A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Sixteen

Today's Reading: Matthew 12:1-21 (NRSVUE)

We see a difference in interpretation between Jesus and the Pharisees regarding the Sabbath.  As we remember, the Pharisees were trying to hold onto their identity as God's people by a strict adherence to the Law of Moses.  There was a lot of Gentile intrusion into their society with the Roman occupation but also with trade that accompanied it.  The Pharisees may have seen strict obeyance as a way to measure one's faithfulness to God.

Are you willing to follow the Law to the letter?

Unfortunately, this can create definitive winners and losers.  Human beings become the judges as they can observe who is loyal to the Law and who is willing to let some of it slide.

Jesus shows us that not all of the Law is equal.  If there is a chance to help someone on the Sabbath, Jesus indicates that God would be pleased with this action.  It would supersede even the rest we are commanded to keep.

Some rules are for our own protection.

This may have been why John Wesley's General Rules of Do No Harm and Do Good come before the third rule of attending to the spiritual disciplines.  Wesley was trying to follow the example of his Lord.

Notice that Jesus chooses to quote from a passage from Isaiah that promotes justice among the Gentiles.  This would not be what the Pharisees would want to hear.  They would much rather cite passages that consider Gentiles unclean.  In their interpretation, the unclean nature of the Gentiles superseded the mercy that Jesus was willing to extend.

But Jesus informs us of God's priority when he reminds us that God promotes mercy over sacrifice.

Rules are important for the social fabric of any culture.  At the same time, rules are made for a reason.  When we promote the blind following of rules without considering the rationale for why we have them in the first place, we are in danger of becoming pharisaical.  All of us fall into this trap from time to time.

How do we remember that our Lord commands us to love first of all?

Think of a time when the rules you followed prevented you from helping someone.  How would it challenge you if you thought about an alternative way to behave the next time?

Maybe this would be a way to show that in Jesus' name, people still hope.

Prayer for the Day:

O God, who has bound us together in the bundle of life, give us grace to understand how our lives depend on the industry, the honesty and integrity of our peers; that we may be mindful of their needs, grateful for their faithfulness, and faithful in our responsibilities to them; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr, Union Theological Seminary, 20th century

Photo by Dr. Zhivago via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.