QUESTIONS THE ENEMIES OF JESUS WISHED THEY HAD NOT ASKED

INTRODUCTION-- During Jesus' time on earth, the Word of God had been obscured by traditions. These traditions were made as authoritative as the Law, but Jesus showed the hypocrisy of these things, when men questioned His teaching. After that, they wished they had not asked their questions.

LESSON-- Sabbath healings provoked questions.

1. Jesus did not shrink from healing on the Sabbath, because it gave Him an opportunity to correct the Jews on their emphasis on tradition. In Matthew 12:9 14, Jesus "went into their synagogue: 10 and behold, a man having a withered hand. And they (the Pharisees) asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? that they might accuse him. 11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12 How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day. 13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him."
   
   1. A similar incident is recorded in Luke 14:1-6. "And it came to pass, when he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him. 2 And behold, there was before him a certain man that had the dropsy. 3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, or not? 4 But they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go. 5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a well, and will not straightway draw him up on a sabbath day? 6 And they could not answer again unto these things."
      
   2. In both of these instances, Jesus showed the inconsistency of their application of the Sabbath law, using examples having to do with kindness to animals.
      
   3. Jesus used a Law of Moses to enforce his interpretation of the Sabbath law. Deuteronomy 22:4 "Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again." (The urgency of such a situation requires that no consideration be given to the time of its occurence.)
      
2. On one occasion, Jesus "answered" a ruler who did not ask a question. Luke 13:10-17 "And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath day. 11 And behold, a woman that had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years; and she was bowed together, and could in no wise lift herself up. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her, and said to her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13 And he laid his hands upon her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 And the ruler of the synagogue, being moved with indignation because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, answered and said to the multitude, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the day of the sabbath. 15 But the Lord answered him, and said, Ye hypocrites, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound, lo, these eighteen years, to have been loosed from this bond on the day of the sabbath? 17 And as he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame: and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him."
   
   1. The instruction of the ruler of the synagogue to the "multitude" could not be left unanswered.
      
   2. The adversaries were "put to shame" by His benevolent attitude.
      
3. The emphasis on tradition by the Pharisees and others obscured the truth. Mark 7:1-9. "And there are gathered together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, 2 and had seen that some of his disciples ate their bread with defiled, that is, unwashen, hands. 3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands diligently, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market-place, except they bathe themselves, they eat not; and many other things there are, which they have received to hold, washings of cups, and pots, and brasen vessels.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with defiled hands? 6 And he said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. 7 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men. 8 Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men. 9 And he said unto them, Full well do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition."
   

APPLICATION-- We can look on these incidents with the same sort of indignation shown by Jesus, but before we condemn the Jews for their hypocrisy, we should examine our own practices. There may be times when we bind our traditions, thinking that those traditions reflect the truth. However, only the traditions handed down by the Apostles of Christ are binding on men.

1. The traditions of men are forbidden as rules. Colossians 2:8-9 "Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ: 9 for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
   
2. Let us content ourselves with following the traditions that come from a divine source. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 "So then, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye were taught, whether by word, or by epistle of ours."
   
3. Paul applies this to a particular tradition in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 11. "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye with-draw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us.......11 For we hear of some that walk among you disorderly, that work not at all, but are busybodies."