The Perfect Trap

By Alessandra Velsor

“Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ He said to them, ‘If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.’ Then he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.”—Matthew 12:9–14 (NIV)

So far, we’ve read of three incidents involving the Pharisees in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 3:7–10; Matthew 9:1–8; Matthew 12:1–8). However, today’s passage reveals the true motivation behind their unrelenting quibbles against Jesus. Pharisees made following God such an impossible feat with their interpretations of the law. They now see Jesus’ popularity rise as He delivers a message that immediately defeats their agenda and diminishes their power to control people with religion. Jesus’ mission wasn’t to break the Law as they claimed but to fulfill it righteously.

Therefore, this isn’t the first encounter with the Pharisees and won’t be the last. Jesus doesn’t let tension between them stop Him from congregating in the synagogue. This makes me reflect on the times I’ve been betrayed by other Christians, and, in turn, I’ve contemplated leaving the church altogether. Growing up, my family would change churches and denominations often to still find deception and corruption from some within the walls of what was supposed to be a holy space to worship.

But as I write this, I’m reminded of why fighting through these urges is crucial. Sure, I'm realizing: We attend church to primarily seek Him and learn more about Him. And sure, we can hop from church to church to find what we’re looking for realizing down the road that disappointment in people is sadly part of our journey of faith. But we ARE the church, and it doesn’t matter which building we choose to worship Him in as long as it’s biblically sound and we conduct ourselves in a way that brings Him honor.

In this case, Jesus was more than justified to stop going into the synagogue, as it started to look like He was overstaying His welcome. But Jesus was on a mission to rescue people from a man-made religion and invite them into friendship with the Father. This is the good news!

The Pharisees found the perfect trap, knowing how much Jesus cared about healing the sick and offering forgiveness of sin. His disciples had already been caught violating the Sabbath in the latter verses. Now, they wanted to catch Jesus with the sole intent of finding evidence to charge Him and kill Him. Jesus didn’t waver in His response to them as He effortlessly healed a man with a withered hand from what could have simply been from old age.

This particular scenario doesn’t seem to point towards sin like other cases, and it also didn’t seem urgent to cure him, which makes me ponder if Jesus wanted to fall into their trap after all. His response to the Pharisees is consistent with Jesus’ teachings. He deems humans much more valuable than animals (Matthew 10:31; Matthew 6:26)! As much as I love my husky puppy and care for him dearly, my love for him is incomparable to the love I hold for my children. It doesn’t mean God doesn’t love animals; it merely means He loves us more than any creature He’s ever created. He loves us so much that He even sent His own Son to be accused of violating the Law when, in reality, He was as perfect as the trap they set out for Him. But Jesus knew what He walked into, and now there was no way back: He’s now freed us from death by unjustly dying on the cross for us.

Pause: The Pharisees are the literal definition of a hypocrite! From time to time, we’ve all struggled with self-righteousness. Reflect on a time you acted like a Pharisee in someone else’s story.

Practice: Do you currently have tension with another Christian? Fight through the urge and try to resolve the matter. Meditate on Matthew 18:15–20 as a guide through conflict in the church.

Pray: Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath and the King of my heart, thank You for always being so willing to fight for us, to fight for our well-being so much that You died my death. I’m sorry for the times I’ve doubted You, when it’s felt like I don’t hear You answer. In the midst of the silence, I trust You are working in my life and the lives of my loved ones. I lift up those who have walked away from the church because they have been hurt by those in it. Heal their wounds the same way You healed this man’s hand. If it’s Your will, find a way for restoration and reconciliation, but most importantly, that they feel Your love and presence through this season. Let them know they’re not alone. Thank You for coming to bring clarity to the Law and for simplifying it for us to follow and honor You with it. Thank You that even when I fail You, You offer me grace and forgiveness. Help me extend the same grace to those who have offended me and let me be freed from the prison that unforgiveness and resentment bring me. Lord, help me be more like You, but most importantly, I desire to be with You for the rest of my life. I love You, my Lord. Amen.