Verse: Matthew 12:9-12
He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 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. 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? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
Devotion
I just love how Jesus answers the Pharisees here and in so many other passages. They are always seeking to trip him up with the law and their tricky questions. I wonder if they sat around trying to trip each other up for fun, and arguing their points. I imagine they did. They probably had a list of their best stumpers just waiting to use them. But not only did Jesus never get stumped, he used his perfect knowledge of the law to teach and bring deeper understanding to those listening.
Each time he is asked a question like this, he shows those listening(and us) what the spirit of the law is, and how much more important that is than the letter of the law. Have you ever hidden behind the letter of the law? I’m sure I have. And I’m pretty sure the Pharisees had as well. Perhaps they had refused to help someone on the sabbath because it was “unlawful”. Or maybe used the law to bring shame on someone else, and thereby make themselves look more holy. Jesus told us that the law is summed up by love, essentially(Matthew 22:36 and John 13:34). The law is not about judgement, but rather about grace, and it points to Jesus, who was the only one able to keep the law perfectly and do so for our sake.
I am so grateful that Jesus taught us clearly where our priorities should lie. Not in checking off boxes, which is a trap I so easily fall into, but in caring for one another. In looking for ways to help and treating each other with the love and grace that was so freely given to us. And not just our families and friends, but all those we meet.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for your kindness to us. You didn’t leave us stuck in our sin, and unable to change. You’ve given us the greatest sacrificial love, and empowered us to live out of that. Help us to lean into your love, be filled, and pour it out to those around us!
Author: Emily Costa
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