Matthew 12:9-12 - It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath

12:9,10

Jesus is now going to demonstrate His Lordship over the Sabbath, and show the difference between God’s intention for the Sabbath, and the Pharisees approach. Jesus went into a synagogue, the one that these Pharisees were connected with. In the synagogue was a man with a shrivelled hand. We see first the heart of the Pharisees, the darkened heart of the Pharisees. What did they see when they saw the man with the shrivelled hand? They saw this as an opportunity to further accuse Jesus. The man was a mere object, a pawn who could be used to further their ends. So they took the battle to Jesus and asked if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath.

12:11,12

Jesus’ answer exposed the sin that resided in the hearts of the Pharisees. What would they do if a sheep or goat had fallen into a pit on the Sabbath? There were some very strict sects, like the Essenes, who would indeed have left it till the next day, but the Pharisees would have rescued the animal. So Jesus then points out that a man is much more valuable than an animal. “Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” sums up the whole matter. God sees the Sabbath as a day of healing. Indeed, it is meant to be a day of healing and restoration for all of us, not just when we have a clear medical need. God meant it as a day of healing and restoration, the Pharisees had turned it into a nightmare, a day full of traps and pitfalls, when, in their eyes, it was so easy to offend God. We need to be very wary of setting rules and regulations, for we can so easily turn something that was meant to be good into a nightmare.