Jump Start # 774

Matthew 12:12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

Our verse today takes us to a synagogue. Jesus was there to teach. The Pharisees were there to accuse. A man with a bad hand, withered, was being used as a ploy to trap Jesus. The Pharisees figured that Jesus couldn’t resist healing such a person. It was Saturday, the Sabbath for the Jews. The law prohibited any work. Their traditions prohibited just about everything else, except being dumb, which they were doing well. This was a staged trap. It was a set up. They planned to expose Jesus. He knew that. He walked in there well aware of the situation. Jesus took the first step and fired the first shot in this skirmish.

Jesus began with, if a sheep fell in a pit on the Sabbath, you would rescue it. Their traditions wouldn’t stop that. A sheep in a pit meant money lost, sacrifice lost and the death of the animal unless it was rescued. A sheep in the pit would panic and injure itself trying to get out. Waiting until the Sabbath was over was not an option. Save the sheep. It would be a 911 situation. Those gathered in the synagogue would see nothing wrong with such a rescue attempt. It wasn’t wrong to do good on the Sabbath. To Jesus, this crippled man was the same as the sheep in the pit. It was the same situation. Healing him, even on the Sabbath, was not law breaking and it was doing good. They needed to get over that.

Our verse phrases a great question, “How much is a man better than a sheep?”

This exchange with the Pharisees seems odd in many ways. It appears that they hoped Jesus would heal this man so they could accuse Him. The very idea that Jesus might heal this man doesn’t seem to impress them. They couldn’t do it, on any day of the week. You’d think that they would have filled the house and excitement lifted the roof, waiting for Jesus to restore a crippled hand. I’d want to sit close so I could see it. I’d want to ask the man what he felt. I’d ask, ‘What was it like having a miracle done to you?’ Today, we’d have our cell phones out to take a video of this and it’d be spread on You-tube before we left building. This is a huge WOW factor and all the Pharisees are concerned about is what day of the week it is. How could they miss that? How could they not be breathless because of Jesus?

Then it made me think, are we much different today? No, we don’t see Jesus restoring hands but we see Jesus restoring lives. A person at the end of church services decides to dedicate their life to Jesus. They want to obey the Lord and be baptized. That process takes some time. Extra songs are sung. There is a waiting period. Do we get anxious because it makes us late for lunch? Do we sigh? Do we think, ‘I wish this happened another day?’ Have we lost the marvel of salvation?

Or, one in the church family, who has been struggling, wants help. He asks for prayers. His journey isn’t smooth. He bounces back and forth. He’s weak. We think, ‘there he goes again. What is it this time?’

Shame on the Pharisees for missing the wonder of Christ. Same on us for missing the saving power of Christ. Sometimes, most times, it’s good, to put ourselves on hold, suspend our schedules and witness what the Gospel is all about, saving man from his sins!

Jesus asked the Pharisees, ‘Is a man better than sheep?’ The answer is, of course. Man is made in the image of God. He has God’s thumb print on his soul. Christ came, not for sheep, but for man. Heaven is not made for sheep, but for man. The cross was salvation for man, not sheep. Yeah, we get that. Easy question to answer.

How about this one? Is man better than the NFL playoffs on Sunday? Ouch! Is man better than beating the crowds at the restaurant for dinner? Is man better than my nap? Is man better than going shopping? Is man better than my baby’s schedule?

The Pharisees missed Jesus because they were busy trying to trap Him. We can miss Jesus because we are selfish and so focused upon our plans. Could it be that the reason some don’t see Jesus is because they are not looking and they can’t see beyond themselves?

I’d sure like to think that I wouldn’t be one in that synagogue long ago waiting to trap Jesus and missing the wonder and awe of a miracle. In the same way, I sure hope I don’t miss Jesus today, in the sweet voice of a child singing, or, a prodigal wanting to come home, or, in a man teaching his first class. The pure and honest heart of someone just wanting to please the Lord is worth seeing. The saving grace of God is worth seeing. The love of God shown through the church family is worth seeing.

Open my eyes, Lord, I want to see Jesus! Don’t miss seeing Him! The Pharisees did.

Roger