Bible Chapter: Matthew 12
Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.
1. Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
Sabbath means rest. The Jews recognized the seventh day as their Sabbath. They did no work and they worshiped God. It was a very special day. The concept of the Sabbath goes back to Genesis 2 where God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. This follows through and is included in the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:8-11, where they were told to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy.
The issue in Matthew 12 was that the Pharisees had taken the laws of God and made them extreme. Their traditions were more important that God’s law. They chided Jesus and His followers for “working” on the Sabbath to meet their hunger. Jesus put them in their place to tell them what the Sabbath was really about. All this leads me to think about our modern Sabbath. Christians have honored Sunday, the first day of the week, since Jesus’ resurrection. We have had our primary services on Sunday and traditionally made it a day of rest.
Our modern society no longer recognizes Sunday as special. Anything happens on Sunday. Christians need to stop and think about the application of a Sabbath rest in their lives. What does Sunday mean? Should it mean something special? Should it and our commitment to a special time of worship have a priority? It seems that church and all that it implies has been put on the back burner in the lives of many Christians. “I’ll get to church if nothing gets in the way.” Believers need to be reminded of Hebrews 10:25 about not forsaking our times together.
This chapter has several critical issues. It brings up the importance of unity. Jesus was accused of driving out demons by Satan’s power. Jesus said that a divided kingdom would fall apart. The forces of evil continually work to cause Christians to fight against each other. Disunity in the church only gives the victory to evil. We must not allow anything to cause problems among believers.
One other thought to mention. It is the most important issue - the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus really did die and then came back to life. It was not a metaphor, it was not a trick, it was not a deception. Jesus died because of the sin of the world and His sacrifice provides for us to receive the gift of God, eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2. What can I apply in my life from the reading?
This chapter challenges priorities in my life. Time with God and other believers must be on top. I can’t make excuses and get to God when I have time, or I will never have time for God. Looking at the price Jesus paid on the cross, I see that I can’t throw away the sacrifice by acting like it is not important.
I must also understand the priority of spiritual unity. The local church is God’s plan for building His Kingdom. Through the ministries of a local body the world will be impacted. Sadly, history is littered with the remains of countless churches that at one time thrived. Today, there is nothing. The average local church is small. We hear much about mega-churches, but two thirds of all churches in America are under 100 people. One of the reasons for this is the struggles that many churches face regarding strong unity. I must work hard for churches to be unified.
3. How can I help someone?
Most of the people I meet know about God, about the concept that Jesus died on the cross. They don’t all know how to apply it. I can help people by keeping in focus the sacrifice, the fact that Jesus followed the sign of Jonah, so they can be set free. I can be always ready to show them God’s love. Matthew 12 ends with the words of Jesus that anyone who does God’s will is his brother or sister. I can help people by continually striving to understand and then do God’s will.
