Click here for the Matthew 12:7-8 PODCAST
"7 But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." ~ Matthew 12:7-8
Today, we continue our study of Matthew 12 where the Lord Jesus was feeling the unbelief of not only the religious leaders of Israel but also that of the common folk. In our previous study we noted that the Lord Jesus allowed His disciples to work and to eat the harvest of their work on the Sabbath. As a result, the religious leaders of Israel accused them of sin. It was then that the Lord Jesus cited two Old Testament passages which vindicated the actions of His disciples. It was then that the Lord Jesus noted that He was greater than the Old Testament dwelling places of God. This, of course, was an indirect way of saying that He was God. This infuriated the religious leaders of Israel and this was the reason they began to plot to kill Him.
In v.7 of today's passage we read, "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless."
Previously, the Lord Jesus brought attention to the fact that the religious leaders loved the Sabbath more than they loved God. They didn't know God therefore they did not know the priorities of God. They didn't know that the Sabbath was designed by God to bring rest to the souls of those who worship Him. The Sabbath was meant to reflect what the other nine commands reflected: Love for God and love for one's neighbor. The religious leaders had made the Sabbath about their fatal understanding of God which led to their burdensome religious practices. They thought that God was so puny that He created the Sabbath for Himself not knowing that He created it to address the inner rest within man's soul. Without His rest, we are hampered in our attempts to love Him and others.
The religious leaders condemned the disciples of the Lord Jesus for working on the Sabbath but the disciples were not guilty of sin. Had the religious leaders understood the priorities of God, they would not have condemned the disciples. God desires a loving heart over rule ridged religion. It is only through our broken moments are we granted a heart for God and others. Our problem is discovered when we run from our pains, we are found running from God. The pains of life toughen our hearts to the point that they are made soft and pliable. We love because He loved us first. We give up on the kind of love that can’t be broken, a love that is kind, a love that protects, hopes, trusts, and perseveres. This is what the love of God looks like and those who know it not do not give it out. The love of God looks like the cross of Christ. God loves us so much He gave His one and only Son so that we could have eternal life.
The word "sacrifice" points us to the Old Testament ceremonial system which was only a shadow of the cross of the Lord Jesus. It was at the cross that we saw God's heart best. At the end of the day, God desires a merciful heart that cares more about the needs of His people than anything else. Many get caught up trying to substantiate the truth not knowing they can't given their fallen condition. God has given us His perfect standards but He knows we will never attain to perfection. He would be less than God if He instructed us to strive for less than that which is perfect. But, He doesn't desire that we attain to those standards in order to overrule meeting the basic needs of people. This is why He desires of us mercy, kindness, and self-sacrifice.
This is nothing new for God because had He not been merciful to us, we would be dead. No sinner deserves God's mercy. But, since the Lord Jesus took our place of undeserved mercy, He has given us His place of deserved mercy. Mercifully, in the case of the Old Testament ceremonial law, God fulfilled that law to reveal His heart. After all, the ceremonial law was always a shadow of the cross of the Lord Jesus. God desires an obedient heart not just an obedient head. But, the religious leaders of Israel were a million miles from that.
In v.8 of today's passage we read, "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
The Lord Jesus responded to the religious leaders again by pointing out that He created the Sabbath. He also pointed out that He was not only the author of the Sabbath, He was the fulfillment of the Sabbath. In fact, the reason Christians are not required to observe the Sabbath is due to the fact that He fulfilled it. In Hebrews 4 we learn that since the Lord Jesus lived a perfect life and died a perfect death and He rose from the dead, we, having believed that His work earned the forgiveness of God for us, we have entered into His rest.
The Sabbath has always been a picture of the rest the Lord Jesus earned for sinners but the religious leaders of Israel ruined the illustration. Their understanding of the Sabbath snatched the heart out of the narrative. Again, this is why the Lord Jesus said, "Come over here on My side if you’re laboring and heavy-laden. My yoke is easy; My burden is light. You will find the gift of my rest with me."
