• New Testament Reading: Matthew 12:1-21
• Old Testament Passage: Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8
• Points to Ponder

“Lord of the Sabbath”

I believe there are a couple of very important spiritual principles in this passage. The problem with
the Pharisees was not that they didn’t know the law; the problem was that they didn’t know God,
the author of the law.

God certainly gave his law, all of it, to be obeyed (see Matthew 5:17-19), but not all laws (i.e.,
commands) are created equal. If they had known God, they would have understood that mercy
trumps sacrifice (sacrifice, here, in the sense of offering a sacrifice, not in the sense of self-denial).
So, it is not unlawful to do good on the Sabbath, but rather is consistent with, and thus obedient to,
the will of God!

Secondly, the Pharisees show us, again and again, that you can know the scriptures and not know
God. They worshiped the law instead of worshiping God who gave the law. Yet the whole point of
the scriptures is to lead us to God.

• Questions to Consider: As you read/study the scriptures, what are you learning about the
nature and the will of God? Are you connecting your reading with knowing God better and
striving to understand his desires for your life?