, most authentic selves.
Matthew 12:13 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.
Precious Savior, Forgive me when I try to use Your word to ensnare instead of edify. Forgive me when I get so caught up in how others are breaking Sabbath that I neglect my own rest and reconnection with You. Help me to make my Sabbath a time of worship, rest, and renewal…whatever helps my soul to rest in and reconnect with You. Amen.
Matthew 12:14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Have a blessed day.