Out of Sync

Matthew 12:14 But the Pharisees went out and platted how they might kill Jesus.

Have you ever watched something online and the audio and video were not in sync with each other. Usually the sound comes faster than the video, but it can be strange to watch. Sometimes the video will freeze while the sound continues. Then the video suddenly catches us for a moment before it freezes again.

I was with someone the other day and what they were saying just didn’t fit with the conversation the rest of the group was having. It was like they were in a totally different place, having a totally different experience in that moment. Unfortunately, I sometimes find myself in that situation when my hearing isn’t up to snuff! It get lost when I can’t hear clearly.

We can all get out of sync, even without ourselves. Haven’t you ever felt “out of sorts” when you were sick? Your body and mind just weren’t on the same wavelength. You had plans, but your body wasn’t cooperating.

The religious leaders of our text were out of sync with what was happening. Jesus had just bought physical healing to a man in their congregation. This is something that should have been celebrated. A member brought back to wholeness and productivity.

But instead of rejoicing, they began to plot how they might kill Jesus. Those two things just don’t fit together. Why this reaction?

Well, Jesus had just poked at the core of their religious practice. They were so concerned with the little rules of their religion, that they were missing the big things. And Jesus lets all the air out of their rule balloon and it crashes to the ground.

The very way they had conceived of doing things, Jesus dismantled. And they didn’t like it. “That’s not the way we do things around here.”

The Sabbath was not a 24 hour period, it was a person, a relationship, a way of living. It wasn’t about an reoccurring event on their weekly calendar. That way of thinking was so yesterday. The Sabbath was there to serve human needs, not humans to meet the Sabbath needs. They had it all backwards.

So of course these leaders are upset. Their very existence and position in society depended on the people meeting the needs of the Sabbath. Without this inversion of priorities, the religious leaders’ power dissipates.

And we can’t have that happen, so let’s kill him.

Anyone who is pushing something down our throats has an inverted priority system. They want us to serve them. They want us to follow their agenda. We need to reject it. We need to serve Jesus.