Matthew 12:1–14
John A. Broadus wrote some introductory remarks to Sunday School teachers about lessons on Matthew that were part of the Sunday School Curriculum for a year from June 1888–May 1889. He said, “It is manifest that Matthew wished to satisfy Jewish readers that Jesus of Nazareth is the long-expected Messiah, and to correct those mistaken ideas of the Messianic reign which so widely prevailed among the Jews, and so greatly hindered the ready reception of Jesus in his Messianic capacity.” We see much of this prevalence of “mistaken ideas” in this text and also find very poignant references to Old Testament narratives with which the readers of Matthew as well as the company of people hovering around Jesus would have known well. Matthew also continued to assault the virtually superstitious attachment the Jewish leaders had to their protective covering around the ceremonial law above true issues of morality, genuine compassion, and Sabbath rest.
I. Jesus employed a common circumstance to teach on Sabbath fulfillment.
A. Through a work of compassion in leading his disciples to satisfy their hunger on the Sabbath, Jesus prompted a conversation with those who opposed Him (1–4).
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- His disciples, who had been with Him on mission and had not taken time to eat, plucked heads of grain and ate. At this, the opponents accused them of breaking the Sabbath, calling their action “unlawful.” They had acted in accordance with Deuteronomy 23:25, but to Pharisees such a motion on the Sabbath was harvesting and threshing. The disciples, with the approval of Jesus, had not conformed to their personal inventions concerning the Sabbath.
- Jesus illustrated first from Old Testament historical narrative an exception to general ceremonial requirements. His opening query, “Have you not read,” was designed to draw the conversation to Scripture and away from their rampant propensity for burdening Scripture with their editorial additions. Certainly they had read, but Jesus wanted conclusions to arise from real scriptural data, not absolutized extrapolations from scribal glosses. Using David’s desperation and the compliance of the priest with his request, Jesus contended that the ceremonial aspects of the law were set aside in special circumstances in order to meet human need. “Which was not lawful” refers precisely to a ceremonial law, not to an unchanging moral law. The priest himself participated in David’s desperate request. Although David used deceit about the nature of his journey with the men (1 Samuel 21:1–6), the need for food was no less urgent. The true need of David was granted.
B. A second part of Jesus’ answer engaged the ceremonial law itself.
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- The priests are required by office to do more work than was allowed in general on the Sabbath (5). Again, He focused on the phenomena of the scriptural text—“Have you not read in the Law”—makes them come to terms with the nature of biblical authority. If one focused solely on one aspect of the provisions of the ceremonial law concerning Sabbath, then the priests would have to disobey the specific requirements of their office. But these provisions concerning different elements of Sabbath observance show that a true Sabbath transcends any particular set of provisions relevant to an identifiable group at a particular time. So, “they break the Sabbath [as related to the non-priestly members of Israel] and are innocent” (5).
- All that occurred in the temple was purely ceremonial pointing to a greater reality concerning the nature of God Himself. Jesus boldly identified Himself as “greater than the temple” (6). In His assigned covenantal work, He will end all ceremonial law and fulfill all the types of the entire sacrificial system by His own sacrifice. He is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world; all ceremonial laws, therefore, are moving toward an eternal perspective of mercy resident within the eternal decrees of God, yea, within the very nature of God Himself. The sacrifices of ceremony could never forgive sins other than giving provisional delay to the full execution of divine wrath in final judgment or in the death of Christ (Hebrews 9:23–28; 10:3). Mercy resides within God as an overflowing well of His nature and must of necessity replace ceremony absolutely.
- Mercy, therefore, is God-like and carries a weight superior to the ceremonial law. Jesus had emphasized this also in 9:9–14 in eating with those the Pharisees considered ceremonially unclean. In summing up his point on that occasion, He referred to the same Old Testament principle, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6; compare Micah 6:6–8). The perfunctory accuracy of offering sacrifice misses the God-centered revelation embedded within these daily, weekly, and yearly effusions of blood, offering of grain, and baking of bread. God’s mercy is the eternal truth to be inculcated and absorbed so that praise, thanksgiving, and mercy-showing saturate our lives (Isaiah 1:10–17; 66:1–4; Malachi 1, 2; Amos 5:21–27).
- Jesus challenged their conceit that they alone possessed any true knowledge of the specific and overall revelation of Scripture when He asserted, “If you had known what this means, etc.” (7). The way and wisdom of God in His display of mercy is the heart of redemptive revelation. His challengers had not grappled with the meaning of that and thus had not penetrated the unveiling of the character of God. Note that Jesus called “innocent” the ones they called “guilty.” Most directly Jesus refers to Himself and the Innocent One in whom they found guilt.
- With a confidence of authority, surely interpreted as blasphemous temerity by His opponents, Jesus proclaimed, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (8). This truth described the absolute rest that exists eternally within the triune godhead. The perfect symmetry of persons and the equality of essence within the Trinity means there are no deficiencies, no moments of unrest or dissatisfaction, no disturbance about the perfect fulfillment of divine purpose in every events in the sphere of created time. All will perfectly demonstrate the perfect wisdom of God. He works all things according to the counsel of His own will manifesting the immutability of His purpose and grace as determined within Himself and as expressive of His intrinsic peace and rest (Ephesians 1:11; 2 Timothy 1:9; Revelation 21:22–22:5).
II. Jesus sealed his point about compassion in its relation to ceremony by healing a man with a withered hand on the same, Sabbath.
A. He forced His critics and plotters of death to see the uncomfortable truth that they took more pains to care for their animals (11) than they did humans, who are made in God’s image.
He concluded, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” “Good” in an absolute sense is of the essence of Sabbath observance. The truly good never will violate the temporary divine instructions for Sabbath observance but will express their intention. As the sacrificial system and Sabbath requirements were to produce conformity to God’s merciful provisions, so doing acts of mercy and performing good also were expressions of Sabbath rest. They partake of the essence of living in the eternal presence of God.
B. Jesus’ later narrative identified Himself as the Good as opposed to their corrupt hearts of evil (33–35).
He is the binder of the strong man and casts out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit (12:28, 29), He is greater than Jonah (12:40, 41), greater than Solomon (12:42), and He is the Son of Man who scatters throughout the world His wheat to be harvested at the end of the age (13:27–30). He is the treasure hidden inn a field worth more than any man has and He is the pearl of great price (13:44–46). In perfect harmony with the Father and the Spirit and in command of the angels of heaven, He induces goodness and righteousness and casts out and punishes evil (12:28, 47–50; 13:42, 43). It is no wonder tat the self-righteous began to plot ways to kill Him for He set Himself as sovereign over all that defined their lives. Their teachings were simply careless and empty words (12:36) in opposition to the truly “good” words of the only “good” man, Jesus of Nazareth (12:33–35).
C. Each season of Sabbath unfolds elements of discernment of God’s nature and His own internal activity that constitutes Sabbath rest.
His completion of creation constituted one manifestation of Sabbath in which God’s power, wisdom, infinite intelligence, and perfect otherness were manifest (Genesis 2:1–3). A second Sabbath points to the much more glorious work of a complete redemption for fallen sinners when He provides eternal rest from the burden and labor of fallenness (Matthew 11:28–30). Matthew arranged that statement of Jesus—“You will find rest for your souls”—as a redemptive context for the challenges concerning Sabbath that immediately follow in his narrative. We presently live within that manifestation of redemptive Sabbath and have promises and provisions for increasing knowledge, sanctification, security, and understanding within this Sabbath (Ephesians 4:11–16; 20–24; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:14–24; Hebrews 6:16–18; 10:19–25). The third and final revelation of Sabbath provision is the entry into eternal rest to participate with God in His imperturbable joy: “There remains, therefore, a rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4). No covenantal arrangement, therefore, renders the Sabbath command irrelevant, for each revelation of covenantal provision and promise increases the eternal purpose of striving to enter the Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:6, 8, 9, 11).
POEM
Reminding us that we are dust,
The Sabbath is for restoration.
The first fulfilling—God’s own Sabbath—
Pointed us to God’s creation.
Revel in this sovereign Lord,
Feast upon His every word.
Healing for our weary bodies
Refuge from the plague of sin,
Feel we faint, succumbed to fighting,
Seek we God’s sure cure within.
Rest for body and for soul,
Broken spirits here made whole.
Jesus, true and perfect temple,
Place where man and God unite,
Jesus Healer, fulfilled Sabbath,
Source of final rest’s delight.
His forgiving work is done.
Death’s corruption overcome.
Delight in Sabbath’s healing pow’r.
For now and everlasting life.
The word of truth and praise of God
From soul and body, banish strife.
Unendingly set in place,
Eternal witness to grace.
Away with thoughts of Sabbath’s end;
Now grasp it as God’s own pure love.
Essential Father, Spirit, Son
Revealing peace that reigns above.
“Lord of Sabbath, grant your rest,
Tongues of fire for love expressed.”
