[1]NASHVILLE (BP) – This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum.
Bible Passages: Matthew 12:1-14
Discussion Questions:
- What key words or phrases describe the legalism promoted by the Pharisees in Matthew 12:1-14?
- What words or phrases describe the mercy offered by Jesus?
- What role should religious tradition play in the practice of our faith?
- What does this passage teach us about Jesus and His expectations of His followers?
Food for thought:
We love freedom. Seldom do we like it when someone tells us what to do, and we often chafe against rules that limit our freedom. While most people in an orderly society follow the rules willingly, we occasionally hear of situations that demand a rule or regulation be set aside.
When established rules become burdensome or unreasonable, we often become angry at the system.
The Sabbath rest was a centerpiece in Judaism. But over time, religious leaders let their manmade ideas about the law twist what God actually intended. When the disciples picked grain from the field, the Pharisees accused them of violating the Sabbath. To the Pharisees, picking grain was harvesting, while rubbing the grain to separate the kernel from the husk was threshing.
[2]Mosaic law allowed the disciples to take some of the grain (Deuteronomy 23:25). But the Pharisees cared more about their own traditions than about God’s law and His people.
Jesus responded with an account from 1 Samuel 21, a story these experts of the law would have known well. A priest gave the Bread of the Presence to David and his men for nourishment. Jesus was saying that some needs supersede ceremonial law. Showing mercy is more important that protecting traditions.
The second illustration from the Old Testament involved the temple priests who offered daily sacrifices – even on the Sabbath. God declared them innocent of violating the Sabbath because they were doing what was necessary in worship. Jesus concluded with a startling claim: “Something greater than the temple is here” (Matthew 12:6). His authority superseded the authority and the traditions of the Pharisees. As the Son of God, Jesus is greater than manmade laws. Quoting Hosea 6:6, Jesus reiterated that God places compassion ahead of ritual.
The Pharisees had condemned the innocent by focusing on rules. But Jesus had the authority to untangle their twisted Sabbath laws because He is “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8).
Arriving at a local synagogue, Jesus encountered a man with a withered hand. Some scholars suggest that the religious leaders “planted” the man, hoping for a chance to accuse Jesus of breaking the law. Baiting Jesus, the Pharisees asked Him if it was legal to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus responded with a question of His own, drawn from daily life: If their animal fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, would they pull it out? The implied answer was “yes,” suggesting that the leaders’ Sabbath rules were based on what served them best. Jesus emphasized that people matter more than animals, so it was lawful to help them on the Sabbath.
Jesus then commanded the man to stretch out his hand. When he did, his hand was restored. But the Pharisees were unmoved. Ironically, they spent part of their Sabbath plotting ways to kill Jesus.
In Matthew 12:1-14, we learn that Jesus offers mercy, not religious rules. This truth impacts how we live out our faith each day. We should avoid judging others based on their adherence to a religious tradition or practice. We should give greater attention to the condition of our heart than to adherence to manmade rules. And, finally, we must seek to make our priorities and practices consistent with what God values most.
Explore the Bible
Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/ExploreTheBible [3].
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