Session 11
Matthew 12:1-14
Memory Verse: Matthew 12:8
Legalism and license stand at opposite poles of the same problem: hypocrisy. In the biblical context, legalism requires strict adherence to the letter of the Mosaic law and rabbinical traditions with little or no regard for God’s royal law of love (Jas. 2:8-9). At the other end of the spectrum, license uses opposition to legalism as an excuse for self-indulgence. Both reveal hypocrisy: the first because breaking one law means breaking them all (2:10) and the second because people simply want the freedom to sin without consequence.
Hypocrisy involves both being something you’re not and demanding of others what you excuse in yourself (Matt. 23:1-4). Not all Pharisees in Jesus’s day were hypocrites, and they weren’t the only hypocrites in Israel. But Jesus did condemn them for a hypocrisy that held others accountable to the law while ignoring their own responsibilities to God.
As you study Jesus’s encounter with the religious leaders in Matthew 12, examine your own heart for hypocritical attitudes. Confess those to God and consider sharing what you have learned with the adults in your Bible study. Encourage them to confess and reject legalism in their hearts as well.
We love freedom. Seldom do we like it when someone tells us what to do. And so we often chafe against rules that limit our freedom. Most people who live in an orderly society follow the rules willingly. Occasionally, though, we may hear of situations that demand a rule or regulation be set aside. When established rules become burdensome or unreasonable, we often become angry at the system. (PSG, p. 107)
Conflict between opposing values is inevitable. Pharisees believed individuals were made right with God through strict adherence to the law of Moses and the traditions of the rabbis. In contrast to their legalism, Jesus revealed God’s mercy.
Matthew 12 records several clashes between Jesus and the Pharisees. The first revealed the Pharisees’ confusion about traditions. Following Jesus through a grainfield, they observed His disciples plucking and eating some grain. Jewish custom allowed this, but they were bothered because it was happening on a Sabbath. In their view, the disciples were “harvesting” grain, which violated the prohibition against working on the holy day. Jesus responded by calling out the Pharisees’ preference for rituals over mercy.
Next, the leaders brought a man with a deformed hand to Jesus in the synagogue. Seizing a teachable moment, Christ used this opportunity as an object lesson for God’s mercy. By healing the man on the Sabbath, He demonstrated His divine power and love. Ironically, the Pharisees who condemned His mercy on the Sabbath had no problem plotting His murder on the Sabbath.
Afterward, Jesus continued healing people in fulfillment of messianic prophecy (Isa. 42:1-4). He also cast out a demon who had caused a man to be blind and mute. Onlookers wondered if He was the Messiah. Rather than glorifying God for the miracle, the Pharisees cynically said Jesus cast out demons by satanic power.
Jesus again exposed their hypocrisy, noting that Satan would not act against his own evil spirits. In addition, followers of the Pharisees claimed to be able to exorcise demons, yet the Pharisees thought their power was genuine. The Pharisees were on dangerous ground. They were attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to the devil. They were so focused on Jesus’s “sin” that they overlooked the unforgivable nature of their own blasphemy.
To justify themselves, the religious leaders demanded that Jesus offer a sign to support His authority. Of course, this ignored the amazing miracles Jesus had performed already.
The truth was that they would not accept any sign. Jesus prophesied the ultimate sign, referring to Himself as the Son of Man and predicting His own death and resurrection. However, when this prophecy came true, these leaders denied that as well. When people don’t want to believe, nothing will satisfy them.
Later, hearing His family wanted to speak to Him, Jesus declared that every person who accepted the will of the Father was a member of His family. True believers in Christ don’t seek excuses to do what they want. They trust and obey the Word and will of God.
Read Matthew 12:1-14 in your Bible. What key words or phrases describe the legalism promoted by the Pharisees? What words or phrases describe the mercy offered by Jesus? (PSG, p. 108)
EXPLORE THE TEXT
1 At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”
Confusing tradition for Scripture is not a new problem. The Pharisees of Jesus’s day made the same mistake. One example occurred as Jesus passed through the grainfields. Walking through fields was not unusual. Roads were not as well-defined as they are today. People often followed paths through local fields without harming the crops.
This incident occurred at that time, meaning after the preceding events. Some commentators reason that the time was in the spring, perhaps following the Passover. Regardless of the season, Jesus’s disciples were hungry. Following accepted custom, they started to pick and eat some heads of grain. Rather than a full meal, the handfuls of grain were more like a snack on a short journey.
This activity was not considered stealing. It was a common practice of compassion and hospitality (Deut. 23:25). While using a sickle to harvest another person’s field would be a crime, taking a few handfuls of grain was permitted. While trespassing or stealing weren’t issues, the fact that it was happening on the Sabbath would raise questions in the minds of some.
The Pharisees must have been following Jesus since they saw this and confronted Him. Later verses suggest the group was on the way to the synagogue. Instead of preparing their hearts for Sabbath services, though, the Pharisees were judgmental. Jesus knew what was happening, but the religious leaders felt the need to call special attention to the “problem.” To them, the disciples were participating in activity not lawful to do on the Sabbath.
Apparently, Jesus was not personally involved in taking or eating the grain. Still, the Pharisees attacked Him by condemning your disciples. They felt Jesus should have instructed them according to rabbinical traditions.
Instead of adhering to Scripture, the Pharisees tried to conform people’s activities to their own ideas of what was right and wrong. By “not lawful,” they did not mean it was breaking civil laws, but religious traditions. The fourth commandment set apart the seventh day for rest, worship, and remembrance (Ex. 20:8-10; Lev. 23:1-3; Deut. 5:12-14). By not working on the Sabbath, people honored God who rested from His creative work on the seventh day (Gen. 2:1-3). It also recalled how God brought His people out of bondage into a land of rest (Ex. 20:2; Deut. 5:15).
Mosaic law forbade harvesting or reaping on the Sabbath (Ex. 34:21), but rabbinical traditions listed another thirty-nine prohibitions that served as a “hedge of protection.” These man-made religious rules were not part of God’s commands. Instead, they reflected human application of the law. Although the disciples only plucked a little grain by hand, the Pharisees viewed this as a kind of harvesting and, as such, was contrary to their understanding of the law.
The Pharisees’ real problem was a critical spirit. Their external adherence to traditions showed a lack of appreciation for God’s written Word and an ignorance regarding His walking Word (John 1:1). Their attitude revealed a harsh spirit that was contrary to the Scripture they supposedly were defending.
We should avoid judging others based on their adherence to a religious tradition or practice. Believers should be kindhearted toward others as we follow God’s Word. While we must not violate our own consciences, we have to acknowledge that God is the ultimate Judge of what honors Him. Our ideas about righteousness only matter if they align with His Word.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
3 He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence-which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? 5 Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
In answering the Pharisees’ attacks, Jesus relied on Scripture, reminding these Old Testament scholars about an incident from the life of David (1 Sam. 21:1-6). Before becoming king, David was hunted by a jealous Saul. On the run, David and his men had trouble finding food and, like Jesus’s disciples, were hungry. A short distance from Jerusalem, David came to Nob where the tabernacle was located.
At the house of God, David asked Ahimelech, the priest, for some bread. Only the bread of the Presence was available. This bread, set on a table in the Holy Place represented God’s presence among the twelve tribes of Israel. Only priests were allowed to eat it (Lev. 24:5-9), so it was not lawful for David and his followers to eat this bread. Yet they ate it without consequence.
Jesus also reminded the Pharisees that the very law they were upholding allowed priests to violate the Sabbath. The wording includes the seventh day, as well as special Sabbath days observed during holy feasts. In their temple service, priests labored on these Sabbath days, but were not considered guilty.
Neither illustration specifically applied to the disciples’ situation, but Jesus was addressing a larger principle. The Pharisees had seen Jesus demonstrate His power. Now, He plainly told them something greater than the temple is here.
The Pharisees had condemned the disciples because, despite all their training, they did not comprehend the Scriptures. I desire mercy and not sacrifice comes from Hosea 6:6 and was not a repudiation of the sacrificial system. Jesus’s death on the cross was the culmination of sacrificial atonement for which the temple sacrifices were but a picture (Heb. 9). God considers mercy greater than sacrifices because mercy reflects His heart.
Jesus asserted that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus often referred to Himself by the messianic title “Son of Man.” As God the Son, He rules over all things, including the Sabbath. Mark’s Gospel helps by including Jesus’s saying, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). The disciples needed no excuse or forgiveness. Jesus declared them innocent (v. 7) because He best understood the Sabbath’s true purpose.
The Sabbath was a way for people to rest and worship God. But if our hearts are filled with His love, we will serve Him by serving others.
Spend time praying Scripture using Matthew 12:7-8. Read the verse, then respond to these questions:
Ask God to teach you what it means to show mercy. Seek His forgiveness for the times you’ve cared more about being “right” than kind.
During the session, invite adults to pray this Scripture, as well. You and the adults in your group can also take advantage of the Explore the Bible Prayer Guide. This QR code also appears on page 65 of the Personal Study Guide.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
9 Moving on from there, he entered their synagogue. 10 There he saw a man who had a shriveled hand, and in order to accuse him they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 11 He replied to them, “Who among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out? 12 A person is worth far more than a sheep; so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored, as good as the other. 14 But the Pharisees
went out and plotted against him, how they might kill him.(v. 9)
Moving on, Jesus concluded the discussion and headed to the synagogue. The pronoun their likely referred to the Pharisees. Jesus habitually attended Sabbath worship at whatever synagogue was nearby. He likely chose this place purposefully. He knew a need, an opportunity, and a challenge was ahead.
(v. 10)
At the synagogue, Jesus saw a man who had a shriveled hand. The man’s condition was not an immediate emergency, but Jesus embraced this opportunity to show the mercy He had been teaching. Meanwhile, the Pharisees were seeking a reason to accuse him. The Greek wording can suggest civil matters, but here it was another reference to religious law. Some writers suspect the Pharisees made sure the man was present so they could trap Jesus.
The religious leaders asked Jesus a loaded question: Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? His earlier instructions about the Sabbath did not satisfy them. Like picking grain, they equated healing with work, which was prohibited on the Sabbath. If Jesus said, “Yes,” they could accuse Him of violating the law. If He said, “No,” they could question His teachings about mercy.
(v. 11)
Jesus answered the question with a question. If one of their animals fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, would they take hold of it and lift it out? The implied answer was “yes,” so their silence was no surprise. He phrased the proposition in a way that proved they would violate their own Sabbath rules for livestock. The Pharisees wanted to put Jesus into a theological corner but found themselves trapped instead.
(v. 12)
Jesus further revealed their hypocrisy by emphasizing that a person is worth far more than a sheep. So, if it was acceptable to rescue their animal, God would not be offended by helping another human being. When all is said and done, it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath. In his Gospel, Mark added that Jesus was angered by the Pharisees’ cold and manipulative hearts (Mark 3:5).
(v. 13)
Having answered the question, Jesus commanded the man to stretch out your hand. The man may have felt uncomfortable being the center of attention, and obeying Jesus could have turned the Pharisees against Him. So, he had a choice to make.
He chose to be healed by Jesus. When the man stretched it out, his hand was restored. When Jesus heals, He does so absolutely.
(v. 14)
The Pharisees responded with murderous intent after they went out of the synagogue. Instead of praising God, they plotted against Jesus. Some commentators interpret this to say they wanted to arrest Jesus. However, the term kill literally means “to destroy or ruin.” Their goal was no longer to embarrass Him or simply prove that He was wrong. He had threatened their authority and their way of life. As a result, they were convinced that He deserved to die.
We must seek to make our priorities and practices consistent with what God values most. The Lord’s love and mercy isn’t limited to days on a calender. Every moment is the right moment to be His hands and feet in the world. And if we truly love Him, we will desire to live accordingly.
CHALLENGE
Review:
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 116 of the Personal Study Guide:
- We should avoid judging others based on their adherence to a religious tradition or practice.
- We should give greater attention to the condition of our heart than to adherence to man-made rules.
- We must seek to make our priorities and practices consistent with what God values most.
Reflect:
Encourage a few volunteers to paraphrase these statements and to identify ways they can put them into practice each day.
Reflect:
Distribute copies of Pack Item 14 (Handout: Legalism Worksheet). Allow adults to works in teams of three or four to reflect on how legalism shows up in our world and how the Bible responds to those efforts. Allow each team to report on their work. Remind adults that legalism is rooted in hypocrisy and inevitably erodes our compassion for others.
Discuss:
Direct attention to the first set of questions on page 116 of the PSG. Encourage adults to be sensitive to the needs of others and to seek opportunities to show mercy instead of criticism.
Pray:
Remind the group of Matthew 12:7-8 and Pack Item 9 (Handout: Praying Scripture in Matthew’s Gospel). Urge them to continue praying these verses back to God during the week. Close the session in prayer.
AFTER THE SESSION
Send the group a text or an email encouraging them to continue thinking through the content on Pack Item 14 (Handout: Legalism Worksheet). Suggest they read and reflect on the second set of questions from page 116 of the PSG as they seek God’s help in rooting out their own legalistic and hypocritical tendencies. Assure them that you are praying for them as they work through these issues in their lives.
KEY DOCTRINE:
The Lord’s Day
Activities on the Lord’s Day should be commensurate with the Christian’s conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. (See Mark 2:27-28; John 4:21-24.)
BIBLE SKILL:
Use other Scripture to help understand a Bible passage.
Compare Mark 3:1-5 and Luke 6:6-10 to Matthew’s account of the man with the shriveled hand in 12:9-14. Record any additional details you find in the parallel passages. How do the parallel passages help you get a broader picture of this scene?
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