When is it right to do good? Matthew 12:9-14

Introduction: When is it right to do good? I would submit to you it is always right for the Christian to do good.

Dr. Robert Jeffress wrote, “Very simply, doing good means to do all the good you can, while you can, where you can.”

How is a Christian to live? Well, according to Hebrews 13:16, we read,

But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

In the previous chapter we looked at Jesus’ disciples picking grain on the Sabbath and being accused of breaking the law (Matthew 12:1-8), and if you remember it was punishable by death. The Pharisees were the legalist who were always looking out for anyone that might do anything that would violate the Mosaic law.

As we come to Matthew 12:9-14, we discover that it also has to do with the Sabbath. Jesus goes into their synagogue. There is a man present with a withered hand. The Pharisees will ask Jesus a question about healing on the Sabbath. Jesus will respond to their question with a question. Jesus will heal the man, and the Pharisees will leave and go and plot against Him, looking for how they might destroy Him. Let’s walk through this passage together.

I. Jesus enters their synagogue – 12:9

9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.

We just left Jesus and His disciples in a grain field, and now they depart from there and they come to “their synagogue.” I find it interesting that the words “their synagogue” is used here. I wonder if there is any significance here with the wording. Did the Pharisees project that the synagogue was theirs? Or was this Jesus’ way of saying that they controlled the synagogue?

Why did Jesus and His disciples go into the synagogue? Well, what was the purpose of the Synagogue?

· It was a place designed for worshipping and connecting with God.

· It was a place where you heard Scripture taught.

· It was a place of prayer – both private and public prayers.

· It was where you would sing psalms to God (They had 150 to choose from).

· It was where you give your tithes and alms (money) for God’s servants, upkeep for the synagogue, and ministry to the poor.

These are the same reasons why you and I attend Church today as well. We gather to worship God – our # 1 reason. Next, we give (both our tithes and our offerings), and they are used for caring for those who minister within the church, and for the upkeep of the building, as well as caring for those within our fellowship.

Jesus went into the synagogue to share the message of God with the people. But it appears that these people were not ready for His message. And I would add that there are a lot of people today who are not ready for the Gospel message that we share. However, just because people are not ready to receive the message doesn’t mean that we stop presenting the Gospel. No, we must double-down on presenting Jesus to a lost and dying world today. People really do need the Lord.

II. Jesus is challenged with a question – 12:10

10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

The word “behold” means to sit up and take notice. There was a man in the synagogue with a withered hand. Luke 6:6, tells us that it was his “right hand”. The word “withered” means, dried up, shriveled, lifeless. I have also read that many believe that this man was a stonemason, and that he injured his hand while working. Now he is unable to labor, unable to earn a living to care for his family. Perhaps he is at synagogue to cast his burdens unto the Lord.

Have you ever seen someone with a withered hand? Its sad. The hand is useless. I have seen several people in my lifetime with a useless hand. As a matter of fact, often they will use their good hand to move the useless hand around. That would be a hard life.

However, there is another viewpoint. Some Bible teachers believe that this man may have been a plant. That the Pharisees placed him in the Synagogue so that they might see what Jesus would do – would Jesus heal him? The Pharisees wanted to find fault with Jesus. And so, they came up with a very simple question. The question was:

“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

In Mark 3:2, we are told,

“So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.”

I have read that “Jewish oral tradition taught that only if life was in actual danger could one provide medical attention, and then only steps could be taken so that the person didn’t get worse. You couldn’t try to improve his condition.”[1]

Now, let’s get back to their question to Jesus,

“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

I believe that that question could be answered by a fourth grader. Have you watched the show, Are you Smarter than a Fourth Grader?

How do you suppose a fourth grader would answer that question? I have no doubt that a fourth grader would answer in a positive way. Of course, you could heal on the Sabbath if it meant helping someone.

Don’t forget what we just looked at back in Matthew 12:1-8. Jesus’ disciples had picked grain and ate it on the Sabbath, and they were accused of breaking the Sabbath. We discovered from that section of Matthew 12 that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus was the master of the Sabbath. If anyone had a right to tell others what could and could not be practiced on the Sabbath it was the Lord.

Again, notice that our text is clear that this was a “set up” question. They were looking for a way to accuse Him. They wanted to discredit Him in the eyes of the people.

III. Jesus asks a question back to them – 12:11

11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?

I absolutely love the way that Jesus responds to their “set up” question. He answers their question with a question. I call this: A Question with Umph. And it has a powerful umph to it. It is a question that everyone of us can relate too, and it is also His answer.

“What man is there among you who has one sheep and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?”

Perhaps you’re thinking I can’t relate; I don’t have any sheep? Well, replace it with a pet you might have – a dog, a cat (maybe you can’t replace it with a cat. Maybe you don’t like cats). What about a horse. If your pet animal fell into a pit on the Sabbath (Saturday) would you lift it out? Of course, you would. Why? It is the Sabbath. Jews were not supposed to work on the Sabbath. But there is a huge different in the words work and compassion (mercy).

Listen, there are certain things that happen in life that over-rule the Sabbath. Like being hungry and picking heads of grain, or even here, helping an animal out of a pit. I hope all of us realize that lending a helping hand when someone is in need surpasses tradition and laws.

J.C. Ryle writes, “Above all, He lays down the great principle that no ordinance of God is to be pressed so far as to make us neglect the plain duties of charity. “I desire compassion, and not sacrifice.” [2]

There is an even greater truth that Jesus wants to drive home to these religious people. What is it?

IV. Jesus shares the value of a man – 12:12

12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Humanity is more valuable than an animal. Would you agree with that statement? I would! But I sometimes wonder as I listen to our culture speak. We hear all the time about saving the environment, saving whales, or protecting the eagles. And then when it comes to the unborn child it is open season – it’s a woman’s reproductive right. Is humanity more valuable than an animal? Yes!

Listen to what Jesus taught earlier in Matthew 6:26,

26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Please don’t miss what Jesus says in our text – these are His words,

“Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Jesus used flawless logic. It is always right to do good, even on the sabbath.

Do you know what our world needs more of today? It needs more “Do Gooders” on the Sabbath. It is okay to do good things on the Sabbath (on Saturday). I would also add that it okay to do good Sunday through Saturday. There are no rules against helping a sheep out of a pit, or even helping a fellow human being who has fallen and can’t get up.

As the people of God, we should constantly be looking for ways to help people. Let us go about doing good. This is what Jesus did. In Acts 10:38, we read the following about Jesus,

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

V. Jesus heals the man with the withered hand – 12:13

13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

After Jesus provides His “Question and Answer” He steps forward and He tells the man with the withered and to stretch out his hand, and as he was stretching it out it was restored as whole as the other. Jesus made it fully well.

One man wrote, “Power is linked to obedience.” The man did what Jesus told him to do, and he was healed.

The word “restored” means reconstitute. We see this done with dried potatoes, or dried vegetables. We add water and reconstitute them. This is what Jesus did with the man’s hand. Jesus made his hand whole, complete. It worked like new!

Jesus does good on the Sabbath. There is a valuable lesson here for all of us. So many people are into creating rules, and rules keep us from doing what God clearly never intended us not to be doing. God never intended us not to do good on the Sabbath. Man made rules will often keep us from doing good. So then, see a need, lend a hand, even if it is the Sabbath.

VI. The Pharisees go out and plot to destroy Jesus – 12:14

14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

The Pharisees (not fair you see) went out of the synagogue and plotted against Jesus. Apparently, they didn’t want to stand in the same building with a man that would heal on the Sabbath. They saw Jesus as a lawbreaker.

In Luke 6:11 we read,

But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

We don’t read it here in Matthew 12:14, but over in Mark 3:6, we read,

Then the Pharisees immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

“These Herodians were supporters of Herod’s dynasty, created by Caesar - a political rather than religious party. The Pharisees regarded them as untrue to their religion and country. But here we see them coming together against Christ as a common enemy. (The enemy of my enemy is my friend was their thought). They come together on another occasion as well (Matthew 22:15, Matthew 22:16).[3]

Together they were seeking to come up with a strategy to destroy Him. Imagine the indignation they must have had towards Jesus. They must have so disliked the way He responded with His own question that they wanted to destroy Him.

Can you imagine wanting to put a man to death for doing good on the Sabbath?

David Guzik asked the following question: “Which was more a violation of the Sabbath: When Jesus healed a man, or when these hate-filled men plotted the murder of a godly man who had never sinned against anybody?”

On a side note: I can think of a political party that is out to destroy a man for doing good, but I’ll not go there. It’s outside of this passage of Scripture.

I want to close by asking you a question: Is it right to do good? Yes! It is always right to do good.

Conclusion: What are the spiritual lessons from this passage?

1. There will always be a “their synagogue” in this world. People are very controlling by nature.

2. We will always be surrounded with people who will need a miracle.

3. There will always be those who ask, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath?”

4. There will always be those who are looking to accuse you. In their eyes you can never do it right.

5. It is never wrong to save a life even on the Sabbath.

6. People are of more value than an animal.

7. It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.

8. God is the ultimate healer.

9. There will be those who will seek our destruction as followers of Jesus Christ.

[1]The Moody Bible Commentary [2] (Ryle, J. C.. Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Matthew [Updated Edition]: A Commentary (p. 105). Aneko Press. Kindle Edition.) [3] E-sword, Jamieson-Fausset – Brown Commentary