THE LORD DESIRES MERCY

Passage: Matthew 12:1-8

Key verse: 12

NIV

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(A)(B)

12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain(C) and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”(D)

3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?(E) 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.(F) 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath(G) and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.(H) 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[a](I) you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man(J) is Lord of the Sabbath.”

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 12:7 Hosea 6:6
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

12 At that time (A)Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and (B)they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, (C)“Look, your disciples are doing (D)what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, (E)“Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate (F)the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read (G)in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, (H)something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known (I)what this means, (J)‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For (K)the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Hungry disciples (1-2)

One Sabbath day Jesus' disciples plucked and ate some grain as they walked through the grainfields. The Pharisees, who were always busy trying to find something to criticize, rebuked Jesus for allowing his disciples to work on the Sabbath. Pharisees who only engage in criticism and nit-picking can never see the work of God.

2. Lord of the Sabbath (3-8)

Jesus taught them from the Bible about David, a great king and soldier who loved God and loved his men. He was not legalistic. Jesus reminded the Pharisees of the priests who worked on the Sabbath offering sacrifices in the temple. Then he told them who he was and why he had come. He did not come to make men religious. He came to show sinners God's mercy. If one does not know God's mercy and forgiveness, religious activities are meaningless. Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath, is the Messiah.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for understanding my weakness and showing me your mercy. Help me to show mercy.

One Word: God wants mercy, not religion