Bad Religion - Week 2

In Matthew 12, we encounter a powerful confrontation between rigid religious rules and radical restoration. The Pharisees had taken the beautiful principle of Sabbath rest—a gift meant to remind us that God provides and sustains even when we're inactive—and weaponized it with thousands of additional laws designed for power and control. But Jesus steps into their synagogue and reframes everything. When we see a man with a withered right hand, the hand of favor now broken by life's circumstances, we witness Jesus asking a penetrating question: Is it lawful, or is it loving? The religious leaders prioritized rules over relief, watching to ridicule rather than restore. Yet Jesus sees this hurting man sitting in the back, perhaps planted there as a trap, and declares Himself Lord of the Sabbath. He asks the impossible—stretch out your hand—and in that moment of obedient faith, complete restoration happens. This challenges us profoundly: Are we busy because we're called or because we're uncomfortable with stillness? Have we created our own house rules that block people from encountering Jesus? The message is clear—Jesus gives us rest not as rigid regulation, but as restoring relationship. Legalism protects rules, but lordship restores people. We're invited to examine what withered places in our lives need stretching toward Jesus, trusting that He sees us, stretches us, and strengthens us.