Many of us are familiar with the broad sweep of the Gospel story. We know that once Jesus begins his public ministry, he has some tussles with religious authorities, and these conflicts eventually lead to his betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. But sometimes this familiarity can cause us to overlook stunning moments in the text, where in these interactions, Jesus asserts his divinity in ways that should capture our attention and convict our hearts.
Today’s passage is one of those moments. Get your gasp ready.
In Matthew 12, Jesus’ disciples, hungry as they walk through the fields, begin plucking heads of grain on the Sabbath. The Pharisees immediately criticize them for violating the law. What follows might initially seem like a straightforward debate between Jesus and the religious leaders. But it’s not that simple. In fact, by verse 14, we see the first explicit expression of the Pharisees’ desire to have Jesus killed.
While the Pharisees offer meticulous instruction on how to perfectly observe Sabbath law, Jesus responds by pointing them back to Scripture and God’s heart. Quoting the prophets, he says, “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.” In doing this, Jesus dramatically reframes how the law is understood and lived out. He is not abolishing the law, nor is he inventing a new one. He is fulfilling it, and in doing so, he is publicly correcting the way the Pharisees have interpreted and taught the law.
Then comes the mic-drop moment. Jesus proclaims, “For the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.”
In just a few short verses, Jesus has 1) retaught the law to the community’s legal experts, 2) claimed to be greater than the Temple (the very dwelling place of God’s presence), and 3) openly called himself Lord.
Gasp!
Continuing in verse 9, Jesus enters the synagogue on the Sabbath, where a man with a deformed hand is present. And as if to give evidence to the authority he has just claimed, Jesus heals the man, fully restoring his hand. This isn’t about ego, nor is it meant to assert his power. Instead, Jesus is demonstrating in living color what he has already proclaimed in speech. He is Lord. And as Lord, he is the ultimate authority not just on what the law says but what is at its heart—whole living with God and a creation restored.
The ministry and presence of Jesus on Earth radically rearranged how people understood and related to God. The structures that humanity built throughout the years to understand God all collapsed in their failure to contain the fullness of his majesty, holiness, mercy, wisdom, and love. In light of today’s reading, I can’t help but consider what structures I might have designed in my life to relate to God or to try to understand him. What in my life might need to give way to let the full character and nature of God’s goodness be displayed?
Prayer:
As we walk through the day, I encourage you to pray this prayer with me …
Holy Spirit, I welcome you into my day today. Would you please walk with me and teach me where I might be relying on rules instead of relationship to know you? Would you please surprise me in how you show up in my life and in the world around me? Help me to humbly see the spaces in my heart and life where I can make room for your truth and goodness. Thanks, God. Amen.