All right, well this morning we are continuing our way through the Gospel of Luke, which tells
! the story of Jesus. And we're in Luke chapter 6. And we've started to see how conflict is ensuing
! between Jesus and the Pharisees. First it was over the issue of eating with sinners and religious fasting.
Then we heard about how Jesus had a run-in with the Pharisees on the Sabbath day in the grain fields.
And now Luke is going to tell us about another incident which took place between
Jesus and the Pharisees on the Sabbath day. We are in Luke chapter 6, verse 6.
On another Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and was teaching. And a man was there whose right
hand was shriveled. As we've talked about in the past few messages, the Sabbath was the seventh day of
the week, Saturday. And it was a normal, respected, and common practice for Jews to gather at the local
synagogue on this day. Scripture was read aloud and there was prayer. And what's interesting is that
there was no specific command given in the Old Testament for them to have synagogues or to meet at the synagogue
like this. It was kind of a later development during the years of the exile. And then it continued on after
that. So attendance was common, but not everyone went every week. Participation was more regular among men
than women. And it wasn't structured as a whole family gathering like church in modern times has been.
The elderly and the very young would often stay home. And regular attendance was more common among those
who lived in towns or cities. For those Jews living in rural areas, travel on the Sabbath was limited by
tradition to about 2,000 cubits or roughly a kilometer. And so if the nearest synagogue was beyond that
distance, it was kind of understood that you would just stay home and observe the Sabbath at home.
And so sometimes we imagine going to the synagogue was kind of like the Old Testament version of going
to church on Sundays. But in reality, there were significant differences. We see in the gospel accounts,
though, that Jesus deliberately used this tradition, this cultural thing, as part of how he proclaimed the
word of God. He went from town to town, and he read scripture, and he taught, and he proclaimed the
word of God in the synagogues on the Sabbath days. And so you can almost imagine what this might have been
like in those days. Word begins to spread around town that Jesus is on his way to your town. And you've
heard that he typically speaks in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. Maybe you never went to see Jesus
preach out at the lake like some people did, but this is now your chance to see him and to hear him in
person. Maybe you weren't even planning on going to the synagogue this week, where it had been a while.
But this Sabbath day, you'll be there, because there's a special and famous guest speaker coming to town.
Well, this is probably one of the reasons why the Pharisees and the teachers of the law envied Jesus so much.
Because when he comes to town and speaks, attendance at the synagogue suddenly goes through the roof.
So this is some of the cultural background to all of this, and Luke sets the scene.
We notice Luke's description of this man's condition. His right hand was shriveled.
That's probably significant that it was his right hand. I had to look this up, but roughly 90% of people
on earth are right-handed. So it's the dominant hand. It's the good hand of most. And this should
make us think of what life has probably been like for this man. We don't know how long he's had this
condition or how it happened, but it's probably affected his ability to work and to do a lot of
different things. He has probably, for many things, become dependent on others, unable to do those things
for himself. And then there are the social stigmas that often people carry towards others who have
visible disabilities. People are often uncomfortable or awkward around them. What are they thinking?
They're thinking, look at his hand. I wonder how that happened. If we look closer at the word
shriveled, there's a little more there. The word has also been translated as withered. And the original
word used there is often used in reference to dry land or dried out dead trees or branches.
And so when it's used metaphorically like this to refer to a part of the body, it often indicated that
the part of the body was no good anymore, unable to be used, possibly shrunken, deformed,
damaged, and likely immobile or paralyzed. Now there's all kinds of reasons why a person might come to
have a withered or shriveled hand like this. It could be that way because of nerve damage or because of a
stroke. It could happen because of poor blood flow or from damage related to an injury or an infection.
Probably most of us have seen someone with a shriveled hand and it kind of has an unnatural look to it.
And the reason is owing to how all of those different causes I just mentioned affect the muscles
muscles and tendons and ligaments in the hand. When it comes to muscles, they come in pairs. There are the
flexors which open the hand and then there are the extensors which help with closing the hand. And so if
the extensors become weak or waste away first and the flexors overpower them, they kind of pull the fingers
back into a bent position and they can get stuck like that. And if it's stuck like that in that curl
position for weeks or months, the tendons and ligaments actually physically shorten. And it's called
contracture. It makes the hand stiff and not just weak. And so people who have this are likely to have it
for life because of the underlying causes, whether nerve damage or loss of control, contracture of
ligaments and tendons. Sometimes it's possible to get some of that movement back through exercise and
physio, but oftentimes not. And so we can only imagine how frustrating and how difficult life must have been
for this man. As he goes about his life, almost everyone around him has two good hands and seems
that they take it for granted. Meanwhile, he's struggling to get by with only one. And so Jesus is
there and he's teaching. And this man with the shriveled hand is there. And the Pharisees and the teachers of
the law are also there. And we notice that they are there for a very specific purpose. Verse 7,
the Pharisees and the teachers of the law looking for a reason to accuse Jesus. So they watched him
closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. So this is very deliberate. They are looking for a reason
to accuse Jesus. And that word accuse here is key. In the original language this was written in, it's
actually derived from a technical legal term. They were looking for legal grounds to haul Jesus into a
religious court kind of scenario for breaking the law. Luke says they watched him closely.
This is very intentional. They are after Jesus. They're lurking like hunters on a mission. Luke tells us
they already had in mind what the grounds of their accusation would be. They're hoping to charge Jesus
with working on the Sabbath, breaking the Sabbath law. That's what this is about.
I mentioned it a few sermons ago, but the Jewish rabbis over the centuries had piled up a massive
amount of man-made religious rules that they added on to help people keep the Sabbath commandment.
At least they thought it was helping. They turned Sabbath keeping into this sort of hyper-legalistic
religion of its own. And if you missed that message and want to hear more about that, you can find it on
the church website. It was May 18th and it's titled Lord of the Sabbath. But one of the rules that they
had added was that when it comes to doing the work of a doctor or nurse on the Sabbath day, you were only
permitted to do as much as needed to save a person's life or to keep them from dying. Anything beyond that
that was aimed at just helping them generally improve, you had to wait till Sunday to do that work for them.
And so this kind of helps us understand the mindset that they would have had toward this man
with the withered hand. It's visible and obvious to everyone that this man has a debilitating condition,
but that's not life-threatening. At least that's what they're thinking. And so if Jesus heals this man
today, we're going to get him on charges of working on the Sabbath.
But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand,
get up and stand in front of everyone. So he got up and stood there.
Jesus knew what they were thinking. This is something that we see about Jesus in all of the
gospel accounts. And it's not just that he has a very sharp intuition or keen powers of deduction.
Jesus possesses knowledge of precisely what people are thinking. He demonstrates it time and time again.
He knows what's in the hearts of people, their very thoughts. And he often responds to what they are
thinking. And amazingly, he's always right. He has this knowledge because of who he is. This is divine
knowledge. So he knew what they were thinking. And he said to the man with the shriveled hand,
get up and stand in front of everyone. And so he got up and stood there.
Jesus knows they're going to try to charge him with working on the Sabbath if he heals the man.
And so what does Jesus do? He's going to heal the man.
He's not afraid of the Pharisees or the teachers of the law one bit.
Neither is he worried about being guilty of breaking the Sabbath.
Just a few verses back, what did Jesus say to them?
He said,
In other words, I'm in charge of the Sabbath.
I know what's right and what's wrong when it comes to the Sabbath. It's my commandment.
He's not intimidated one bit by the Pharisees.
He calls the man to get up and stand in front of everyone
so that everyone can see
what he's about to do.
Now at this point, we do well to take a peek
at Matthew's account. We're looking at Luke's account,
but let's just flip over to Matthew's account.
Chapter 12, verse 10.
It would seem that in this moment
as this man stands in front of everyone
before Jesus says or does anything,
the Pharisees
open their mouth and
challenge Jesus.
They asked him,
Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?
And this is not a wondering.
This is a rhetorical question.
It's a trap.
Of course, if Jesus says,
Yes, it's lawful to heal on the Sabbath,
then he'll be contradicting
the authority and laws
of countless Jewish rabbis,
both past and present,
as well as the current
law of the land,
and he will be liable to judgment.
As I said earlier,
for the Pharisees,
this is already an established law.
Only in cases of life and death
can medical work be done
on the Sabbath.
They're ready to put Jesus
on trial here
and haul him before the court,
before the judge.
And so if he answers,
Yes, it is lawful
to heal on the Sabbath.
There could be consequences.
On the other hand,
if he answers,
No,
it's not lawful.
You're right.
This can wait until tomorrow.
Well, then he's basically
affirming that the Pharisees
are right.
Their interpretation,
their application
of all these rules
and regulations
is right.
This would really undermine
Jesus' credibility
when you think about it,
because can we trust his teaching
if he almost accidentally
broke the Sabbath law?
He should have known
if he really is the Messiah.
So how does Jesus respond
to this trap?
We'll stick with Matthew's account
for just a moment longer.
Jesus said to them,
If any of you has a sheep
and it falls into a pit
on the Sabbath,
will you not take hold of it
and lift it out?
How much more valuable
is a person
than a sheep?
Therefore, it is lawful
to do good
on the Sabbath.
So Jesus argues
from the lesser
to the greater,
from the less important
to the more important.
Nobody there,
if one of their animals
had broken loose
from the pen
and fallen into a pit,
none of them
would have said,
Oh man,
well,
I guess we'll just have to
leave it there
until tomorrow
because today's
the Sabbath day.
If God really wants us
to have him,
then that'll still be there
alive tomorrow.
We have to honor him first,
right?
We'll come back
at sundown.
None of them
would have done that.
Just leaving that
poor animal
to suffer
bleeding away
helplessly
till the next day.
Everybody knew
that the right thing
to do
was to help
the poor animal
out of the pit
even if it was
the Sabbath day.
Well,
that's different.
They might have been thinking.
That's not the same.
Of course,
we would grab it
and lift it out
because that would be cruel
if we didn't.
It is lawful
to do acts of mercy
on the Sabbath.
And Jesus
basically says,
so you would help
an animal
on the Sabbath day
if it's afflicted,
but you wouldn't help
a human being
on the Sabbath day
who's afflicted.
you don't think
I should heal
this man
right now?
Do you really think
I should wait
till tomorrow?
How much more
valuable
is a person,
a human being,
than a sheep?
It's an amazing
response of Jesus
with just a few
words.
He exposes
the heartless
hypocrisy
and lack
of compassion
that the Pharisees
and the teachers
of the law
have.
He says,
you care more
about animals
than you do
about people.
You care more
about law keeping
and rules
and regulations
and religious
observances
than people.
All right,
back to Luke.
chapter 6,
verse 9.
Then Jesus
said to them,
I ask you,
which is lawful
on the Sabbath?
To do good
or to do evil?
To save life
or to destroy it?
Jesus piles on
this challenge
question of his own
and it's a doozy.
Is it lawful
to do good
on the Sabbath?
Because that's
what I'm about
to do.
in healing
this man.
Or is it lawful
to do evil
on the Sabbath?
Now,
there's two
possible ways
to understand
the second part
of Jesus' question.
Everybody agrees
that doing good,
saving life,
that that relates
to Jesus healing
the man.
Right here
and right now.
But what's not clear
is exactly what
Jesus is contrasting
that with.
one possibility
and this is
what I grew up
thinking
was that Jesus
is saying
to not heal
this man
right here
and now
when it's in
my power to do
it would be evil.
just like it would be
heartless
and cruel
to leave the sheep
in the pit
until tomorrow.
To leave this man
in his affliction
a day longer
for no good reason
would be cruel
and heartless.
Now,
there's a couple
difficulties
with this way
of looking at it.
one of them
is that when we
get to that
second question
to save life
or to destroy it
it almost
doesn't make sense
because it's not
a matter of life
and death.
One explanation
given by some
is that Jesus
is purposely
exaggerating
going to the extreme
save life
or destroy it
in order to make
the point
that it's
that if it's
lawful to save life
then it's lawful
to do any lesser
act of the same
character.
whether healing
or helping someone
who's hurt
or afflicted
and in the same
way
if it's not
lawful to do
evil on the Sabbath
neither is it
lawful to do
any lesser
sort of evil
on the Sabbath.
Like even something
as simple as
just passing by
a person who's
in need
when it's in our
power to help
and there's no
good reason
to pass them by.
Another difficulty
with this interpretation
though is
how do we apply
this?
Is Jesus
really saying
that whenever
we see a need
we do evil
when we don't
stop to meet it?
I got thinking
about this
how many
pleas
for help
from charities
have I ignored
in emails
or in the mail?
how many
broken down
cars
on the side
of the road
have we
driven by
without at least
stopping to ask
and see if they
need assistance?
Is Jesus
really saying
that every time
we fail to
stop and help
we do evil?
We destroy
life?
On the other
hand
there is the
parable of the
Good Samaritan.
In that
parable
Jesus seems
to be exposing
and condemning
the Levite
and the
priest
for just
walking on
by the
wounded man
who is in
need on the
side of the
road.
He seems
to be suggesting
they were
somehow obligated
by their
faith in God
and their
love for God
to stop
in that
moment
and help.
So that's
one interpretation
that Jesus'
questions here
are about
whether he
should heal
or delay
healing
until tomorrow.
Of course
if he would
heal him
then it
would be
that
that would
be the
good
that would
be saving
life
or if he
delays it
till tomorrow
that would
be to do
evil or to
destroy it.
But there's
another way to
understand what
Jesus might be
saying with
these questions.
Could it be
that it's not
about healing
him now
or waiting
till tomorrow?
Could it be
that Jesus
is actually
contrasting
what he's
doing right
now
with what
the Pharisees
are doing
right now?
Like
is it
lawful
on the
Sabbath
to do
good?
Because that's
what I'm
here to do.
That's what
I'm about
to do
for this
man.
Or I
could ask
you a
question.
Is it
lawful
on the
Sabbath
to do
evil?
Because
that's
what you
Pharisees
and teachers
of the
law
are doing
right now.
it's
kind of
a
painfully
obvious
question
to ask
isn't it?
I mean
why even
ask it?
Is it
lawful
to do
evil
on the
Sabbath?
Of course
not.
Who would
answer yes
to that?
Well then
why are you
Pharisees
looking for
a way
to bring
a charge
against me?
What's
your motive
in that?
could it
be that
the question
of Jesus
is simply
intended
to expose
what the
Pharisees
and the
teachers
of the
law
are up
to?
And this
kind of
makes sense
of that
second
question
to save
life
or to
destroy
it.
What
do the
Pharisees
and teachers
of the
law
hope
will come
of this?
What's
their goal?
Well truly
they're looking
for a way
to destroy
Jesus.
That's
not an
exaggeration.
When Mark
wrote his
account of
this he
actually
used a
synonym.
Of course
Jesus probably
said it in
Hebrew or
Aramaic but
then Mark
wrote it
down as
to do
good or
to do
evil,
to save
life or
to kill.
To kill.
And then
Mark sums
it up at
the end
by saying
this.
Then the
Pharisees
went out
and began
to plot
with the
Herodians
how they
might
kill
Jesus.
And so
that's the
other
interpretation
that Jesus
questions are
not about
healing now
versus delaying
healing till
tomorrow but
rather about
doing good,
saving life
which is what
Jesus is here
to do on the
Sabbath versus
doing evil and
plotting to
kill, to
destroy life which
is what the
Pharisees and
teachers of the
law are doing
on the Sabbath.
Well in this
moment Jesus
asks these two
questions and
what's the
response of the
Pharisees?
It says in
verse 9,
Jesus looked
around at
them all.
It's like he
was giving
them a chance
to answer.
What's the
answer?
Which is
lawful?
To do
good or to
do evil?
Mark tells
us that in
this moment
the Pharisees
remained silent.
They didn't
say a word.
And Mark is
the only one
who tells us
just a little
of what Jesus
was thinking
and feeling
in this
moment.
Jesus looked
around at
them in
anger and
deeply distressed
at their
stubborn hearts.
Deeply distressed
at their
stubborn hearts.
Jesus was
angry with a
righteous and
holy anger in
this moment.
He was
deeply distressed
at the
stubbornness in
their hearts.
the answer
to the
question is
obvious.
Is it
lawful on
the Sabbath
to do good
or to do
evil?
Jesus tells
them straight
up the
answer.
In Matthew's
gospel we
read that he
said it is
lawful to
do good on
the Sabbath.
And yet they
remained silent.
They didn't
say a word.
Of course
Jesus kind
of had them
in a bit of
a trap.
with the
question that
he asked
them.
If they
were to say
yeah Jesus
you're right
that would be
pretty humiliating
to them.
It would show
that Jesus
was right
about them.
It would
show that
they really
did lack
compassion.
It would
show that
they had been
wrong about
the Sabbath
and they
couldn't admit
that.
They were the
Pharisees.
They were the
teachers of the
law.
They were the
experts.
Or so they
thought.
And if the
problem was that
everybody was
going to Jesus
instead of to
them well
admitting that
they were wrong
and Jesus was
right would
probably just
make it worse.
More people
would keep
going to
Jesus instead
of to them.
And they
knew they
couldn't win
this argument
with Jesus
either and
just double
down and
say no
you're wrong.
That would
only further
expose them
as the
heartless
legalistic
hypocrites
that they
were.
Imagine this.
What are they
going to do?
Are they
going to
escort the
man with
the withered
hand out
the door
in front of
everyone to
prevent him
from being
healed?
Because it's
the Sabbath
day?
Well that
wouldn't go
over well with
the people.
And again
same thing.
People are
going to start
going to Jesus
even more.
He's the one
who has
compassion.
He looked
around at
them all
and then
said to
the man
stretch out
your hand.
He did
so and
his hand
was completely
restored.
In
Matthew's
gospel it
says he
stretched it
out and it
was completely
restored just
as sound
as the
other.
What a
sight that
must have
been.
And
everybody
there saw
it.
Including the
Pharisees and
the teachers
of the law.
We talked
earlier about
what kinds of
things could
cause this
condition and
how whatever
the cause
there was that
effect of the
muscles atrophying
and weakening
and the
ligaments and
tendons physically
shortening and
becoming stiff.
Jesus doesn't
seem to lay a
finger on the
man.
He simply
says stretch
out your
hand.
And as he
does God's
power flows
through Jesus
and a miracle
takes place.
The muscles,
tendons,
ligaments are
completely
instantly
restored and
unstiffened.
His hand is
strong enough
that he can
open and close
it just the
same as he
can with the
other one.
No physio
needed.
God's
power of
God.
God's
power of
life at
work.
What a
wonderful day
for that
poor man
with the
withered hand.
No doubt a
day of great
joy,
probably a
day that he
would never
forget.
It was a
day that he
got his life
back the way
that it was
before.
It doesn't
talk about him
jumping up and
praising God
here, but
he probably
was.
Now what
should the
response of
the Pharisees
be that
this healing
has taken
place?
Well, now
is the time
to finally
admit you
were right,
Jesus.
We were
wrong.
Clearly, if
God's power to
heal is
unleashed
through your
words, then
what you say
about the
Sabbath is
right.
We're off.
We're wrong.
But no.
What's their
response?
Verse 11.
But the
Pharisees and
the teachers
of the law
were furious
and began
to discuss
with one
another what
they might
do to
Jesus.
They were
furious.
Luke's being
a little
discreet here.
Both Matthew
and Mark,
as I mentioned
earlier, spell
it out
clearly.
The Pharisees
went out
and plotted
how they
might kill
Jesus.
We want
him dead.
This reveals
the ugliness
and the
phoniness
of the
religion
of the
Pharisees.
Did they
really know
God?
Did they
really love
God?
Did they
really desire
to honor
God by
obeying
his commandments?
Was this
really about
what was
truly good
and right
versus what
was truly
wrong and
evil?
One
commentator
that I
read this
week said
it this
way.
It's kind
of a
scholarly
academic
quote,
but it
just stuck
in my
mind.
He said,
the religious
mind is a
curious thing.
It is not
necessarily
interested in
common morality.
It's not
interested so
much in
just generally
what's right
and what's
wrong.
Still less
is the
religious
mind
interested
in relieving
human misery
and affliction.
It's
interested in
keeping
rules,
particularly
the rules
which spring
from its
own cherished
interpretations
of scripture
or tradition.
And to
these
interpretations
it will
attribute
the inflexible
authority
of God
himself.
Let
God
incarnate,
that word
incarnate
means
in flesh,
let God
in human
flesh,
that's
Jesus,
come down,
let God
incarnate
contrary
to its
interpretations
interpose
with a
miracle of
divine
goodness to
relieve human
misery.
That's the
healing of
this man.
Then
instead of
revising
its
interpretations,
the
religious
mind will
plan to
stop such
miracles
happening
again.
In
other
words,
we've
become so
committed
to our
rules and
our cherished
interpretations
that God
himself doing
a miracle of
mercy right
in front of
our eyes to
show us the
error of our
ways is not
enough to
change our
minds.
We are so
committed to
our religion
and rules
that we
must make
sure miracles
such as
these do
not happen
again.
We need
to stop
Jesus.
We have
to take
him out.
Wow.
What are we
to take from
all this?
Well, if you
missed my last
two messages on
the Sabbath,
I'd encourage
you to go to
our church
website and
listen to
them.
They talk
more in
depth about
what the
Sabbath had
become in
Jewish culture
and in
my last
message I
specifically
answered the
question of
whether we
as Christians
should keep
the Sabbath
and if
so, how.
So I'm
not going to
go back and
preach that
message again.
But one
thing I think
we see
clearly here
is the
compassionate
heart of
Jesus for
us in
contrast to
the dark,
ugly,
cold,
religious
heart of
the
Pharisees.
And I
think we're
being called
by God
through these
words,
are we
not?
To
examine
ourselves,
to see if
there is any
of that
attitude that
they had,
that heart
that they
had in
us.
And I
think we're
being called
to take
notice of
this wonderful
Savior,
Jesus,
who is
showing us
the kind of
relationship that
God has
always wanted
with us.
Not this
cold and
dead,
rule-keeping
kind of
relationship,
but this
living,
compassionate,
heart-engaged
relationship where
true love
reigns supreme.
A number
of the
different
people I
read this
week pointed
back to
what God
said through
Isaiah the
prophet.
And these
are powerful
words coming
from hundreds
of years
before Jesus
came to the
people of
Israel.
God speaks
through Isaiah
back then,
and this is
what God
says to
Israel.
He says,
the multitude
of your
sacrifices,
what are
they to
me?
Says
the Lord.
I have
more than
enough of
burnt
offerings,
of rams,
and the
fat of
fattened
animals.
I have
no pleasure
in the
blood of
bulls,
and lambs,
and goats.
When you
come to
appear before
me,
who has
asked this
of you,
this trampling
of my
courts?
Stop
bringing
meaningless
offerings.
Your
incense is
detestable
to me.
new
moons,
sabbaths,
and
convocations,
I cannot
bear your
worthless
assemblies.
Your
new
moon
feasts,
and your
appointed
festivals,
I hate
with all
my being.
They have
become a
burden to
me.
I am
weary of
bearing
them.
When you
spread out
your hands
in prayer,
I hide
my eyes
from you.
even when
you offer
many prayers,
I am
not
listening.
Why?
Your
hands are
full of
blood.
Wash
and make
yourselves
clean.
Take your
evil deeds
out of my
sight.
Stop
doing wrong.
Learn to
do right.
Seek
justice.
Defend
the oppressed.
Take up the
cause of the
fatherless.
Plead the
case of
the widow.
These are
the words of
God himself
to Israel
long ago.
Wow.
God does
not want
empty-hearted,
hypocritical,
religious
behavior
from anyone.
We have to
remember that
God in the
Old Testament
law,
given through
Moses,
commanded that
all of these
things be
done.
That the
Sabbath be
kept,
that sacrifices
of these
kinds be
offered,
that the
people assemble
for these
regular
festivals and
feasts,
that they
pray.
God commanded
those things,
and yet God
says, I hate
all of these
things that
you're doing.
I'm weary
of them.
They burden
me.
Stop doing
them.
They are
meaningless to
me.
They are
worthless to
me.
Why?
Because
meanwhile,
you're killing
each other,
living wicked
lives,
doing all
kinds of
evil deeds
and perverting
justice.
You're
oppressing
the weak.
You're taking
advantage of
others.
You're doing
nothing to
help the
needy,
the orphan,
the widow.
That's how you
live, and then
you come to my
temple and do
all these
religious
things.
You observe
the Sabbaths
and you
offer
sacrifices.
That kind
of obedience,
if you can
even call it
that, doesn't
do anything
for me.
Your
religiosity is
just a show.
Stop pretending
to have a
relationship with
me when you
don't.
These are
sobering
words.
God doesn't
want us to
pray and
read our
Bibles and
go to church
every week
and give
10% of
our income
to the
church as
a sort of
token of
our religious
affiliation
with him.
Meanwhile,
our hearts
are far
from him.
This is
what the
Pharisees
were doing.
And Jesus
saw right
through it.
He knew
what they
were thinking.
and he
knows what
we're
thinking.
He knows
what's really
in our
hearts.
If we
think we
can keep
God happy
by just
doing enough
of his
stuff,
going to
church,
reading our
Bibles,
praying,
keeping the
Sabbath,
giving 10%,
we're wrong.
We can't
fool God.
No.
God wants
a real,
vibrant,
personal
relationship
with you.
He wants
our hearts.
He is
full of
compassion
and love
for us.
He is
the Jesus
who stood
up to the
Pharisees
and healed
the man
with the
withered
hand.
God.
And that's
why he
has come
to do
good to
us and
to save
us.
He calls
us to
repent and
believe in
him.
He calls
us to
surrender
our lives
to him
and own
him as
Lord.
And he
will not
tolerate
religious
pretenders
for very
long.
God
will not
The way
the Pharisees
and the
teachers
of the
law
abused
the
people
under
the guise
of
religious
observance
made
Jesus
very,
very angry
and upset.
just like
it did
long ago
in Israel's
history
when God
said,
your new
moon
feast
and your
appointed
festivals,
your
Sabbaths
and your
convocations
I hate
with all
my being.
But what
did God
say right
after that
long ago
through Isaiah?
He denounced
their worthless
religiosity,
he told them
he hated it
and then he
said this,
come now,
let's settle
the matter.
Though your
sins are
like scarlet,
they shall
be white
as snow.
Though they
are as
red as
crimson,
they shall
be like
wool.
God is
eager to
wash us
clean of
our moral
filth,
our pride,
our selfishness,
our self-righteousness.
He is eager
to forgive.
That's
why he
sent
Jesus.
He came
to be
the sacrifice
needed to
secure the
forgiveness of
our sins,
to save our
lives,
because we
were utterly
shriveled
and withered
by sin.
He came to
restore us
and give us
life.
So I want to
end with this
question.
have you
surrendered
your whole
heart and
life to
Jesus,
this
compassionate
Savior?
Or
do you
intend to
go on
pretending
like the
Pharisees
while pushing
Jesus away?
Father in
heaven,
please do
your good
work in
our hearts
through
your word.
I pray
that we
would not
go untouched
by these
words,
that we
would be
stirred to
faith and
to love
for you,
true love,
true faith.
we thank
you that
you are
compassionate
and merciful,
an amazing,
beautiful,
glorious God,
and we
love you.
I pray
this in
Jesus'
name.
Amen.