It
is tempting to skip over many of the arguments with the Pharisees. After all,
they are long since gone; the temple worship was abolished forcibly in AD 70
when the Romans sacked Jerusalem. The value in these arguments is not in
studying the Law, nor because we need to deal with Pharisees – but in seeing
just who Jesus really is.
The
Authority and Person of Christ
At
that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples
became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain
and eat. But when the Pharisees saw this,
they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a
Sabbath." But He said to them, "Have you not
read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated
bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the
priests alone? "Or have you not read in the
Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are
innocent? "But I say to you that something
greater than the temple is here. "But if
you had known what this means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you
would not have condemned the innocent. "For
the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Departing from there, He
went into their synagogue. And a man was there
whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, "Is it lawful
to heal on the Sabbath?"--so that they might accuse Him. And He said to
them, "What man is there among you who has a
sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it
and lift it out? "How much more valuable
then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the
Sabbath." Then He *said to the man, "Stretch
out your hand!" He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal,
like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
(Mat 12:1-14 NASB)
Mercy,
not sacrifice
(Most
translations use “mercy” where the NASB uses compassion). Do you not see what
Christ is saying? He tells the religious leaders of His day, the right wing
fundamentalists of the time, that they missed the point completely.
- “If
you had known” – this carries with it some powerful implications. First,
it implies that you could know. The matter is not buried under
layers of ceremonial law; it’s in front of your face.
- The
implication is that if you had just searched for it, you would have found
it. It is a teacher’s frustration; people will not search the Scriptures
for what may be known. This, when there is limitless power, mercy and
understanding in a few short pages.
- From
which we may also deduce that such meaning is hidden from the hypocrite.
Isn’t the hypocrite the one who wants the reputation of a Godly man – but
doesn’t want the humility that goes with it? In pride we judge the
Scriptures; in humility they judge us.
The
result of failure is evident: the Pharisees condemn the innocent. They have
read (indeed, written) the fine print, and missed the point.
But
there is one other thing you may note: Christ talks quite calmly to this bunch
of Pharisees. Indeed, it appears that they have no answer to His argument.
The Pharisees, who consider themselves better than anyone else, take this
rebuke in apparent calm – it seems that they recognize the personal authority
of the man. Over and again we see Christ walking through crowds who would
stone Him; there is something of that here.
Something
greater than the Temple
To
understand what a claim to authority and power this is, you must first know
what the Temple meant to the Jews. Five hundred years before it was first
built, the Jew was commanded to present his sacrifices there – at “the place
where God shall place His Name.” Solomon built the first one, later destroyed
and rebuilt and destroyed again, to be rebuilt again by Herod the Great. The
attitude of the Jews can still be seen by observing the crowds at the Wailing
Wall.
It
is the most sacred place on earth. Abraham went to this spot to sacrifice Isaac;
David stayed the plague meeting the angel on this spot. To those who study
prophecy, it is genuinely that: the most sacred spot on earth.
Christ
claims to be greater. Indeed, how could He not? Who pointed the Jew to the
one spot? Who stopped Abraham mid-sacrifice? Who commanded that the Temple be built?
Lord
of the Sabbath
Christ
makes this claim almost in passing. But see its significance to the Jews: the
Sabbath distinguishes them from all other people. What they do – or rather,
don’t do – on Saturday is unique to the Jews (at this time; Seventh Day
Adventists come rather later). How can Christ claim to be superior to it?
- He
is superior by right of creation. On the seventh day God rested, and
hallowed the Sabbath thereby.
- He
is superior to it as Law-Giver. From Him come the Law and the Prophets;
therefore, as the One who ordains the Sabbath, He is superior to it.
- He
is superior by right of Resurrection. He stayed in the tomb over the
Sabbath – and rose on what we now refer to as the Lord’s Day. The old law
is done; grace arrives.
The
Limitless Demand of God
Easy
to please, hard to satisfy
It
seems that God is indeed easy to please – but impossible to satisfy. Consider
some of the demands He makes on us:
- We
are to be perfect – just like He is.
- If
we break even one of God’s laws, we are guilty of shattering them all.
- And
– even if you kept every last tiny regulation, you would still find that
something is lacking – for animal sacrifices cannot make real atonement.
It
is therefore a great blessing that we are no longer under the Law.
The
Law points to the Christ
It
is important to realize that God did not give the Law just to inflate His own
ego. He gave it because we needed it. The principles shown in the Law are
given for the blessing of His people, not to shackle them.
The
Law, indeed, is said to be our schoolmaster.
This is one reason we study the Old Testament even today; it is a window on
the mind of God. By searching it we can see what He thought necessary for the
ancients – and translate that into our own time.
Indeed,
the Law was given to “hold the fort” until the time was right for the coming of
the Christ.
The animal sacrifices point us to Christ and the Atonement; the laws of conduct
are still fruitful today.
The
Law and the Spirit
The
logical among us might notice that Christ brings forth as his defense for the
disciples a precedent – a precedent in which David the King asks for, and gets,
bread which the Law forbids him. It is likely enough that the Pharisees might
have replied that it is no defense to bring another sinner forward to compare;
both are to be condemned.
But
the Old Testament does not condemn David. That lack of condemnation implies
that here is an exception to the Law. What is not condemned becomes a
precedent. The Pharisees, from their lack of reaction, probably got this point
too.
The
reaction of the Pharisees is indeed rather interesting here. Sabbath breaking
produced a mild interrogation; healing on the Sabbath drives them to a
murderous conspiracy. Why? The former is a debating point; the latter is a
point of authority – and pride.
Christ
is the divider.
To those who accept Him, He is love, joy and peace. To those who reject Him,
there comes a spirit of anger, jealousy and murder. By their fruits you will
know them.
The
Meekness of Christ
But
Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from
there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, and warned them not to tell
who He was. This was to fulfill what was
spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN;
MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND
HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. "HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY
OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. "A BATTERED REED HE
WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS
JUSTICE TO VICTORY. "AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE."
(Mat 12:15-21 NASB)
Don’t tell
May we take up a minor mystery here?
Why does Jesus send them away with instructions not to tell anyone?
- It’s clear that the healing is
bound to be noticed. By prohibiting them from telling others, he impels
the others to find out.
- It is also so that they don’t
mention it – and therefore give pride no opportunity.
- Most of all, this is the
fulfillment of prophecy.
Gentle Jesus
Glory is to God what style is to an
artist. It is the Glory of God in the flesh to conduct Himself in humility.
Here the prophecy tells us what that means:
- He will not quarrel. Do you
notice how His encounters with the Pharisees rather resemble a one-punch
fight? He does not debate with them; He answers them. Sometimes with a
miracle, sometimes with a precedent – but always with humility and
gentleness.
- He will not cry out. Christ is
not a one-man circus. There is no sense here of a public relations
machine. The sinner must come to Him.
- He will not raise His voice in
the streets. The relationship is personal, not one which depends upon
great moments in preaching.
In this, we see the humility of the Christ,
and an example to each of us.
Until
Just what is this “battered reed?” We
may understand it this way: for those whose faith is weak and hesitant, Christ
does not condemn them. Rather, he keeps knocking at the door, waiting to be
asked in. You may hear the Gospel but once in your life, but from then on
there is a knocking at the door.
Just what is this “smoldering wick?”
Oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The smoldering wick is the lamp running
out of oil. To those who desire to flame, He gives the Spirit without measure.
The Gentiles
Do remember that the Jewish attitude
towards Gentiles was (and often still is) that they are fit only as fodder for
the fires of hell. (One of them explained this to me during an elevator ride
at college. He seemed quite sincere and very pleased with the concept.)
Quoting again from the Prophets, Christ
tells us of His work with the Gentiles:
- First, that justice will be
proclaimed among the Gentiles. Has this happened? What is the purpose of
the Holy Spirit, but to convict the world of sin and of judgment?
- Second, that He will lead
judgment to triumph. Is this not the spread of the Gospel to the entire
world?
- Finally, it is in His Name the
Gentiles (that’s us) will hope. The Light of the World is Jesus; in Him
we have our hope.
Lord of All
The Lordship of Christ is seldom
taught these days. If a woman no longer need obey her husband, but merely
respect him, how then can we say the church should obey her Lord? Indeed, we
still seek a Savior – but a Lord is inconvenient. But Lord He is:
- He is Lord by right of creation.
All things were created by Him; in Him all things have their being.
Lordship is His right.
- He is Lord by choice – you named
the Name and claimed His promises, being baptized in that Name. You chose
Him, and you must take Him upon His own terms.
- He is Lord of eternity. He holds
the keys of hell and death; He alone is alpha and omega, beginning and
end. If you will not make Him Lord in your life here, then what?