Matthew 12

Readings for November 30

Isaiah 42:1-4

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,

    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my Spirit upon him;

    he will bring forth justice to the nations.

² He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,

    or make it heard in the street;

³ a bruised reed he will not break,

    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;

    he will faithfully bring forth justice.

⁴ He will not grow faint or be discouraged

    till he has established justice in the earth;

    and the coastlands wait for his law. (ESV)

Matthew 12:1-14

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. ² But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” ³ He said to them, “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 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 in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? ⁶ I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. ⁷ And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸ For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

⁹ He went on from there and entered their synagogue. ¹⁰ And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. ¹¹ He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹² Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³ Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

---

Devotion - Matthew 12

In Matthew 12:1–14, Jesus is confronted twice by the Pharisees over what is “lawful” on the Sabbath. The disciples pluck grain to eat, and later Jesus heals a man with a withered hand. In both moments, the Pharisees respond not with compassion, but with criticism. They knew the rules, but they missed the heart of God behind them.

Jesus reminds them—and us—that God’s Law was never meant to crush people but to protect and preserve life. The Sabbath is a gift, not a burden. It is a day for rest, mercy, and renewal.

The Pharisees were so focused on guarding the rules that they could not see the Lord of the Sabbath standing in front of them. Jesus is not simply teaching about the Sabbath; He is fulfilling it. In Him, we find true rest.

Question:

• How does Jesus’ compassion in this passage give you confidence to rest in Him?

Prayer:

Gracious Lord, Forgive us when we turn Your good gifts into burdens or when we fail to show mercy to others. Teach us to rest in Christ, who brings healing and life. Help us, by Your Spirit, to reflect His compassion in all we do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.