Day 17: Jesus, You Are Greater

Oh, those Pharisees! I am noticing more and more, as I read in the New Testament, the cold, heartless, critical spirits of the Pharisees. I might call it the religion of hard hearts. They observed the actions of the disciples, plucking and then eating grain from the fields on the Sabbath. The Pharisees took their law to the extreme and justified withholding kindness and mercy to others on the Sabbath day. So they passed their judgment and brought their conviction of the disciples straight to Jesus. Jesus reasoned with the Pharisees, giving them the example of the priests working in the temple on the Sabbath, and being found blameless. I’m overwhelmed today that Jesus would even reason with His enemies. Just a few verses later, we see that Jesus “knew” they were plotting against Him to destroy Him (Matthew 12:14-15). What drama we find in the Gospels! Here Jesus is reasoning with these hard-hearted religious leaders. Perhaps He knew that among them there might be one like Paul, a Pharisee of Pharisees, who would one day turn his heart over to Jesus.

After Jesus offered them the example of the priest in the temple. He then told them that, “…in this place there is One greater than the temple” (Matthew 12:6). I love Jesus’ words here. They prick my own heart. ONE GREATER. That’s Jesus. He is greater. He fulfils the law and the prophets. Look at the freedom of the disciples on the Sabbath. Why? Because they were with Jesus. It’s not a freedom to sin. No. But there is a carefree joy of living and serving God in the presence of our Lord Jesus. When you live with Him and breathe in the same heavenly atmosphere as your Lord, You live in a “broad place” (see Psalm 18:19) and you thrive in the garden of His grace (2 Peter 3:18). Jesus is all about grace and mercy, not legalism and hard-heartedness. If His words with the Pharisees were not enough, He went on to demonstrate what the “One greater” does. A man with a withered hand came to Him. And yes, it was still the Sabbath. So the Pharisees questioned Him about healing on the Sabbath. He spoke of the value of a man over a sheep. And He confirmed the “lawfulness” of doing good on the Sabbath. Then Jesus, the “One greater”, healed the man. And hard-hearted religionists (is that a word?) went out and plotted to destroy the “One greater”.

So what does the One greater do when He knows that the Pharisees are plotting to destroy Him. Does He run and hide? No. He just left the area. And I love what the text says next about what happened. “Great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all” (Matthew 12:15). Now you see Jesus’ heart of compassion and mercy in full detail. If He healed them all, then what will He do for any of us who are in need today? Oh yes, I am wholeheartedly loving and trusting in Jesus today, the One who is greater.

My Response: Lord Jesus, I take the words of David today and say: “I will praise You with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name…” Psalm 9:1-2