The Pharisees knew the law well. Throughout the gospels, they seem to try to catch anyone and everyone, including Jesus, in the act of disobeying any aspect of the law. Such as when the disciples picked grain on the Sabbath. Because picking grain was considered work, and no work was allowed on the Sabbath according to the law, the Pharisees swooped in to make certain no one was getting away with something that could be punished.

They basically tattled to Jesus. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, “Look! Your followers are doing what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath day.” (Matthew 12:2) As if Jesus didn’t know what was going on!

Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and the people with him were hungry?He went into God’s house, and he and those with him ate the holy bread, which was lawful only for priests to eat. And have you not read in the law of Moses that on every Sabbath day the priests in the Temple break this law about the Sabbath day? But the priests are not wrong for doing that. I tell you that there is something here that is greater than the Temple.The Scripture says, ‘I want kindness more than I want animal sacrifices.’ You don’t really know what those words mean. If you understood them, you would not judge those who have done nothing wrong.

So the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day.” (Matthew 12:3-8)

Jesus includes statements within his teaching, but he also often asks questions, and this situation is no different. If the Pharisees are as intimate with the Scriptures as they say they are, they would know some of the situations in which grace overrides law. The covenant God made with his people must be taken in its entirety, so to become legalistic about a small detail that does not span across the entire covenant and the character of God is a misapplication of God’s will. Jesus challenged the Pharisees on this repeatedly throughout the gospels.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we can likely find parts of our lives that resemble the Pharisees’ attitudes. We can cling to something that might have at one time been rooted in solid teaching, but we create a structure around it that gives it more weight than God ever intended. In the meantime, the attention and time we give it robs us of other areas in which God wants to teach and reveal himself to us.

Are you willing to invite Jesus to teach you through his questions?

Get started right now!

• Jesus answered, “Why are you afraid?” (Matthew 8:26)
• After Jesus went inside, the blind men went with him. He asked the men, “Do you believe that I can make you see again?” (Matthew 9:28)
• Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Jesus said, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31)
• Jesus answered, “And why do you refuse to obey God’s command so that you can follow your own teachings?” (Matthew 15:3)
• Then Jesus asked them, “And who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15)
• But knowing that these leaders were trying to trick him, Jesus said, “You hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me?” (Matthew 22:18)
• Then Jesus went back to his followers and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “You men could not stay awake with me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40)

I imagine you know the “correct” Sunday School answers, but let God grow you through authentically considering how you would answer when faced with these questions by Jesus, the Son of God, who knows all things.