Disliked by the Pharisees
Matthew 12:12-14
“Yes, it is right to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man “Reach out your hand.” The man reached out his hand and it become normal, just like the other one. Then the
Pharisees called a meeting and discussed plans for killing Jesus. Matthew 12:12-14 NLT
Jesus was always being challenged by the Pharisees. He was always being questioned. The cool thing is that Jesus always knew their thoughts, He knew their hearts, He knew their motives. He was always able to answer in a way that challenged the popular way of thinking. The Pharisees didn’t like that and wanted Christ gone and out of the picture. They didn’t understand that even crucifying Jesus wasn’t going to get rid of him. They failed to see God’s plan for our salvation. It is great to see Jesus always doing the right things. It is good to help others.
Reflection
So, what does this mean to you? Is there an act of kindness or goodness that Jesus wants you to be faithful in and do? Knowing that Jesus knows our thoughts toward others and our motives for why we act, maybe you need to be honest and confess to God a few things. Take a few minutes and right down what God wants you to do this week.
What does your prayer need to be today? Maybe you need to pray for a difficult person or situation. Maybe you need to pray for guidance on ways to do good? Maybe you need to pray a prayer of confession towards those areas where your motives haven’t always been that of kindness and doing good towards others.
Going Deeper
For an extra challenge and additional family time: Read all of Matthew12. You will see how the Pharisees challenged Jesus and you will see His amazing response. Spend some time talking about a time where you did good even if it was hard and unpopular. Spend some time discussing what the Pharisees did wrong. Then question if each of us is ever like that. End by thanking God for His grace and mercy, and thank him for His forgiveness when we are wrong.
