Saving a Sheep on the Sabbath Day - Matthew 12:11

Matthew the apostle wrote when Jesus, “was departed from there, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him”, and in chapter twelve and verse eleven of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus asked, “what man … that have one sheep, and if it fall ...will he not lay hold on it?” where we read:

And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

The verse reads, “And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, ...” Matthew began with the words, “and he said” which means “and Jesus uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto them” which means “to the leaders within the synagogue”, “what man” which means “who is the male person” “shall there be among you” or “who lives alongside and with the leaders”, “that shall have one sheep” which means “who holds, owns and possesses a certain single grazing small cattle”. Matthew shared how Jesus responded to the leaders within the “synagogue” with the beginning of a question to them concerning any of them that might have a single “sheep” which they owned.

The verse continues, “... and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?” Matthew added the words, “and if it fall” which means “and whether that single sheep is fallen or overwhelmed” “into a pit” or “in a cistern or ditch” “on the sabbath day” which refers to “on the the seventh day of each week which was a sacred festival on which the Israelites were required to abstain from all work”, “will he not lay hold on it” or “will not the man who owns the single sheep take possession of, seize and not discard or let it go”, “and lift it out” which means “and rescue, raise up and rear the sheep out of the ditch”? Matthew shared how Jesus employed the example of the “single sheep” falling into a ditch on the “sabbath day” and how every man there would attempt to rescue that “sheep” from it's trouble without a second thought.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see the wisdom of Jesus among those who were opposed to Him. The leaders of the temple did not have an honest question for Jesus as they revealed their intent to accuse Him of being lawless. No, rather than care for the man with the “withered hand”, these leaders wanted to use him as a means by which to trap Jesus. However, they were dealing with “God incarnate, the Creator of the Universe”, and did they really believe they were smarter than He? God loves people, and He wants to have a personal relationship with them through His Son Jesus. Jesus cared for all of them, and though they had ill intent, Jesus intended to demonstrate how wonderful a relationship with God can be.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus asks the Pharisees, “how much then is a man better than a sheep?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.