Matthew 12 - The Type of Sacrifice God DOESN'T Want!

Matthew 12 - NIV

Key Verses:

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 the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[a] you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Commentary:

Jesus had many conflicts with the Pharisees and other religious leaders, but there was none more contentious issue than breaking the Sabbath Day laws. Honoring the Sabbath Day is the third commandment. While the leaders were correct in wanting people to take a day of rest to honor God, they ended up adding all kinds of laws to the basic commandment. 

Jesus' classic statement in regard to this was, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man made for the Sabbath." While we obey God when we honor the Sabbath Day, it is also for us. It is a day we stop working and rest in God's presence. We should work out of our rest not rest from our work. And specifically our rest is in Him. Workaholism has ruined many a marriage. 

Jesus said yesterday in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me when you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Rest for your soul." To rest in Jesus is also the sense in which Jesus says in John 15:4,

"Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

Honoring the Sabbath reminds us that "Apart from Jesus we can do nothing!" - John 15:5

But that Pharisees turned this life giving commandment into a bunch of rules and regulations. They spent all kinds of time and energy defining what exactly constituted work on the Sabbath. It got so ridiculous that when the Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath by healing the man with a withered hand, He reminded them that they were happy to rescue their oxen on the Sabbath. Were animals more important than people? 

After Jesus healed the man with the shriveled hand, the Pharisees got so mad they made plans to kill him. Jesus had exposed the hypocrisy of their manipulation of the Sabbath to serve their own needs. And Jesus reveals something else which is very important for us to remember. He said, 

"I desire mercy not sacrifice!" Hosea 6:6

The sacrifices the Pharisees were making and demanding others make was not what pleases God. The Pharisees lacked mercy. They heaped all kinds of obligations of the Law on people and didn't lift one finger to help them carry it. 

The sacrifices the leaders were making to God were superficial and meant nothing to God, because their hearts were far from him. It would have meant a lot more to God if they had stopped offering a sacrifice and went and helped a brother or sister in need. 

Jesus has already made the ultimate sacrifice for us by dying on the cross for our sin. God doesn't need our sacrifices, but wants a life that is lived in gratitude for the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Paul says it succinctly in Romans 12:1-2,

"In view of God's mercy offer your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of Your minds." 

Application:

As you think about obeying God's will in your life, do you do it out of obligation or gratitude? Where does God want you to offer the sacrifice of mercy in your life?  I.e. Who do you need to show mercy to out of gratitude for the mercy you have received in Christ! 

Prayer of the Day:

"Jesus, thank you that you made the ultimate sacrifice for me by dying for me on the cross. Thank you for your mercy on me, a sinner. Help me to live my life as a living sacrifice by showing mercy to all those you bring into my life."  Amen.  


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