QT 15/02/2026 Sun. Matthew 12. Missing the Wood for the Trees 马太福音 12. 只见树木不见森林

QT 15/02/2026 Sun. Matthew 12. Missing the Wood for the Trees
READ http://www.esv.org/matthew12

(1) Missing the Wood for the Trees

Matthew 12:7–8 “And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” (ESV)

Sometimes it is quite humorous how easily we quibble over religious matters while ignoring the Lord of those matters standing right in front of us. The Pharisees were experts in Sabbath regulations, yet blind to the One who instituted the Sabbath itself. In their zeal for sacrifice, they missed mercy; in their defense of the law, they rejected its fulfillment.

(2) Revealing the True Motivation of Enquiries

Matthew 12:10 “And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’—so that they might accuse him.” (ESV)

Questions can be holy. They can arise from a genuine hunger for truth and a desire to know God more deeply. But Matthew exposes a darker motive here. This question was not asked to learn, but to trap. The inquiry masked an intention to accuse Jesus, which soon grew into a conspiracy over “how to destroy him” (12:14).

The passage reminds us that not all theological questions are spiritually neutral. Sometimes, questions reveal not curiosity—but resistance.

(3) Jesus’ Response Points to Wisdom and Timing

Matthew 12:15–17 “Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah.” (ESV)

Jesus does not escalate conflict for its own sake. Aware of the growing hostility, He withdraws—not in fear, but in wisdom. His quiet compassion and restraint fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy of the gentle Servant who would not quarrel or cry aloud (12:18–21). His kingdom advances not through force, but through faithful obedience to the Father’s will and perfect timing.

(4) Even Undeniable Power Can Be Misread by Hardened Hearts

Matthew 12:22–24 “Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw… But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.’”* (ESV)

Here Jesus confronts three layers of brokenness—demonic oppression, blindness, and muteness—and restores the man completely. The miracle is comprehensive and undeniable. The crowd begins to ask the right question: “Can this be the Son of David?” (12:23).

Yet the Pharisees, faced with evidence they cannot refute, reinterpret the truth to preserve their unbelief. Rather than submit to the work of God, they attribute the power of the Holy Spirit to Satan. This is not intellectual confusion but moral resistance. When hearts are hardened against Christ, even the clearest light can be called darkness.

A Unifying Warning and Invitation: Matthew 12 teaches us that:
(a) Religious knowledge without mercy blinds (vv. 1–8)
(b) Questions can conceal hostility (v. 10)
(c) God’s chosen Servant advances His kingdom without coercion (vv. 15–21)
(d) Miracles do not compel faith where pride rules (vv. 22–24)

The danger is not merely misunderstanding Jesus, but standing close to Him while missing who He truly is. The Pharisees saw more than anyone, yet believed less.

This passage invites us to examine our own hearts:
(a) Are we seeking truth—or ammunition?
(b) Do we rejoice when Christ restores others, even when it disrupts our categories?
(c) Are we quick to defend our religious systems, or quick to yield to the Lord of the Sabbath?

May we not miss the wood for the trees. And may we recognize, worship, and trust the Son of Man when He stands before us.

QT 15/02/2026 星期日. 马太福音 12. 只见树木不见森林
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/mat/12/

(1) 只见树木不见森林

马太福音12:7-8  [7] 如果你们明白‘我喜爱怜悯，不喜爱祭祀’ 这句话的意思，就不会把无罪的定罪了。[8] 因为人子是安息日的主。”

有时我们为宗教事务争论不休，却忽视眼前那位事务的主宰者，这情形颇具讽刺意味。法利赛人精通安息日律法，却对设立安息日的主视而不见。他们在献祭热忱中错失了怜悯，在捍卫律法时拒绝了律法的成全。

(2) 显明质问的真实动机

马太福音12:10 “会堂里有一个人，他的一只手枯干了。有人问耶稣：“在安息日治病，可以吗？”目的是要控告耶稣。”

问问题本身可以是好事，源于对真理的渴慕和更深认识神的渴望。但马太在此揭露了更阴暗的动机：这问题并非为求知，而是为设陷阱。质问背后隐藏着控告耶稣的意图，很快演变成 “商议怎样对付耶稣，好杀掉他”（12:14）。

这段经文提醒我们：并非所有神学问题都属属灵中立。有时，问题背后并非好奇——而是抵挡。

(3) 耶稣的回应彰显智慧与时机

马太福音12:15-17 “ 耶稣知道了，就离开那里。有很多人跟随他，他医好他们所有的病人，16 又嘱咐他们不可替他张扬。17 这就应验了以赛亚先知所说的：”

耶稣并非为冲突而升级冲突。察觉敌意渐浓，祂选择退去——非因畏惧，乃出于智慧。祂静默的怜悯与克制，正应验了以赛亚对温柔仆人的预言：祂不争辩，也不喧嚷（12:18-21）。祂的国度并非靠武力推进，而是通过忠心顺服天父旨意与完美时机而拓展。

(4) 刚硬之心甚至会误解无可辩驳的大能

马太福音12:22-24 “ 有人带了一个被鬼附着、又瞎又哑的人到耶稣那里。耶稣医好了他，那哑巴就能说话，也能看见了。23 群众都很惊奇，说：“难道他就是大卫的子孙？” 24法利赛人听见了，说：“这个人赶鬼，只不过是靠鬼王别西卜罢了。”

耶稣在此面对三重破碎——鬼魔压制、失明与哑巴——并使这人全然得着医治。这神迹全面而无可辩驳。众人开始提出正确的问题：“难道他就是大卫的子孙？”（12:23）。

然而法利赛人面对无法驳斥的证据时，竟曲解真理以维护自己的不信。他们拒绝顺服神的作为，竟将圣灵的大能归于撒旦。这并非理智的混乱，而是道德的抗拒。当人心对基督刚硬时，即便是最明亮的光也能被称为黑暗。

统一的警示与邀请：马太福音12章教导我们：
(a) 缺乏怜悯的宗教知识使人瞎眼（1-8节）
(b) 问题可能掩藏敌意（10节）
(c) 神拣选的仆人推进国度不靠强迫（15-21节）
(d) 骄傲当道之处，神迹无法催生信心（22-24节）

危险不仅在于误解耶稣，更在于近在咫尺却看不清祂的真貌。法利赛人看得比谁都清楚，却信得最少。

这段经文邀请我们省察己心：
(a) 我们寻求的是真理——还是攻击的弹药？
(b) 当基督医治他人时，即便颠覆我们的认知框架，我们是否仍为之欢欣？
(c) 我们是否急于捍卫宗教体系，抑或甘愿顺服安息日的主？

愿我们不因树木而失却森林。当人子立于我们面前时，愿我们认出祂、敬拜祂、信靠祂。