May 14, 2020 - I hope you will take some time with me to look at Matthew 12:9-14. We read about Christ healing a man on the Sabbath. This is connected to the previous verses and shows Christ not quite done teaching on how he is the lord of the Sabbath, showing how he is the lord of rest. We read about Christ entering the synagogue and that there was a man there with what is described as a withered hand.
The Pharisees ask Jesus whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. It would have been one thing to ask the question really wanting to know the answer, we read though that these religious leaders were trying to trick Jesus so that they might accuse him. They were plotting his destruction.
Christ responds with yes, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Pulling on examples and illustrations that his audience would know about, Christ points to shepherds and how they would pull sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath. If shepherds are willing to do that for sheep, why would we not do it for men and women. Of how much more value is a man than a sheep? Christ heals the withered hand and the whole confrontation added fuel to the fire building inside the Pharisees.
This is what sin and the Law does folks. We’ll read about the Law and then twist it around. Turning what was to be a day of rest into a day of unrest. A day where there was little loving of neighbor and more digging ourselves out of the pits we are in to no avail. The Gospel comes in and tells us even though we break the law of God, even though we fail to love our neighbor we are to remember the Gospel truth that Christ died for all of our sins. We do not dig ourselves out of the pits we find ourselves in. Christ pulls us out and like the fallen sheep brings us into his everlasting arms.
Folks, just as Christ healed the hand of the man, he has also washed away our sins. Rest on Christ. Through Christ you are forgiven.
Wynter is an Elder at Mariposa Reformed Baptist Church. Find out more at MariposaChurch.org or email him at wynter@mariposachurch.org. Visit Mariposa Reformed Baptist Church on Facebook.
Pastor’s Corner is a column from Pastor Wynter Sturtevant III of the Mariposa Reformed Baptist Church.
The Church has moved locations, services are now held at the Bootjack Stompers Hall (located at 4662 Morman Bar Crossing) across from the Mariposa County Fairgrounds.
Time of service is at 10:00 A.M. on Sunday.
I am happy to announce that MRBC has its own sermon podcast. Please check it out by clicking on the link below or searching MRBC Sermons on iTunes (more apps to come hopefully). I'll be posting sermons from the archives every Wednesday. Whenever we are able to start holding services again, those sermons will be posted as well.
https://mariposachurch.transistor.fm/episodes
Note: Area churches interested in submitting Articles of Faith are welcome to contact us.
Please email the Sierra Sun Times at sst@goldrushcam.com for more information.
