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MATTHEW 12 (ESV)

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.

¹⁵ Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all ¹⁶ and ordered them not to make him known. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁸ “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
¹⁹ He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
²⁰ a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
²¹     and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

REFLECTION

• As it became increasingly clear that one must choose for or against Jesus, opposition to Him and to His kingdom hardened. Jesus claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath and the Servant predicted by Isaiah. This brought direct conflict with the Pharisees.
• Jesus didn’t have a smooth ministry. In fact, he met a lot of opposition.  Jesus responded to the hostility by simply asking those healed not to tell who he was (v16) and leaving the area.  Why?
• Matthew explained by quoting a passage from one of Isaiah’s “servant songs” (Is 42: 1-9). Messiah “will not quarrel or cry out”.  He will be so gentle that He will not even snap a worthless reed flute, or discard a soot-filled candle wick.
• Continue concentrate on your Lord Saviour and get to know Him deeper by reflecting on the characteristics listed in the passage. Praise and thank Him for His humility and gentleness and also the wonderful work He’s done in your life.

Prayer & Journaling:

On your prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.