The Jewish leaders attempt to use a Pharisaic law to trap Jesus:
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These are words that must have confused the Jewish leaders to no end because they were so focused on rules and regulations that they completely missed the point. The cross-references quickly take us back to Samuel’s words of rebuke for Israel’s first king when Saul did not obey God’s command and Samuel said: “To obey is better than sacrifice…because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king” (1 Samuel 15:22-23). Hosea refers to this in his discourse on the unrepentant Israel, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6), the very words that Jesus uses in Matthew 12:7 in an attempt to get people to seek God and not laws written by men.
In Mark and Luke’s accounts of the story Jesus points back to David and the time when his men were running from Saul, the time they too were hungry and ate that which was not typically allowed–ok, it was illegal for them–yet God did not punish them for this transgression (1 Samuel 21:1-6).
It amazes me how Jesus is able to reach back through history and pull references to Saul and David long before Bibles were commonplace, a time when scrolls were carefully protected in synagogues and priests maintained careful control. This is part of his amazing testimony to those who heard him preach, his knowledge far surpassed those who had committed their lives to study of the scrolls, yet Jesus knew more than they did.
But more than just knowing more, Jesus understands why the scrolls were written, the intent behind the words and even God’s redemptive plan for salvation. All of this is out of reach for the religious leaders of his time and should serve as a warning to us in our time. Here’s another great example of how far from reality the leaders had drifted:
Really? It’s no big deal that Jesus can heal people? Sorry, we’re closed today, be sick another day. As unbelievable as it sounds, I’m sure I’ve said words like this before, drawn some line that was not appropriate or provided some obscure conclusion that made no sense. These words of scripture provide a warning for us to be careful not to judge as well as a reminder that God is far greater than any rules we might devise. We must constantly evaluate what we’re doing to ensure we haven’t slipped into the rut these leaders found themselves in. I’d like to imagine the synagogue leader quoted above heard those words echo and came to his senses; perhaps his wife elbowed him when he sat down and explained carefully just how ridiculous he sounded. Perhaps or perhaps not. What we do know is some did hear and raised eyebrows, some did turn from these erroneous teachings are started to listen to Jesus.
If it could happen then, it can happen now and it’s up to us to figure out ways to meet people where they are and show that Jesus is the Lord of all, that he desperately wants all to be part of his plan for eternity. How we do this is different for everyone in every case, but we have a blueprint in the form of the Bible that provides clues for us to follow. The more we understand the Bible, the more we can draw on the wisdom that it provides. Lord help us learn from your Word far beyond memorization of quoting random verses, help us to understand the “why” for the sake of others.