Matthew 12:11-12……Working

Matthew 12:11-12……Working

12:11 He said to them, (Rhetorical question by way of a farming illustration -(New) ”If any of you (Farmers, Shepherds) has a sheep and it falls into a pit ( A common occurrence in grazing fields-(New) on the Sabbath, (Saturday. For believers The Lord’s Day.-(New) will you not take hold of it and lift it out? (Or will you think there’s not much I can do today-(New) 12 How much more valuable (Jesus argues from the lesser to the greater-(New) is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (For Complete Expository See Book)

Extended Sermon Notes

“Teaches the best way to challenge the hypocrisies of others is to point out their inconsistencies.”⇒ When dealing with legalism you don’t appease it you don’t cave into it, you stick to your guns and Christian principals. We confront hypocrisy not with aggression, but with clarity and truth. Challenging hypocrisy is not a battle fought with anger, but with steadfast adherence to truth and principle. When faced with legalism, the best response is to hold firmly to your Christian values and convictions. Do not yield to pressure or compromise your beliefs. Instead, confront falsehoods with the clarity and light of the Gospel and God’s Word.

Additional Notes & Applications

Teaches how sometimes common sense is the best argument. When faced with legalism it is often the simple, straightforward approach that cuts through complexity and reveals the heart of the matter. The insistence on strict adherence to rules without considering the context or the underlying principle can lead to absurd and inhumane conclusions. In such situations, a return to common sense reminds us of the core values of compassion, justice, and mercy that should guide our actions.

Among the Pharisees, this was a real question. It was debated in their Sabbath laws. When an animal falls into a pit on a Sabbath day, there was discussion as to how exactly to get it out. One school of Rabbis taught that you could bring pillows and bedding and place them under the animal with the hope that the animal will climb out under its own accord. Another school of Rabbis taught that you could only bring provisions to the animal to keep it alive until the Sabbath was over (Tractate Shabbath, 128b). However, Jesus asked this question in such a way that we may presume that there were many present, who would pull one sheep out of a pit.  Whatever they’re tradition may say, they still would take the sheep out of trouble.