Hope For Us

 N. T. #133

August 21, 2023

Matthew 12-Part 7

LET IT GLOW 

Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 42:1-4 in the verses found here in Matthew 12:18-21  

God is speaking of Jesus:

• His servant
• Chosen
• Beloved
• Well pleasing to God
• Has Holy Spirit
• Shows judgment to Gentiles.

Doesn’t that sound like our Savior! This verse in Isaiah written about 700 years earlier, describes Jesus. It is the longest quote from the Old Testament in Matthew’s Gospel  Indeed, Jesus was a chosen Servant, endowed with the Holy Spirit, and well-pleasing to the Father.

Are you a believer in Jesus?

LET IT GROW 

In the other 3 verses, we read of the mission of the chosen Servant:

• well-pleasing to God (v  18)
• accomplished through proclamation (v  18)
• free from quarreling or crying out (v  19)
• without Rufus or rioting (v  19)
• considerate of the weak and vulnerable (v 20)
• focused on the goal of justice (v  20)

Israel rejected Jesus as their Messiah  So He would proclaim justice or righteousness to us Gentiles and those before us (and to follow us). We have hope in Jesus  Hope of eternal heaven with Jesus and the saints. Many Gentiles trusted in Jesus as their Savior. 

By trying to destroy Jesus’ mission, the Pharisees were in fact promoting it! 

Matthew wrote this in AD 60’s. How many people have gone to heaven since then by trusting in Jesus, I wonder  

Friend, will you be joining me there one day as we fall on our knees, bowing in worship of the Savior/Messiah? You can by believing in Jesus as you Savior and the only way to heaven provided by God  Ask Him and Jesus will come into your heart  Ask His forgiveness of your sins and He will.

LET IT GO

My hope is in You Lord Jesus.

Thank You for enduring the criticisms and temptations to zap those Pharisees..

What a loving Savior!

*I hope you will endure with me the next few weeks  I fell and fractured slightly my ankle. So I am writing this in my phone, not computer  Hopefully there will be relief of pain coming after seeing an orthopedic doctor on Friday  

So I may not feel like posting every day, but will try  

Please pray for a speedy recovery. Thanks.

Hoping in Jesus,

Linda

Law or Love

N.T.#132 "Law or Love"

August 17, 2023

Matthew 12-Part 6

LET IT GLOW

If it is out of necessity (disciples picked corn to eat on the Sabbath) or a case of life (heal on the Sabbath) as Jesus did, then it is not sinning. Jesus fulfilled the Law which He had established. Love and self-denial are the keys. Serving God and others should be our goal each day. 

In verse 12, Jesus said, Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 

In the Greek language, well means good; honestly; recover; (full) well.

Healing people is more important than keeping the laws of the Pharisees. It is better to provide food by working for it than go hungry on the Sabbath, as well. Doing an action for the sake of a life and not for profit is the purpose here or the priority. Mercy is better than sacrifice. 

After all of that, loosing arguments to Jesus, the Pharisees went out and held their council meet against Jesus, in order to destroy Him. (verse 14) 

Destroy means perish; die.

New Living Translation says, Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.

Wow! Do you see the pride in those hearts of the Pharisees? All along they denied that Jesus to be the Messiah, Savior, Son of God. Now they want to get rid of Him. How sad. He went about doing good and they could not stand it. Jesus had followers, too.

What the Pharisees should have done was to surrender then and there. Jesus had proved His divine authority by healing the man. If He can heal instantly, then He has divine authority; if He has divine authority, then His teaching carries divine authority.; if His teaching carries divine authority, then He knows better than the Pharisees do as how to interpret the Sabbath laws. That is what the Pharisees should have thought. (Swindoll) 

LET IT GROW

But you know what? Jesus knew it what they were planning. So He left that area, and many people followed Him. He healed all the sick among them, but He warned them not to reveal who He was. (verses 15-16)

Friend, who do you say Jesus is? Is He just a character in a story book or is He God in the flesh, Savior, perfect sacrifice for yours and my sins? 

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. With the heart people believe and with the tongue they confess He is Lord. Have you asked Jesus to come into your heart and be your Savior? Have you asked His forgiveness of your sins?  I pray all who read this will believe today. 

  LET IT GO

O what a Savior! How glorious He is, so merciful and kind and forgiving!

 

Are We Doing Well?

 N.T.#131 "Are We Doing Well?" 

August 16, 2023

Matthew 12-Part 5

LET IT GLOW

Jesus and His disciples left the cornfield and went into the synagogue after the confrontation of the Pharisees concerning working on the Sabbath. (picking corn and eating it) Their action was a case of necessity. Well, here we go again, a set up to accuse Jesus by catching Him living contrary to the Jewish laws and breaking the Sabbath laws. It seems as though they had a man with a withered hand there at the Synagogue, which would have been an odd place for him to be otherwise. 

The Pharisees' question was, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days?" (verse 10)

Jesus did not step into their trap. Instead, He sprung it. Instead of answering a yes-no question, He responded with a real-life scenario:

If your sheep fell into a pit on the Sabbath, what man wouldn't pull it out? Probably no hands went up. No man would let a poor sheep bleat all night and all day waiting to be rescued. Showing compassion toward the sheep and rescuing it from danger, perhaps drowning in a pit, would not have been considered a labor for the sake of profit but action for the sake of life. Surely that wouldn't be a violation of the Sabbath, would it?

How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days. (verse 12)

If it was permissible to save a lamb from a bad situation on the Sabbath, then surely it would be permissible (if possible) to save a man from a bad situation. Here were the Pharisees claiming to be higher authority as trained experts in the Law. Jesus claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath. they couldn't both be right.

LET IT GROW

Jesus proved His divine authority by healing the man's withered hand. 

The rabbis could reason their way into condemning anybody who disagreed with them and could claim to be enforcing God's laws, but when the Author of Scripture Himself stepped into history and corrected their flawed interpretation, all arguments were over. (Swindoll)

Should we do good on the Lord's Day? Jesus taught us to do well, even on the Lord's Day. 

There are more ways of doing well upon Sabbath Days, than by the duties of God's immediate worship; attending the sick, relieving the poor, helping those who are fallen into sudden distress, and call for speedy relief; this is doing good: ant this must be done from the principle of love and charity, with humility and self-denial, and a heavenly frame of spirit, and this id doing well, and it shall be accepted. (Gen. 4:7) (Matthew Henry)

Can Jesus say we are "doing well," even on the Lord's Day?

LET IT GO

You are Lord of all the days, which You created, Jesus.

May we honor You, no matter what day it is.

How do We Treat The Lord's Day?

N.T.#130 "How Do We Treat The Lord's Day?"

August 15, 2023

Matthew 12-Part 4

For the son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath Day. (verse 8)

LET IT GLOW

Previously, we noted Jesus' justifying the disciple for picking corn on the sabbath because of their hunger:

1. In this place is One greater than the temple. (verse 6)
2. God will have mercy and not sacrifice. (verse 7)
3. The Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. (verse 8)

It was by Jesus that God made the world. It was by Him that the sabbath and the Ten Commandments were instituted. Since Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, it is fit that the day and all the work done on that day, should be dedicated unto Him. Therefore, one can conclude that works of necessity are lawful on the Sabbath Day.

Is it necessary for me to do this on the Lord's Day, Sunday? That should be our question. If we can go shop for groceries on another day, then we should do it then. If we can fill the gas tank the day before, then we should. If we can mow the lawn on Saturday, then we should do it then, or wait and do it on Monday. That is how I sees it. Sunday should be a day of worshiping our Savior and Bible study. Right?

LET IT GROW

When the Pharisees left, then Jesus went into the synagogue, according to verse 9. 

Folks, there should not be anything more important than going to church and worshiping our Savior. (However, if the ox is in the ditch, He understands.) We shouldn't stay home to cook lunch for family instead of going to worship. Our company has had the option to go with us to worship or not. Then I fix lunch.

LET IT GO

I love You Lord Jesus. Your mercies never end.

Thank You for Your mercies and love toward us. 

Mercy

N.T.#129 "Mercy"

August 14, 2023

Matthew 12-Part 3

LET IT GLOW

Jesus consistently, repeatedly, and intentionally failed at one thing-living up to the legalistic expectations of the scribes and Pharisees. What is legalism? Charles Ryrie defines it as "a fleshly attitude which conforms to a code for the purpose of exalting self." The code is man-made, often part of a system of traditional practices going back several generations. Jesus broke the mold of what it looked like to be a righteous Jew. 

So Jesus was different from the Pharisees. He wouldn't conform to their ways. The Pharisees seemed to be all about keeping their laws, instead of loving God and loving neighbor. The disciples had been with Jesus long enough and heard His teachings to know the difference between the Mosaic Law and man-made traditions. 

What is ironic to me is that the priests prepared the sacrifices on the Sabbath in spite of the general prohibition of work. If they didn't profane the sabbath, then neither did the disciples. Besides, it was a case of necessity-the men were hungry.

 "If the ministry of the temple superseded Sabbath rules, how much more does the work of the Messiah overrule the Sabbath." (Stan Toussaint)

Look what Jesus replied to the Pharisee's accusations: But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. (verse 6)

Christ in the cornfield was greater than the temple. In him dwelt not all the presence of God symbolically, but all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Matthew Henry)

Whatever we do is to be done in the name of Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, not as pleasing men. 

So I we are mopping the floor, doing dishes or laundry, do our best so as to honor God. While at our job, honor the Savior.

LET IT GROW

What was the second response of Jesus to the Pharisees? He quoted Hosea 6:6:

but if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. (verses 7-8)

Ceremonial duties must give way to moral, and the natural, royal law of love and self-preservation must take place of ritual observances. In other words, if the Pharisees had known how to be merciful, then the disciples would have been fed, not having to pick corn in the field. 

Are we showing mercy instead of pointing out sins of others?

LET IT GO 

Merciful Jesus, help us be merciful, too.

Rituals or Compassion

N.T.#128 "Rituals or Compassion"

August 11, 2023

Matthew 12-Part 2

LET IT GLOW

The Pharisees were known for their knowledge of Scripture and their love of rules. When they saw Jesus' disciples picking and eating grain on the Sabbath, they accused the disciples of breaking the law, but those nitpickers added regulations onto it that they considered the disciples working on the Sabbath. Didn't they know God's Word? (Tony Evans)

Jesus was referring to the time David, a Jewish hero, and his men were running for their lives from king Saul. David took bread from the Tabernacle, which only the priests were allowed to eat. God's laws were never meant to get in the way of taking care of the necessities of life. The Sabbith was for the benefit of man, not for his destruction. (Mark 2:27)

Was it better for the followers of Jesus to starve than to break the laws of the Pharisees? Apparently. How unkind and compassionate those guys were.

LET IT GROW

Jesus reminded them that the priests violated the Sabbath all the time! (verse 5) They had to do God's work on the Sabbath. Legalists is what those nitpicking Pharisees were. 

In Hosea 6:6, God tells us, For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Whenever the commands of God prevent us from loving and serving God, then we are using His commands inappropriately. He wants faithful love more than sacrifice or tithing. Also, God is not impressed if we know His Word, yet have a heart of stone.

How is our heart?

LET IT GO 

Help us love You and others above rituals, God.

Nitpickers

N.T.#127 "Nitpickers"

August 10, 2023

Matthew 12

LET IT GLOW

Jesus' disciples were hungry on the Sabbath and picked some ears of corn and ate it-corn pickers. Now what in the world could be wrong with that? There was a need and they met it. Well, those religious nitpickers called Pharisees thought such an action was sinful. Do you know why? 

The Pharisees had established 39 categories of actions forbidden on the Sabbath, based on interpretations of God's law and on Jewish custom. Harvesting was one of those forbidden actions. By picking wheat (corn), rubbing it in their hands, the disciples were technically harvesting according to the Pharisees. Jesus and the disciples were picking rain because they were hungry, not because they wanted to harvest the grain for a profit. They were not working on the Sabbath. However, the Pharisees could not nor did they want to see beyond their law's technicalities. They had no room for compassion, and they were determined to accuse Jesus of wrongdoing. (Life Application Study Bible)

The Pharisees had a long list of 39 prohibited actions on the Sabbath for the Jews:

• No sowing, reaping, gathering into sheaves,
• no baking, 
• no shearing wool, making two chords, weaving or separating two threads, making or untying a knot, tearing to sew into two stitches,
• catching a deer, killing it, skinning it, salting it, preparing its hide, scraping off its hair, cutting it up
• writing two letters or blotting them out,
• building, pulling down, extinguishing or lighting a fire,
• beating a hammer, carrying one to another property.

There were several hundreds of things a conscientious, law-abiding Jew could not do on the Sabbath, according to Stephen Barabas, "Sabbath", in New International Dictionary of the Bible.

LET IT GROW

All those man-made rules were added to God's inspired Word. The problem wasn't plucking and eating the grain. In the minds of the Pharisees, the problem was doing it on the Sabbath. Grabbing a snack because a person is hungry was breaking the Jewish law? Really guys? Bizarre! But how typical of legalists!

What I find crazy is that the Pharisees were spying on Jesus. They must have been watching in the corn field, and close enough in order to see the disciples pop those tiny kernels into their mouths. 

The disciples had been with Jesus long enough, knew the difference between the Mosaic Law and man-made traditions. However, those Legalists did consider the disciples breaking it. 

We will see how Jesus responded to those accusations next time.

Are we willing to help others, meet their needs, show compassion? Or are we nitpickers like the Pharisees?

LET IT GO

Fill us with Your love, Jesus.

Open our eyes to the needs of others.