The Lord of Rest (Matthew 12:1-21)

July 12, 2020

What do you think about traditions? Traditions are great! I once heard a man say, "Traditions are the living faith of those who have passed away. Traditionalism is the dead faith of those who are alive." Back in Chapter 5 of Matthew, we saw that Jesus has not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them. Then, he goes on to explain how everyone has heard it said, but Jesus says something different. In Chapter 9, he explained that he could not keep the Pharisees' traditions and bring something new. Sewing a new garment on an old garment would result in a tear.

Jesus was not coming to earth to keep the traditions that men had set in place. He was here to keep the law of God in a way that was not traditional. He was focused on God's traditions rather than man's traditions. The problem he faced repeatedly is that the leaders in Israel wanted to kill him for not keeping their traditions or agreeing with their traditional teaching. This is the problem of traditionalists. They are not faithful to the law of God like they are faithful to the laws of men.

No Work On Sabbath (12:1-2)

Matthew 12:1--2 (ESV) --- 1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”

Jesus has just spoken to a crowd about people being offended by him. Now he is walking with his disciples through a grain field, and the Pharisees see his disciples picking heads of grain, rubbing it in their hands, and eating them. The Pharisees call out, "That's not lawful." What is wrong with disciples eating heads of grain? They aren't stealing. According to Deut 23:24-25, it was perfectly lawful to take grain and eat it, as long as you don't reap a harvest.

The problem is that they did not believe it was permitted on the Sabbath. The Sabbath day was commanded as part of the ten commandments to be kept holy.

Exodus 20:8--11 (ESV) --- 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Notice how God commanded no work on the Sabbath for anyone. It was to be a day of rest because God wanted his people to rest on the seventh day as he rested on the seventh day. We have several occasions where people broke the Sabbath in the Old Testament and were scolded for it.

Numbers 15:32--36 (ESV) --- 32 While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. 35 And the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the Lord commanded Moses.

We read this and think, "Wow! God must really be strict about his Sabbath day!" But this text is found in a section on unintentional sin vs. willful defiance against God's commands. It is important to note that this man chooses to pick-up sticks despite God's law not to work.

Isaiah 58:13--14 (ESV) --- 13 “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; 14 then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

This text shows us the will of God on the Sabbath. This was supposed to be a day devoted to serving the Lord and not doing whatever they wanted to do. Israel was supposed to enjoy a day of rest, thinking about the blessings God has given them.

Did the Disciples break the law of the Sabbath by plucking heads of grain and griding them in their hands? According to the rules of the rabbis, they were. That was an act of willful defiance, doing work on a Sabbath day. You see, the Pharisees had created a rule book for what God would consider breaking the Sabbath and what God was okay with. They had created several rules to keep on the Sabbath day. There wasn't a lot of detail given by God, so they had to add details to help everyone out. Those laws were so in-depth and complex that no one knew them all unless you were a rabbi who devoted a lot of time to it.

Have You Not Read? (12:3-5)

Matthew 12:3--5 (ESV) --- 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?

In this section, Jesus responds to the accusation brought against his disciples with two Old Testament examples. These examples explain how broken their system of interpreting the Old Testament was.

First, he points out that David ate the bread of the presence. The "bread of the presence" was the bread that the priests would make and put in the holy place every week. They made twelve loaves, and they were required to eat them after seven days. No one else was allowed to eat those loaves because they were holy to the Lord. David did not pay any attention to that. He was on the run from Saul, and he was starving to death. He even lied to the priest to convince him. The priest allowed it so long as the men were ritually clean.

Jesus looks at this event and says, "How was David able to eat that bread without being put to death?" It is a good question. We wondered the same thing as we looked at that text a few months back. The Pharisees would have stoned David for such rebellion, but God allowed it. Why?

Then, he asks them if they ever noticed how priests were profaning the Sabbath every single week. According to the Law, they were supposed to start all kinds of fires for sacrifices and making new bread. Yet they are guiltless as they do these things. Why is that?

These are great questions, but doesn't it just sound like Jesus is trying to justify his disciples by looking at the mistake of David and the responsibility of the priests? But according to the Jews, David is one of the most influential figures in the whole Old Testament. They would have easily understood that God was providing for his anointed. Of course, his anointed could eat the bread of the presence. What about his men? They could eat what he gave them to eat as well. Also, it was widely accepted that the priests would do their work on the Sabbath. Jesus and his disciples were not priests, but what were they?

Greater Than The Temple (6-13)

Matthew 12:6--8 (ESV) --- 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

Verses 6-8 clarify why Jesus uses this line of argument. Jesus' words here are truly mind-blowing. He says, "Something greater than the temple is here." The Temple is everything to the Jewish people. It is their link to God. But Jesus is God. Throughout the Old Testament, we have multiple events where the Lord enters his most holy place. He does it throughout Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. Then he does it again after Solomon builds the Temple. But God never enters the Temple after the exiles return. Why not? Because God was planning to come down and dwell with men in the form of a man. This is what the prophets foretold.

Malachi 3:1 (ESV) --- 1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.

Isaiah 7:14 (ESV) --- 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

This makes the Temple meaningless! God actually lives among his people on earth! How amazing is that?!?!

Then he repeats what he said earlier, "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." But he says that they have not found out what it means because they are still condemning the guiltless. Isn't that sad? They have God with them, but they can't see it because of their stubborn pride!

The answer to the question, "Did the disciples break the Sabbath?" should have been obvious to them. Why? They should have seen the disciples as God's workers helping God's anointed. They should have seen them as priests serving the tabernacle of God. But, at the very least, they should have been merciful to the poor! God desires mercy and not sacrifice. These men were on a mission to spread the good news of the kingdom of God. They had given up everything. They were poor, and they were probably starving. These guys are not grabbing up as much food as they can to stuff in their bags. They are eating a minimum amount of food as the law permits them to do. This is as much work as it would take to get food from where they would have stored it. They were nitpicking.

But after that, he says something even more mind-blowing. He says, "For the Son of Man is Lord of Sabbath." This statement is loaded with meaning. Remember what the Sabbath is. It is the day of rest. Back in Chapter 11, we read that all who are weary and burdened can come to him and find rest for their souls. Jesus' whole mission was to give the people rest. He is the Lord of Rest. This means that he has come to give the people a greater rest, the rest that God always wanted them to have. The rest that they spurned as they entered the promised land.

What Does Mercy Look Like? (9-13)

Matthew 12:9--13 (ESV) --- 9 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.

Then, we see that Jesus goes into a synagogue, as would be standard on the Sabbath. They bring him a man with a paralyzed and weak hand and ask him if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Then, he brings up an analogy that perfectly describes their hypocrisy. If they were to find a sheep in a pit, they would pull them out on a Sabbath. Jesus then proclaims that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, and he heals the man.

Judgment vs. Compassion (12:14-21)

Matthew 12:14 (ESV) --- 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

There is a massive contrast between the Jesus and the Pharisees. Jesus does good on the Sabbath, while they do evil. Then Matthew will go on to explain what all of this means by pointing his fulfillment of Isaiah.

Matthew 12:15--21 (ESV) --- 15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; 20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; 21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

The Pharisees are looking for a way to destroy Jesus, but Jesus refuses to retaliate. He just withdraws himself and heals people all along the way. His mission was not to debate and argue with people. He did not come to the synagogue, looking to start a fight. But they bring him a man in need, so he explains their hypocrisy, heals the man, and withdraws. Jesus does not back down, but he does not let them change his mission.

Think about this. A man comes in here and heals someone who has some infirmity. But instead of praising him, the leaders want to kill him because he causes a ruckus on a solemn day of worship.

Then Matthew shows us that Jesus goes everywhere healing on the Sabbath. People had given him a break on the Sabbath. Now they find out that he is willing to heal on the Sabbath, so they come for healing.

The Pharisees seek to destroy, but Jesus seeks to heal. Matthew tells us that the Messiah is doing what he was prophesied to do in Isaiah 42. Matthew loves Isaiah. We have seen many references to Isaiah throughout this book. This reference describes the character of the Messiah. He will be gentle and not harsh or judgmental because he will have the Spirit of God. He will be merciful, compassionate, and abounding in steadfast love. Notice that verses 18 and 21 describe this Messiah giving the Gentiles hope. This has been a theme throughout Matthew as he brings up Gentiles in the genealogy, describes wise men coming from the east, and shows the centurion with greater faith than all of Israel.

These gentle and compassionate characteristics make Jesus pleasing to God. God is not looking for someone to attack every possible offense. He doesn't want someone to make up a list of rules for him and condemn everyone who fails to keep their rules. He wants compassion and mercy toward the poor and the oppressed. Those who are less fortunate need to be given special attention.

Application

What are we supposed to learn from these events and Jesus' teachings? Isn't it odd how the Pharisees refuse to show mercy? They persist in being harsh toward Jesus, his disciples, and all of the poor. They feel no sympathy, compassion, or pity. They are selfishly interested in their own glory and reputation. This self-centered and proud mentality leads them to condemn those who disagree without considering that they could be wrong.

Obviously, there are some teachings and traditions of men that the Pharisees should not have insisted Jesus to keep. They should have understood that Jesus and his disciples were poor and that they were eating because they had nothing else. The grain was God's provision for them, as Deuteronomy 23 points out. They should have shown these men mercy, and they should have been right there with them sacrificing to serve the Messiah.

How many of us get proud and stubborn when talking about our beliefs? There is a strong warning in this text to keep from being harsh and judgmental. We can't let our understanding of God's will hinder us from showing mercy and compassion. This text leads us to believe that there is a hierarchy of values in the law. It is better to love your neighbor as yourself than to let someone starve to keep the Sabbath. Common sense must be used. This could be a gateway for all kinds of sinful practices, but Jesus is not talking about David's adultery. He is talking about David's offense of God's holiness. God wants to show mercy more than he wants to condemn. The Sabbath is all about showing his people mercy and giving them rest from their labor.

The application of this text really becomes clear as we see the nature of Jesus. He is a gentle and tender person. We are called to the same gentleness and tenderness.

Galatians 5:22--24 (ESV) --- 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Ephesians 4:31--32 (ESV) --- 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Gentleness and tenderness do not come easy to many of us, but this is the way Christ lived. There were times, as we will see, where he stood for the truth with great boldness, but he was never disrespectful or harsh. He never condemned the innocent.

Conclusion

To close, I would like us to think about why we would ever choose a life like that. Why would anyone be willing to live humbly like that? Jesus asked the Pharisees to let go of the rules they had created and show mercy on people who broke their rules. That is a hard thing to do unless you understand what Jesus came to do. Jesus came to give us rest from our works-based righteousness. We don't pursue righteousness to be forgiven. We pursue righteousness because we are forgiven despite our failures. This is a subtle difference in thinking, but it makes all the difference in the world. So we don't judge people harshly because we openly confess that we couldn't be righteous enough. Jesus gives our souls rest as we come to him and ask for his forgiveness. Our actions resemble the Pharisees when we hold people to a standard that we could not keep. But Jesus offers us rest and forgiveness if we turn from that mentality and choose to submit to his reign over our lives.

Submitting to Jesus may seem like a dreadful thing, but it is actually the most wonderful thing. Aren't we tired of pursuing righteousness and not measuring up? Jesus is the Lord of Rest, and he offers it to all who will take part.