Sabbath Lord vs. Religious Nitpickers, Part 1

Today Chuck Swindoll describes a colorful clash between Jesus and his legalistic critics. Anytime you confront a first thing legalistic because I don't want to ever be told or wrong you do your best to love you try your best to say it in a way that's kind, gracious, but before long, you realize you're standing toe to toe with a religious nitpicker who cannot even hear that kind of confrontation. The religious leaders of Jesus consumed with following the 10 Commandments and other Jewish tradition and degree. They went overboard on religious performance.

In addition, the Pharisees look down their noses at anyone who ignored their strict Jewish laws shaming them into obedience today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll points to a classic showdown between Jesus and peace first century fanatics in this encounter Jesus expose the folly of their presumption study takes us to Matthew chapter 12 Chuck titled today's message Sabbath Lord versus religious nitpicker's Pharisees never knew what to do with Jesus. He absolutely drove them up the wall. They came up with all the rules and restrictions and regulations and he ignored most of sometime he deliberately went against them so that they might if possible. Learn the error of putting together their own truths as though they are on the level with God's truth is they never got it. As a matter fact or hostility only grew as time passed, think about the things he did that they hated. He was a friend of sinners and he even ate with them. They wanted nothing to do with sinners forgetting that they were the worst of the group. He defended a woman who was taken in adultery.

They wanted a stronger, he invited the tax gatherer to join his band of disciples. A man named Matthew. And in fact, he became one of the 12 they wanted nothing to do with tax gatherers. He ignored the stigma of leprosy as he spent time with a man whose name became Simon the leper.

He enjoyed eating with outcasts and people with bad reputation. They too enjoyed being with him. Don't forget that.

Actually, he presented place where a woman who would come from a very disreputable background in her life. She entered her room of man which was not viewed with kindness and on top of that she brought with her the most expensive perfume of the day and covered his head with it. He not only allowed it, he defended it, one man writes Jesus hardly made for a soothing dinner guest. The list goes on.

He kept breaking all of their expectations and never gave it a second thought. They never forgot we may find those traits intriguing and even attractive. The legal lease the legalistic Pharisees found them shocking and sometimes revolting.

What began as an idle curiosity on their part led to the spirit of sins of suspicion and the suspicion led to investigation. The investigation resulted in blind prejudice and then a malignant sense of hostility followed by a determination to do what the Nazis hope to do with the Jews exterminating killing which gives you somebody of the motive behind those religious nitpicker's. In fact, you can appreciate.

Matthew 12 where we want to go by first looking at Matthew 15 turn in your Bibles.

I'm using the new living translation is my text, but you will follow along with similar words, we read of these Pharisees and some scribes who come and they come from Jerusalem again to see Jesus. Make no mistake, they came to check them out. They asked him why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition, for they ignore our tradition of ceremonial handwashing before they eat, stop right there. You must understand that for several hundred years the Pharisees and others like them had compiled a list of rules and restrictions and regulations that were designed in their opinion to interpret the law God gave the law to Moses and the tablets the law is concise, simple and clear. It is also exacting when God gave the law of these Pharisees later felt that they needed to be explained or clarified or amplified is a better word. And they went to work.

In doing so, and they had their list leave me. I get to in the moment regarding the Sabbath, but let me jump ahead and say in the town mood. One of their works. That has lived on.

There are 24 chapters dedicated to nothing other than the laws regarding the Sabbath to give you some idea.

God simply wrote keep the Sabbath holy. It's a day of rest is will see the Sabbath was a Saturday, a time when they were to no longer do their trade or their farming or their work, they would arrest they were to relax. They turned that into such a list of rules and regulations. One writer says they work harder on the Sabbath to keep the rules than they did at their job through the week. It went on and on and on. If you've ever been around legalistic you know what I'm talking about it here were going to see legalism expose as it rarely is what your disciples disobey our tradition. There rules are called the tradition, God's rule was called his wall. But then they put it on the level of the law instead because your disciples don't wash ceremonially as we require. You wouldn't believe those requirements they are breaking God's law and fact there requirements had little to do with God's law as it relates to washing as they ignore our tradition of ceremonial handwashing before they eat, look at Jesus on intimidate all of this about him as much, as anything why do you buy your traditions violate the direct commandments of God.

Your Bible may read invalidate other words, you put together your books, your list your papers. Your pages your requirements and you've lifted them to a level with the law of God. How wrong in many ways how absurd you to do that for you since God says in verse four. Honor your father and mother. Anyone who speaks disrespectfully or father or mother must be put to death, but you say it's all right for people to say to their parents. Sorry III can help you.

For I have vowed to give to God what I would've given to you.

In other words, they compromised what God wrote clearly in his concise moral law, and they made it possible for people to go around it in this way, you say they don't need to honor their parents and so you get this you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. Don't miss that.

That's how serious legalists are regarding their list. The word of God. Now, that's certainly significant.

But don't miss what we have told you we require of you in this fellowship are in this gathering, or in this religious circle look at Jesus response to them.

You hypocrites – just for going further, when's the last time you said that anybody see what what we don't but we know come across like that list we look judgmental. Jesus goes, you hypocrites you like dead men's bones on the inside wood on the outside and try to look Pius the quotes from Isaiah and he ends the quotation they teach man-made ideas as commands from God. I love the next verse, domestic then Jesus called the crowd to come and said listen to try to understand is not what goes into your mouth at the file Junior defiled by the words that come out of your mouth. When will we ever learn that is not what you eat or how you we it's what comes out of your heart that shows the defilement and look at the next verse, the disciples came to him and asked, do you realize you offended the Pharisees about what you do with that really.

I mean, Jesus is saying up there earlier what you put this in your who could smoke it.

Don't forget, it's kind of a loose paraphrase of what he say, but don't forget that.

Stop doing that kind of stuff he confronts them with that.

The disciples said, you realize that you offended that limited anytime you confront a pharisaic legalists are going to within because I don't want to ever be told or wrong. They're the ones who tell you what to do. Their desire is to control you.

Not for you to confront them and I'll tell you do your best to do it and love you try your best to say it in a way that's kind, gracious, but before long, you realize you're standing toe to toe with a religious nitpicker who cannot even hear that kind of confrontation because they are so bent on their own rules don't answer out loud, but were you raised with rules, know your little kids you need rules of course are you tear the world apart.

But as you grow up. The rules don't apply, but as you grow up in legalistic circles. They keep apply play cards don't dance no more leotards. When you work out sometime. It's a good idea for some people there's to be no mixed bathing think they met mixed swimming but they said mixed bathing shouldn't bathe with each other that that's not good and and on and on the list go to and you know we we chuckle about it today.

Monetary legalistic circles are not laughing because to them is like what God would have you know and do. It isn't any reason you cannot find those statements in the Scripture when we live by grace. We certainly ought to live in love and understanding of each other as best we can get along, but trust me, legalists are not built to get along their cute built to take charge and to keep you under their thumb with some of the most dangerous people in religious circles or legalistic pastors who take advantage of congregations by pulling rank and making demands and holding the congregation under his own set of rules and regulation turn back to Matthew 12 and was showing an example of legalism in action. About the time Jesus was walking through some grain fields on the Sabbath.

Don't miss that seven times in 12 verses we read Sabbath see it verse one on the seventh in the verse two on the seventh in the verse five on the Sabbath end of verse eight over the Sabbath.

A little later at verse 10 on the Sabbath. Verse 11 on the Sabbath.

Verse 12 Indians on the it's all about the Sabbath shutoff means seven is the seventh day of the week it was never Sunday never meant to be applied to Sunday. Nothing in the New Testament requires the keeping of the Sabbath for those who live in this wonderful era of grace we worship on the first day of the week when a worship on the shut off now. Believe me, when you go to Israel. You encounter the continuation of keeping of the Sabbath because there are numerous Orthodox Jews who follow the law and they have their lives they have the root maybe you don't know this if you've never been to Israel, but there is a Sabbath elevator.

So when you get in that elevator.

It stops in every floor you need to take your lunch with you if you live on 425 because every floor is a bit reason is you can't punch the number or that would be work honestly.

But what you see. If you're going to start to make your list and go to extremes. There is no extreme too far. There's nothing that is absurd in their minds because there explaining rest on the Sabbath, which is far from anomalous notice there on the Sabbath. The walking through some grain fields and the disciples were starving and hungry. His disciples were hungry so they decided or they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them walking along breaking of heads of the law allowed that Deuteronomy talks about it may take some it's not thievery. Vector paths provide the along the edges of crops so that you could do that if you're hungry along the way, you could take some of the neighbors green like that but but not set not the Pharisees because it's the Sabbath, so the Pharisees saw them do it. I got a question. What are the Pharisees doing out in the field of grain on the Sabbath while in their there's flying them out. Think that not taking a walk in the grain field enjoying the sunshine of the day there watching Jesus in this band of lawbreakers so the show will happen. They see the disciples bring the unit would also notice the disciples don't ask Jesus for permission to eat the grain that Menander is teaching long enough to know they were free to do it so they breaking off they chomp into it.

I think they've both push around their hands in the clear.

Let me.

They eat it from that and and it helps fill them up so there's nothing wrong with that. They been under Jesus teaching when you're under Jesus teaching you want to keep on asking permission. Your spiritually self-sustaining his word guides us and you will be at your follow.

You don't need my permission.

You don't need it any religious leaders permission you are maturing and learning how to live on your so there enjoying the green until the Pharisees common. They saw it, and they protested, they said, look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath stop. It's not the law there breaking. It's your now we know it's your tradition. It's your teachings about the law. They were perfectly within their rights. Now that they are Pharisees, they they're the ones who really knew the scriptures there were the conservatives among religious circles of that day. But look at Jesus questions a little insulting. He says, haven't you read in the Scriptures will haven't you even read what the Scriptures teach about David. David did when he and his companions were hungry what he went into the house of God. He and his companions really broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests were allowed to eat again that was allowed that was provided because mercy trumps the ridge. The rigid requirements and in this case there's a need this grade and haven't you read in the law of Moses, that the priest on duty and the judge in the temple may work on the set. Think about if you're a priest in the Sabbath rolls around you're involved in providing the that the cleanup from the sacrifices you're there to keep the temple in order and in all the things in place. Provide the children.

There's work that goes on the temple. The Lord had has enough room in his law for that and he made room for hip or two, aware that but you would not of condemned my innocent disciples, if you knew the meaning of the Scripture will feel the twisting of the life. If you knew the meaning the real meaning of the Scriptures you wouldn't be questioning my innocent disciples.

I want to show you mercy not offer sacrifices.

That wasn't one of their favorite verse by the way, that wasn't their favorite quotation because the Lord is the Lord of mercy and mercy trumps rigid rules for the son of man is Lord even over the Sabbath will don't think they miss that naughty saying I'm Lord over the Sabbath. Matter fact, if you check it out, you'll realize. Jesus offered the law is a part of the Godhead before he came to this earth.

He's engaged in these thing and he says to them. I will tell you I'm the Lord of the Sabbath that didn't at that point their hostility grew by leaps and bounds, but he doesn't stop what happens, then Jesus went over to their synagogue were he noticed a man with a different member. Still, the Sabbath, and he goes into the synagogue and he finds a man with a deformed hand look at this, the Pharisees, as Jesus does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath that is not a question without a hook. It's a question designed to kneeling in fact, Matthew says they were hoping he would say yes so they could bring charges, they never examine their own motives.

Pharisees are like that. They're so busy condemning and putting people on the spot. Don't stop to realize how hypocritical their word sort how deceptive in many ways how unfair Jesus through down the got revealed himself as Lord of the Sabbath Pharisees didn't like it tomorrow with her more about their reaction. You're listening to Insight for living and we reserve several minutes to hear Chuck Swindoll's closing comments so please stay with us and to learn more about this ministry.

Please visit us online@insightworld.org. One of our major goals is to help you understand the Bible in new and fresh ways she can integrate the truth of God's word into your life and if you're motivated by today's message to spend more time in personal Bible study remind you Insight for living offers. The Swindoll study Bible. It's intentionally designed to help you grasp the meaning of passages like the one were looking at today with the Swindoll study Bible open in your lap. You have access to decades of Chuck's personal study and insight laid side-by-side with the Scriptures, and it's written a course in the approachable style. You come to expect from Chuck to purchase a copy of the Swindoll study Bible go to Insight.org/offer or call us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 will check Insight for living ministries operates on an annual cycle that culminates one month from now June 30 and all of us are praying God would continue to meet our needs through our listening family so that these daily studies will continue without interruption. That's right Dave, there's a lot at stake this month and we know that when all of us band together, we can easily reach the June 30 goal. Our mission Insight for living ministries is to make disciples. Plain and simple. And that means were equipping Christians here at home as well as around the world to think biblically so that Christians are prepared to act biblically. We want the truth of God's word to flow through the veins of every listener like healthy red blood pumping life and of the hearts of every follower of Christ, all of the way Charles Haddon Spurgeon once put it with a twinkle in his eyes. Spurgeon wrote this it is blessed to eat into the very soul of the Bible, until at last you come to talk in spiritual language and your spirit is flavored with the words of the Lord, so that your blood is nibbling. I love that line so that your blood is nibbling up on the way oh what your blood type truck that some to draw a sample from my arm.

I'm going to tell the nurse I'm nibbling by the way, what yours. Here's the point. June 30 marks the end of our financial year. Our needs are enormous. No exaggeration but really it's not about money it's about equipping clear thinking Christians day in and day out, I'm calling you to be part of something phenomenal.

God would use your gift to cultivate big bullying Christians by investing your charitable donation and insight for living ministries your equipping others to think biblically so that they're prepared to act biblically take down this contact information, and then please get back in touch with us today. Together let's accomplish something phenomenal to write and let me explain how you can respond today. Choose one of several ways to reach out to Insight for living.

The quickest and most convenient way to give this to follow the simple instructions and insight.for that's insight.org or you can speak with one of our service representatives by calling us directly if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 day to Insight for living.

The preceding message, Sabbath, Lord versus religious myth was copyrighted in 2016 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited