I am spending time walking through the Gospels from beginning to end, looking for the moments where Jesus leaned in, lifted up, and loved without hesitation. I want to understand how His grace works in everyday life and what it invites me to become.
Matthew 12 feels like watching Jesus move through a day packed with tension and tenderness all at once. The Pharisees circle Him with questions about the Sabbath, trying to catch Him in a mistake, while Jesus keeps choosing mercy over rule keeping. A withered hand is restored. Hungry disciples are fed. And suddenly the Sabbath feels less like a burden and more like a breath.
I imagine the look on the man’s face as his hand straightened, life returning to what had been useless for so long. All while religious leaders watched with crossed arms, missing the miracle happening right in front of them. And I could not help but wonder how often we cling to the letter of something and miss the heartbeat of it entirely.
Then Jesus heals the blind and mute, frees the oppressed, and reminds everyone that a tree is known by its fruit. Words matter. Actions matter. The inner life matters most of all. The chapter closes with Jesus redefining family as those who do the will of His Father. Not exclusion, but expansion. A wider circle. A wider welcome.
Maybe that is why this chapter feels so alive. It is a reminder that mercy is not a soft option. It is a strong, steady choice that tells the truth about who God is.
Key Verse:
“I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” Matthew 12:7
Gracefully yours,
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