Dr. Paul Manuel—Sabbath Emphasis Day—2009
When people are committed to something, they will usually put forth their best effort, even when the task is difficult or dangerous.
During the Late Second Temple Period, the two great rabbinic schools of Hillel and Shammai debated a number of topics, some of which appear in the gospels. Pharisees of both schools would come to Jesus, wanting to know where he stood on such issues, especially when the schools differed. Although there is some speculation that Jesus was a student of Hillel (e.g., Falk 1985:115), he took an independent position.1 On some matters, he sided with the liberal view of Hillel (e.g., dedicated gifts); on other matters, he sided with conservative view of Shammai (e.g., vows, divorce). One of these debated issues was the manner in which a person should observe the Sabbath.
This was no trivial concern. God gave Israel the Sabbath after the nation's departure from Egypt. It was a sign of the people's special relationship to Him and a test of the their willingness to obey Him!2 Their desecration of the Sabbath was partially the cause of God's having sent them into exile.3 Consequently, when they returned to their land from Babylon, they were more careful in observing this command.4 Jesus encounters the proponents of a particularly strict group in Matt 12.5 and they discuss...6
I. A Matter of Hunger (vv. 1-8)
In the first illustration...
Jesus uses this incident to indicate that the need for food can override certain legal restrictions. Because David's situation was urgent, he could eat what was ordinarily forbidden in Torah. The disciples' need is not as acute, but, Jesus implies, their hunger is sufficient to override this narrow interpretation of Torah that prohibits plucking grain on the Sabbath.15
In the second illustration...16
Jesus uses this practice, as he did the previous incident, to indicate that certain needs can override legal restrictions.18 The disciples needed to eat, and their hunger was sufficient to override the narrow interpretation of Torah that prohibits plucking grain on the Sabbath.
Jesus criticizes these Pharisees for their insensitive attitude, their unwillingness to factor mercy into their obedience.
The passage raises an issue that is of importance to Seventh Day Baptists. We recognize that God set apart this day from other days in the week as a time of rest and that He commanded His people to abstain from work. We claim to keep the Sabbath, but we are not very clear or consistent about how to do it. What constitutes work? What constitutes rest? Is it permissible...
In this passage, the issue is food. While few people today gather their Sabbath sustenance directly from the fields, there are two food-related activities that we should consider. Is it permissible...
The first passage relevant to this issue is in Exod 16. When God gave the Sabbath to Israel, He marked it by providing a double portion of manna on the sixth day so they would not have to gather manna on their day of rest. That they also would not violate the prohibition against lighting a fire on the Sabbath, He told them to prepare their meals ahead of time.24
The second passage relevant to this issue is in Neh 13. When Jews initially returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon, they depended on local, gentile merchants for their food. One of the days on which these merchants brought their goods to the city was the Sabbath, and many Jews were making purchases then. Nehemiah condemned the practice as "wicked," saying25
Some Seventh Day Baptists regularly eat out on Sabbath afternoon to celebrate the day without burdening those who normally fix the meals. Their desire is admirable, even biblical. Isaiah says to "call the Sabbath a delight []" (58:13), a Hebrew word the prophet elsewhere associates with enjoying "the richest of fare" (55:2b). (Incidentally, for this reason, fasting on the Sabbath is traditionally forbidden.27 In fact, one is to save the best food of the week for Sabbath meals.) Nevertheless, making the Sabbath a "delight" by eating out is not biblical and is, in fact, contrary to what scripture teaches, not because of the labor it promotes for others but because of the commerce it entails for God's people.
I know that I am stepping on some toes here and that I have probably crossed the thin line separating preaching from meddling. Someone once said that...
When Christians choose a place to worship, what congregation they will join, they base their decision on different criteria. Here, in no particular order, are...
They go there because of.28
In Jesus' day among some Pharisees, the pendulum of Sabbath observance had swung to the extreme of prohibiting things God would commend. In our day, the pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme of permitting things God would condemn. There was a time not long ago, when many people regarded Sunday as the Sabbath.29 That belief led Christians, indeed, people in general, to treat the first day of the week with special reverence. They did not work, because they had the day off, and they did not shop, because the stores were closed. To operate a business on Sunday was, in fact, against the blue laws of many states.
I wish I could say that the repeal of those laws was because of people's spiritual awakening, their recognition of the true Sabbath, but the opposite is sadly the case. Blue laws have disappeared because of people's spiritual deadening, because of their desire to pursue their own interests rather than God's interests. Some Sabbatarians might think the abolition of blue laws was a good thing, because they encouraged people to observe the wrong day. The decline of Sunday observance has not, however, translated into greater Sabbath observance. Quite the contrary, what was once an entire day devoted to God, albeit the first day, has become abbreviated to part of the morning, so people can use the rest of the day for other things, unless they also have something else to do that morning, in which case they just skip church.
That attitude has spilled over onto the Sabbath community, as people who once devoted the entire seventh day to God now imitate their Sunday brethren. Sabbath-keeping has become Sabbath-morning-keeping, unless they have something else to do, in which case they just skip church. What do you observe: the whole day, part of the day, or just what is convenient? ...The decision you face is to join the trend or buck the trend. Have you fulfilled your religious obligation by attending church in the morning, leaving the rest of the day for other interests? ...Hear what God says through Isaiah:
Jesus is addressing a particular problem, though, and we must not read into his remarks more than he intended. We must not swing to the opposite extreme from these Pharisees and think Sabbath observance is a subjective matter without clear guidelines, God's leaving its observance entirely to our discretion. If we would keep the Sabbath that God has given, then we must keep the Sabbath as He intended.... Are you doing that, or are you doing something else?
Most people would like to assist others, especially if they can offer the benefit of sage counsel.
The Pharisees in Matt 12 probably want to assist others with sage counsel to keep them from transgressing God's laws. That will not work, though, if these religious leaders do not understand the situation, as Jesus explains concerning The Law and the Sabbath.
The Pharisees were concerned with keeping the Lord's commands, because disobedience had sent their ancestors into exile, and only obedience could prevent a recurrence of that tragic period. The primary gauge by which God assesses Israel's spiritual condition is the nation's compliance with His commandments, especially the Sabbath ordinance.30 How the people treat God's holy day, by refraining from work, often indicates how much they regard His other decrees. To preserve the integrity of the Sabbath, the rabbis debated what actually constituted work. While they agreed on most issues, others remained unresolved. One such issue was the type of medical treatment a person could receive on the seventh day. Please turn to Matt 12, where Jesus encounters the proponents of a particularly strict group, and they discuss...31
II. A Matter of Health (vv. 9-14)
The Pharisees in Matt 12 are not so accommodating. They are not objecting to Jesus' healing the man, only to his doing it on the Sabbath.35 This person has apparently been paralyzed for some time, and his condition is not critical. Therefore, delaying his treatment one more day would not worsen his malady.36
Whether or not these Pharisees are the same ones who challenged him earlier, Jesus apparently knows their position. In the previous incident, they accused the disciples of desecrating God's holy day, stating that it is unlawful to harvest on the Sabbath. Here, they make a similar accusation but pose it in the form of a question: "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" Jesus answers by challenging them to take a broader view of what God intends for this day and cites...
J. Robertson McQuilkin, president of Columbia Bible College, says, "It is easier to go to a consistent extreme than to stay in the center of biblical tension." In both incidents, the one in the grain field and the one in the synagogue, these Pharisees adopted a position at one extreme. They focused on the prohibitions and built their understanding of the Sabbath upon them, rather than considering all God has said and developing a more comprehensive perspective. Most Christians today make much the same error, although at the opposite extreme, ignoring the prohibitions and disregarding the Sabbath altogether. Only Seventh Day Baptists are in the center of biblical tension! Right? ...Do not kid yourselves. We are just as susceptible to error.
In response to the narrow view these Pharisees hold, Jesus takes a broad view. While they restrict what is lawful, Jesus expands what is lawful. We, of course, agree with Jesus' interpretation. Yet, do we commit the same error these Pharisees make, albeit in the opposite direction?
We must not make more of Jesus' statement than the context allows. In this passage, the issue is health. What will ease a person's suffering on God's holy day? In modern society, medical personnel would probably be among those whose work on the Sabbath fulfills the law by contributing to the healing of others. We should be careful, though, not to dilute the concept of healing to include tasks only remotely related or whose postponement to another day would not matter. To determine if an activity falls in the scope of this exception, as Jesus explains it, we can ask the question: Is my primary motivation and does my activity serve to alleviate someone else's immediate suffering that waiting until after the Sabbath would not accomplish?49
The Sabbath is one of the most visible commands the Lord has given to Israel and the most distinctive command Seventh Day Baptists have adopted. With that or any other precept, obedience to God distinguishes the people of God. He expects it; He demands it; but He does not force it, which is an example of His mercy to us.
Your obedience must be voluntary. It must also be measured carefully in accord with all God has revealed not just with the parts you like, unlike the Pharisees in this passage.
Again, God does not compel your compliance. Concerning the Sabbath or any of His other commands, how much you obey Him, even whether or not you obey Him, is up to you. So, are you distinguishing yourself as a disciple of Jesus by your devotion to God? Keep in mind that your answer has consequences for your future.
As Jesus said earlier...
We, therefore, should pay careful attention to what he says here about The Law and the Sabbath. So, how would Jesus evaluate your observance of the Sabbath?
One night a fire broke out in a chemical plant outside a small town. Before long, the whole building erupted into flames, and an alarm went out to neighboring communities, with several fire departments responding. After fighting the blaze for over an hour, the president of the chemical company approached the fire chief and said, "Our formulas are in the vault in the center of the plant. They must be saved! I will give $50,000 to the engine company that brings them out undamaged!" As soon as the chief heard this, he ordered his men to strengthen their efforts. After two more hours of fighting the fire, which continued to rage out of control, the president of the company doubled his offer: $100,000 to the crew that could bring out the company's files.When people are committed to something, as these elderly fire fighters were committed to battling the blaze, it may not be for a reason you would expect or, as some Pharisees were committed to the Sabbath, it may not be for a reason you would commend. That is the case in Matt 12, where Jesus challenges them to reconsider their interpretation of The Law and the Sabbath.
From the distance came the sound of a lone siren as another fire truck came into view. It was a volunteer company composed entirely of men over 65. To everyone's amazement, the engine raced through the chemical plant gates into the middle of the inferno. The other firemen watched as the old timers hopped off their rig and began to battle the fire with an effort they had never seen before. After some time of intense fighting, the company of senior firefighters had extinguished the blaze and saved the formulas. Ecstatic, the plant president announced that he would double the reward again to $200,000. After expressing his gratitude to each of the elderly volunteers, the president asked the captain of the group what they would do with the reward money. "The first thing we're going to do," the captain answered..."is fix the brakes on that truck!"
During the Late Second Temple Period, the two great rabbinic schools of Hillel and Shammai debated a number of topics, some of which appear in the gospels. Pharisees of both schools would come to Jesus, wanting to know where he stood on such issues, especially when the schools differed. Although there is some speculation that Jesus was a student of Hillel (e.g., Falk 1985:115), he took an independent position.1 On some matters, he sided with the liberal view of Hillel (e.g., dedicated gifts); on other matters, he sided with conservative view of Shammai (e.g., vows, divorce). One of these debated issues was the manner in which a person should observe the Sabbath.
This was no trivial concern. God gave Israel the Sabbath after the nation's departure from Egypt. It was a sign of the people's special relationship to Him and a test of the their willingness to obey Him!2 Their desecration of the Sabbath was partially the cause of God's having sent them into exile.3 Consequently, when they returned to their land from Babylon, they were more careful in observing this command.4 Jesus encounters the proponents of a particularly strict group in Matt 12.5 and they discuss...6
I. A Matter of Hunger (vv. 1-8)
Matt 12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath.7 His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath." 3 He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5 Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? 6 1 tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' [Hos 6:6a] you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."As I mentioned, Sabbath observance was an issue that divided the schools of Hillel and Shammai. Both schools recognized the importance of this day as a time to rest from one's labor, but they disagreed over what precisely constituted labor (so also Davies 1991:307).8 God made it clear that most farm work, apart from such necessary activities as tending livestock, is unlawful on the Sabbath. He says in...9
Exod 34:21 Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.It is probably disciples of Shammai whom Jesus encounters in this chapter.10
A. The Pharisees' assertion...according to their strict definition, is that the disciples are harvesting,11 that....
Jesus challenges them to take a broader view of what God intends for this day and cites two illustrations of...
- Plucking grain is work and, thus, is unlawful.
B. The Scriptures' exception12...activities that would not be permissible under their strict interpretation but which they would still accept as permissible.
In the first illustration...
Every Sabbath, the priests place twelve loaves of freshly baked bread (signifying the twelve tribes) before the Lord in the sanctuary, and remove the bread of the previous Sabbath. Because the week-old loaves have been consecrated, only the priests may eat them.13 David's situation, however, is extreme. He fled the capital in haste, fearing for his life, and had been unable to gather adequate provisions for his men. Wary of those in the general populace who were loyal to King Saul, David sought the aid of Ahimelech, the priest, and asked for the bread that had been in the sanctuary. The priest granted his request.141. David ate what was normally unlawful.
Jesus uses this incident to indicate that the need for food can override certain legal restrictions. Because David's situation was urgent, he could eat what was ordinarily forbidden in Torah. The disciples' need is not as acute, but, Jesus implies, their hunger is sufficient to override this narrow interpretation of Torah that prohibits plucking grain on the Sabbath.15
In the second illustration...16
God prohibits work on the Sabbath, yet every Sabbath the priests perform tasks that constitute work. The sanctuary does not close on the weekend. In fact, the Sabbath is the busiest day of the week. The increased attendance and extra offerings add to the normal priestly schedule, requiring them to do more of what God ordinarily forbids.17 Nevertheless, because the priests perform a necessary service, God permits it.2. Priests do what is normally unlawful.
Jesus uses this practice, as he did the previous incident, to indicate that certain needs can override legal restrictions.18 The disciples needed to eat, and their hunger was sufficient to override the narrow interpretation of Torah that prohibits plucking grain on the Sabbath.
C. The Rabbi's decision...does not abrogate the law by permitting here what God forbade in Exodus. Rather, Jesus is saying that these Pharisees are applying the prohibition against harvesting on the Sabbath too strictly. He questions their grasp of the material, suggesting that, in several areas...
It is not enough to develop a doctrine from a single passage when other texts may shed additional or different light on the matter. Twice Jesus asks them, "Haven't you read' what else the Bible says?"19 The illustrations he cites are relevant to the issue and indicate that it is not black-and-white, as these men assume. Had they broadened their investigation, they would not have reached so narrow an interpretation. By failing to consider such passages, these Pharisees show themselves ignorant...1. The Pharisees are ignorant.
Had they been paying attention to Jesus' ministry—his teaching and his miracles—they would also have realized that God is doing something quite extraordinary in their midst, "greater [even] than the temple." Jesus is probably alluding to himself, that he not just another rabbi. These men, however, are so engrossed in defending their position that they are missing the big picture. By fixating on this minor issue, these Pharisees also show themselves ignorant...a. Of the scriptures' intention
Moreover, the charge they bring—of desecrating the Sabbath—shows no concern for the disciples' hunger. Perhaps the demands of ministry have prevented the disciples from eating. Perhaps the funds for ministry have been insufficient to purchase food. The Pharisees do not ask how long it has been since the disciples ate. They do not offer to help the disciples. Like those in Hosea's day, they think commands are unrelated to compassion. They do not understand that God "desire[s] mercy, not [just] sacrifice." All they care about are rules. By making their agenda preeminent, these Pharisees also show themselves ignorant...b. Of the messiah's identity
Adopting a very narrow interpretation, they charge the disciples with violating God's law. Jesus does not agree with their interpretation. God does prohibit harvesting on the Sabbath, but the disciples were not harvesting. They were satisfying a legitimate need in a legitimate way. Contrary to this accusation...c. Of the prophet's instruction
I said earlier that in discussions about the law, Jesus often sided with one of the two great rabbinic schools. If these Pharisees are disciples of Shammai, who generally took a restrictive position, and Jesus is agreeing with Hillel, who generally took a permissive position, then the discussion could have ended in v. 7. Jesus, however, offers one final support for his ruling in v. 8: "the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." It is a startling assertion, a blatant claim to authority that neither Hillel nor Shammai ever made.2. The disciples are innocent.
Jesus criticizes these Pharisees for their insensitive attitude, their unwillingness to factor mercy into their obedience.
The right choice should be obvious to you, but it is not. You have not read (vv. 3, 5) the law carefully, taking into account all God has said on the matter. Instead, you have considered only those portions of scripture that fit or support your narrow concept of proper Sabbath observance. More importantly, in your narrow-mindedness, you have missed something of even greater significance...me!Because Matthew records no reaction from other Pharisees, who would not have allowed such a comment to pass unchallenged, Jesus may have said this only to the disciples.20 If so, it surely affects their understanding of his identity and authority.21
The passage raises an issue that is of importance to Seventh Day Baptists. We recognize that God set apart this day from other days in the week as a time of rest and that He commanded His people to abstain from work. We claim to keep the Sabbath, but we are not very clear or consistent about how to do it. What constitutes work? What constitutes rest? Is it permissible...
- To play sports,
- To watch TV,
- To go shopping?
- For a farmer to bale hay on the Sabbath,
- For a painter to paint his son's bedroom on the Sabbath,
- For a politician to campaign on the Sabbath.22
In this passage, the issue is food. While few people today gather their Sabbath sustenance directly from the fields, there are two food-related activities that we should consider. Is it permissible...
- To eat out on the Sabbath?
- Some people advocate eating out to avoid desecrating the Sabbath with extensive food preparation.
- To prepare a meal on the Sabbath?
Because Jesus' criticism of the Pharisees here is that they base their answer on too little biblical evidence, it is important to consider whatever might be pertinent, and two others texts help answer these questions.
- Some people advocate eating in to avoid making others desecrate the Sabbath with extensive food preparation.23
The first passage relevant to this issue is in Exod 16. When God gave the Sabbath to Israel, He marked it by providing a double portion of manna on the sixth day so they would not have to gather manna on their day of rest. That they also would not violate the prohibition against lighting a fire on the Sabbath, He told them to prepare their meals ahead of time.24
Exod 16:23b-c ...bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning."Although God no longer supplies manna, His instruction about meal preparation is relevant to this discussion. Recognizing the effort of food preparation, God did not advise the Israelites to eat out but instructed them to fix their Sabbath meals on Friday. Modern appliances, such as the electric range and microwave oven, have greatly reduced the labor of this task and have eliminated the need to build a fire. Nevertheless, the way to avoid extensive, meal-related labor is to prepare as much as possible before the Sabbath begins.
The second passage relevant to this issue is in Neh 13. When Jews initially returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon, they depended on local, gentile merchants for their food. One of the days on which these merchants brought their goods to the city was the Sabbath, and many Jews were making purchases then. Nehemiah condemned the practice as "wicked," saying25
Neh 13:18b ...you are stirring up...wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.The different religious convictions of the gentile vendors, that they did not keep the seventh day (and probably kept no particular day), was not a mitigating factor for those in Nehemiah's day, nor should it be for us today.26 For God's people, to buy goods on the Sabbath, even food, is contrary to the holiness of the day. This would rule out grocery shopping and eating in restaurants.
Some Seventh Day Baptists regularly eat out on Sabbath afternoon to celebrate the day without burdening those who normally fix the meals. Their desire is admirable, even biblical. Isaiah says to "call the Sabbath a delight []" (58:13), a Hebrew word the prophet elsewhere associates with enjoying "the richest of fare" (55:2b). (Incidentally, for this reason, fasting on the Sabbath is traditionally forbidden.27 In fact, one is to save the best food of the week for Sabbath meals.) Nevertheless, making the Sabbath a "delight" by eating out is not biblical and is, in fact, contrary to what scripture teaches, not because of the labor it promotes for others but because of the commerce it entails for God's people.
I know that I am stepping on some toes here and that I have probably crossed the thin line separating preaching from meddling. Someone once said that...
When a minister steps behind the pulpit, he should not assume that everyone in the congregation is sitting expectantly on the edge of the pew, waiting for his sermon. In reality, some are probably a bit bored...and harbor the suspicion that he will make matters worse. (Adapted from Hodgin 1998:259)That may be what I have just done, but I would be remiss in my duty as pastor if I did not bring this to the attention of those who have a conviction to keep the Sabbath. We may not like it, and we could probably find an excuse to disregard it, but if we are trying to please God, especially on His holy day, then we should avoid activities that might displease Him. We could, of course, escape the problem altogether by changing the name of the congregation to the "German First-Day Baptist Church," but that might be too radical.
When Christians choose a place to worship, what congregation they will join, they base their decision on different criteria. Here, in no particular order, are...
Ten Reasons Christians Attend a Particular Church
They go there because of.28
- People: The congregation is friendly.
- Parents: It's where I grew up.
- Pastor: He's a nice fellow.
- Politics: They take a stand on important social issues.
- Practices (polity): Women do (or do not) have leadership positions.
- Proximity: It's close to home.
- Programs: There are activities for various age groups.
- Preaching: The messages are informative or inspiring.
- Principles: The doctrine is sound.
In Jesus' day among some Pharisees, the pendulum of Sabbath observance had swung to the extreme of prohibiting things God would commend. In our day, the pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme of permitting things God would condemn. There was a time not long ago, when many people regarded Sunday as the Sabbath.29 That belief led Christians, indeed, people in general, to treat the first day of the week with special reverence. They did not work, because they had the day off, and they did not shop, because the stores were closed. To operate a business on Sunday was, in fact, against the blue laws of many states.
I wish I could say that the repeal of those laws was because of people's spiritual awakening, their recognition of the true Sabbath, but the opposite is sadly the case. Blue laws have disappeared because of people's spiritual deadening, because of their desire to pursue their own interests rather than God's interests. Some Sabbatarians might think the abolition of blue laws was a good thing, because they encouraged people to observe the wrong day. The decline of Sunday observance has not, however, translated into greater Sabbath observance. Quite the contrary, what was once an entire day devoted to God, albeit the first day, has become abbreviated to part of the morning, so people can use the rest of the day for other things, unless they also have something else to do that morning, in which case they just skip church.
That attitude has spilled over onto the Sabbath community, as people who once devoted the entire seventh day to God now imitate their Sunday brethren. Sabbath-keeping has become Sabbath-morning-keeping, unless they have something else to do, in which case they just skip church. What do you observe: the whole day, part of the day, or just what is convenient? ...The decision you face is to join the trend or buck the trend. Have you fulfilled your religious obligation by attending church in the morning, leaving the rest of the day for other interests? ...Hear what God says through Isaiah:
Isa 58:13 If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day [not just His holy morning] honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, 14a then you will find your joy in the LORD....Jesus says that the Pharisees who criticize the disciples for plucking grain on the Sabbath, because such activity is contrary to the prohibition against harvesting, have too strict a view of what God expects from His people. They need to improve their grasp of the issue, to appreciate the scripture's intention, to apprehend the messiah's identity, and to apply the prophet's instruction.
Jesus is addressing a particular problem, though, and we must not read into his remarks more than he intended. We must not swing to the opposite extreme from these Pharisees and think Sabbath observance is a subjective matter without clear guidelines, God's leaving its observance entirely to our discretion. If we would keep the Sabbath that God has given, then we must keep the Sabbath as He intended.... Are you doing that, or are you doing something else?
*****************
Most people would like to assist others, especially if they can offer the benefit of sage counsel.
Sandy began a job as an elementary school counselor, and she was eager to help. One day during recess, she noticed a girl standing by herself on one side of the playing field while the rest of the kids enjoyed a game of soccer at the other. Sandy approached and asked if she was all right. The girl said she was. A little while later, however, Sandy noticed the girl was in the same spot, still by herself. Approaching again, Sandy offered, "Would you like me to be your friend?" The girl hesitated, looking at the woman suspiciously, then said, "Okay." Feeling she was making progress, Sandy then asked, "Why are you standing here all alone?" "Because," the little girl said with great exasperation... "I'm the goalie!"Most people would like to assist others, especially if they can offer the benefit of sage counsel. That may not work, though, if they do not understand the situation.
The Pharisees in Matt 12 probably want to assist others with sage counsel to keep them from transgressing God's laws. That will not work, though, if these religious leaders do not understand the situation, as Jesus explains concerning The Law and the Sabbath.
The Pharisees were concerned with keeping the Lord's commands, because disobedience had sent their ancestors into exile, and only obedience could prevent a recurrence of that tragic period. The primary gauge by which God assesses Israel's spiritual condition is the nation's compliance with His commandments, especially the Sabbath ordinance.30 How the people treat God's holy day, by refraining from work, often indicates how much they regard His other decrees. To preserve the integrity of the Sabbath, the rabbis debated what actually constituted work. While they agreed on most issues, others remained unresolved. One such issue was the type of medical treatment a person could receive on the seventh day. Please turn to Matt 12, where Jesus encounters the proponents of a particularly strict group, and they discuss...31
II. A Matter of Health (vv. 9-14)
Malt 12:9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" 11 He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." 13 Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.From Matthew's statement in v. 9, we might get the impression that this incident happened immediately after the discussion earlier in the chapter about a matter of hunger. Luke, however, records that this event took place on "another Sabbath" (6:6). Whether these Pharisees were the same ones who commented on the grain field incident is unknown.32 Either way, they hold a similarly narrow view of what activities are permissible on the Sabbath. Standing before them is a man in obvious need of the healing attention that Jesus can give. Nevertheless...
A. The Pharisees' assumptionis that...
As I said, medical treatment was one issue the rabbis debated. Some held that any care to relieve suffering is permissible.33 If a person has a sore eye...
- Treating disease is work and, thus, is unlawful.
b 'Abod Zar 28b Rab Judah [bar Ezekiel; d. 2991 declared that it was permissible to paint the eye [with a salve] on the Sabbath.Others held that only care for life-threatening situations is permissible. If a person falls and breaks his leg, he must wait until sundown to receive treatment because...
m Shabb 22:6 [on the Sabbath] they may not set a fracture.Some authorities attempt to satisfy both sides.34
m Yoma 8:6 R. Mattathia b. Cheresh [mid-2nd c.] said: If one has a sore throat, he may pour medicine into his mouth on the Sabbath because there is a doubt whether there is a danger to life.That is, left untreated, his sore throat could become life-threatening.
The Pharisees in Matt 12 are not so accommodating. They are not objecting to Jesus' healing the man, only to his doing it on the Sabbath.35 This person has apparently been paralyzed for some time, and his condition is not critical. Therefore, delaying his treatment one more day would not worsen his malady.36
Whether or not these Pharisees are the same ones who challenged him earlier, Jesus apparently knows their position. In the previous incident, they accused the disciples of desecrating God's holy day, stating that it is unlawful to harvest on the Sabbath. Here, they make a similar accusation but pose it in the form of a question: "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" Jesus answers by challenging them to take a broader view of what God intends for this day and cites...
B. The Shepherd's exception37...an activity they would condone but that actually would not be permissible under their strict interpretation.38 He says...
If a sheep falls into a ditch, getting him out can be quite a job and not at all conducive to one's Sabbath rest. It also involves a task that God prohibits.39 We read in...
- Livestock may need what is normally unlawful.
Jer 17:21 This is what the LORD says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day....Hoisting an animal out of a ditch certainly entails carrying a load, something Jesus does not deny.40 On the contrary, he uses it to make the point—a point with which even this particular group of Pharisees would agree—that some situations override Sabbath restrictions.41 Ignoring the sheep's plight would be cruel and would certainly not reflect the way God expects His people to treat their livestock (perhaps especially on the Sabbath). In fact, God makes specific provision for animals on the Sabbath.42 He says in...
Exod 20:10 On [the Sabbath] you shall not do any work, neither you...nor your animals.Leaving the sheep to struggle in a ditch, perhaps injuring itself further, even to the point of death, is not what this command has in view. In the synagogue that day, the man's need is not as acute—he is not in danger of death—but because God values human life more than animal life,43 this man's health is sufficient to override an interpretation of Torah that prohibits healing on the Sabbath.44
C. The Rabbi's decision...does not abrogate the law by permitting here what God forbade in Exodus. Rather, Jesus is saying that these Pharisees are applying the prohibition against laboring on the Sabbath too strictly. He questions their grasp of the material, suggesting that, in two areas...
It is easy to restrict what someone else may do when you have no stake in the matter. These Pharisees are not suffering the same disorder this man is, so his waiting another day for relief does not affect them. As a result, they are unwilling to accord him the same consideration they would give an animal. The illustration Jesus cites of the sheep is relevant to the issue and indicates that it is not blackand-white, as these men assume. Had they broadened their investigation, they would not have reached so narrow an interpretation. By failing to consider the man's plight, these Pharisees show themselves insensitive...1. The Pharisees are insensitive.
At its very heart, the purpose of Torah is to enhance life not endanger it.45 God says in...a. To the law's implication
Lev 18:5a Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them.This does not mean that obedience is easy or that the reward is immediately evident but that, as John says, God's "commands are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3).46 He has designed them for the benefit of His people, not their detriment. His commands are an expression of His compassion, the same compassion His people are to exhibit, and they should certainly show no less compassion to their brothers than they would toward their livestock. By ignoring this underlying concern, these Pharisees also show themselves insensitive...
They are trying to trap Jesus when they ask, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" They know he will say "yes" and hope to use that answer to turn against him other Pharisees who may think as they do. Jesus, however, is shrewder than they expect. He turns the tables on them with an answer they cannot refute.47 "It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath"—and "[i]f it is lawful to do good, it must be lawful to heal" (Davies 1991:321). The Sabbath is not to be a time of solitude from others but a time of service to others. Standing before them is both an opportunity and an obligation to fulfill God's intention for the Sabbath, because...b. To the day's intention
As I said before, it is easy to restrict what someone else may do when you have no stake in the matter. When Rab Judah declared that it was permissible to apply eye salve on the Sabbath, a contemporary, R. Samuel disagreed, saying "He who acts according to [Rab] Judah profanes the Sabbath" (b 'Abod Zar 28b). After some time, R. Samuel himself developed eye trouble, and he asked Rab Judah if it was permitted after all to treat his eye on the Sabbath. Rab Judah replied, "To everyone else it is permitted, but to you it is forbidden." His point is that those who do not show mercy should not expect to be shown mercy.48 How the Pharisees in Matt 12 might have changed their tune if they were the ones suffering!2. The man is in need.
J. Robertson McQuilkin, president of Columbia Bible College, says, "It is easier to go to a consistent extreme than to stay in the center of biblical tension." In both incidents, the one in the grain field and the one in the synagogue, these Pharisees adopted a position at one extreme. They focused on the prohibitions and built their understanding of the Sabbath upon them, rather than considering all God has said and developing a more comprehensive perspective. Most Christians today make much the same error, although at the opposite extreme, ignoring the prohibitions and disregarding the Sabbath altogether. Only Seventh Day Baptists are in the center of biblical tension! Right? ...Do not kid yourselves. We are just as susceptible to error.
In response to the narrow view these Pharisees hold, Jesus takes a broad view. While they restrict what is lawful, Jesus expands what is lawful. We, of course, agree with Jesus' interpretation. Yet, do we commit the same error these Pharisees make, albeit in the opposite direction?
- They include many activities in their definition of work and allow few exceptions.
- We include few activities and allow many exceptions.
- They often ask, "What is lawful?"
To a specific inquiry about healing, Jesus gives a general answer: Do good. We may take this as encouragement to avoid specifics, as if the danger to proper observance lies in defining the Sabbath with detailed rules, but that is simply the danger at one extreme. At the other extreme, the danger to proper observance lies in defining the Sabbath without rules. That is where many Seventh Day Baptists are. So, what constitutes doing good on the Sabbath? Is it good...
- We rarely ask, "What is lawful?"
- To show a friend how to solve those tricky homework problems?
- To help a neighbor install his new Jacuzzi?
- To fix your mother-in-law's garage door?
- To cut your mother's lawn?
- To have a friend explain how to do your homework, or
- To ask a neighbor for help installing your Jacuzzi, or
- To allow your son-in-law to fix your garage door, or
- To expect your mother to cut your lawn.
We must not make more of Jesus' statement than the context allows. In this passage, the issue is health. What will ease a person's suffering on God's holy day? In modern society, medical personnel would probably be among those whose work on the Sabbath fulfills the law by contributing to the healing of others. We should be careful, though, not to dilute the concept of healing to include tasks only remotely related or whose postponement to another day would not matter. To determine if an activity falls in the scope of this exception, as Jesus explains it, we can ask the question: Is my primary motivation and does my activity serve to alleviate someone else's immediate suffering that waiting until after the Sabbath would not accomplish?49
The Sabbath is one of the most visible commands the Lord has given to Israel and the most distinctive command Seventh Day Baptists have adopted. With that or any other precept, obedience to God distinguishes the people of God. He expects it; He demands it; but He does not force it, which is an example of His mercy to us.
Your obedience must be voluntary. It must also be measured carefully in accord with all God has revealed not just with the parts you like, unlike the Pharisees in this passage.
- Obedience requires you to develop an increasingly comprehensive grasp of the scriptures, which you will not get from occasional exposure to God's word once a week.
- Choose a biblical book or subject, something that interests you or that relates to a problem you are facing, and find out more about it.
Make your contact with God's word more than a brief or weekly encounter.
- Make a list of questions, and ask someone whose grasp of the scriptures you trust, who would know the answers or, at least, be able to point you in the right direction.
- Obedience also requires you to distinguish what is clear in scripture from what is not, and to treat them differently.
- The former you must hold firmly, unwavering in your commitment to believe it or practice it.
Recognize what God's word stresses and what it treats only lightly.
- The latter you must hold as well, but loosely, ready to revise your understanding should more information come to your attention.
Again, God does not compel your compliance. Concerning the Sabbath or any of His other commands, how much you obey Him, even whether or not you obey Him, is up to you. So, are you distinguishing yourself as a disciple of Jesus by your devotion to God? Keep in mind that your answer has consequences for your future.
As Jesus said earlier...
Matt 5:19b whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.Matthew says these Pharisees came "to accuse Jesus" (v. 10). By forcing him to take a position contrary to theirs, they hoped to discredit him in the eyes of their colleagues and others. Their actions, however, have quite the opposite effect by turning what might have been a private healing into a public display of power. With no way to answer the obvious proof of Jesus' authority, "the Pharisees went out" to plot against him.50 The narrative continues...
Matt 12:15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, 16 warning them not to tell who he was.Commenting on Jesus' low profile,51 Matthew closes this account of this incident, saying,
Matt 12:17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18 "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19 He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. 21 In his name the nations will put their hope." I Isa 42:1-31This prophecy from Isa is a reminder that Jesus' ministry had implications for gentiles ("the nations") as well as for Jews.52
We, therefore, should pay careful attention to what he says here about The Law and the Sabbath. So, how would Jesus evaluate your observance of the Sabbath?
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Relevant and civil comments are welcome. Whether there will be any response depends on whether Dr. Manuel notices them and has the time and inclination to respond or, if not, whether I feel competent to do so.
Jim Skaggs