True Sabbath Rest
LENT 2022 | DAY 14
Matthew 12:1-21 (NIV)
(David Khoo, Zone 13 Core Team Member, Small Group Ministry)
READ:
Matthew 12:1-21 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
Matthew 12:1-21 contrasts the Pharisees’ understanding of the Sabbath with that of Jesus. In response to their accusations that his disciples were not doing what is lawful on the Sabbath by plucking grains to eat, Jesus said: “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice’, you would not have condemned the guiltless”. (v6-7, ESV).
The Pharisees sought power and influence, placing burdensome laws on hungry disciples and men in need of healing alike. In comparison, Jesus, the Son of God, sought no glory from those he healed and avoided any attempt to increase his influence, ordering those he healed not to make him known that he might fulfil the prophesy in Isaiah 42:1-4.
How agitated and insecure the Pharisees were. In trying to ensure the right practice of the Sabbath, that holy day of rest, they prowled restlessly and were on the lookout for violations. It’s ironic.
APPLY:
How agitated and insecure is my own heart as I seek to practise the Sabbath in my own harried life. To leave my phone out of sight, keep the laptop shut and be present to my loved ones. To cease striving for a day and enjoy God’s gift of life and marvel at His creation as He exemplified. It’s a struggle. I am restless in seeking rest, constantly asking myself if I’m practising the Sabbath in the right way, judging others for not even trying. To my dismay, I find I’m no better than a Pharisee.
DO:
The solution to this self-consuming legalism? Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. The one in whom God is well pleased. In Him, even the bruised reed and the smouldering wick (v20) – the damaged and the vulnerable – are safe. To Him I can and will surrender even the labour of finding rest. In Him lies my salvation.
PRAY:
Lord, thank you for saving us from the fear that nothing we can do will ever be enough. By your Holy Spirit, teach me to abide in you, that I may find true Sabbath rest. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
