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The Rabbis had taught that there was "no Sabbatism in the Temple". The Lord could
have appealed to this, but He preferred to take a simpler and wider view, and asked, in
fact, whether a man was not of more value than a sheep. That which God had given as a
"delight", they in their withered barrenness made the symbol of all that was exclusive,
narrow and formal. The way in which their leaders had fenced the observation of the
Sabbath with the most minute and ridiculous restrictions blinded them to the spiritual
significance of the day. We shall find that much of the opposition of the Pharisees was
related to the Lord's attitude to their conception of the Sabbath. This we must deal with
separately, as space will not suffice here and now.
The Pharisees now take counsel against the Lord as to how they might destroy Him.
What perversity is this! His every act had left behind Him mercy, peace, health,
thankfulness, life from the dead, sight for the blind, yea, the forgiveness of sins--yet they
hated Him, these scrupulous Sabbath-keepers.
Then follows the quotation which at last speaks of the Gentiles. With this quotation,
Isa. 49: 3-7 should be read. There the close connection between Israel's rejection of the
Lord, and the blessing of the Gentiles is seen. One of His titles there is, "Him whom the
nation abhorreth"! We have already looked at the closing miracle. The last words
indicate the possibility that Israel may receive the Lord as the Son of David. Here the
Pharisees interpose their blasphemous statement, and Israel sinks into unrepentance and
blindness.
The miracles keep pace with the theme. Each Gospel writer chooses or rejects in
accordance with the special object of his narrative, and this is by far the most important
aspect in which to view the miracles. They can be considered in a detached and
undispensational manner safely afterwards, but that is not our present purpose.
#5.
The Miracles of the Rejection (Matt. 13: - 21:).
pp. 139 - 142
We have traced the ever deepening character of the evidences given to the Messiah by
the miracles which are recorded. Things physical and temporal, things spiritual and
eternal, come within their scope. We notice the cumulative character of the effect
produced:--
"His fame went throughout All Syria. . . . and there followed Him great multitudes
of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and from Judea, and
from beyond Jordan" (Matt. 4: 24).
The emphasis here is mainly on the geographical extent of the evidence. It included
practically all the land then occupied by the people of Israel.