Day 15: Matthew 12:1-21 | 2026 Lenten Reading Plan

Thank you for joining us for the fourteenth reading in our Lenten Reading Plan. Find all the resources you need below: Read Matthew 12:1-21 on Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2012%3A1-21&version=ESV Listen to Matthew 12:1-21: https://share.transistor.fm/s/c1c91fa4 Download your own Lenten Reading Plan Bookmark: https://higherthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/HT_Lenten-Reading-Plan-Bookmark-2601-PRINT-at-home.pdf Download the 2026 Lenten Reading Plan Study Guide: https://higherthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HT_Lenten-Reading-Plan-Study-Guide-2511.pdf Today we're reading Matthew 12:1-21 about Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath. When Jesus heals on the Sabbath and lets his disciples pluck grain to eat, people get upset because they've misunderstood what the Sabbath means. The third commandment says "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." This means we should fear and love God so that we don't despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it. You can't make something holy with a dirty rag. You can't cleanse sinners by not eating or refusing to heal. Something holy must be given to you. The Sabbath exists because God wants to spend time with you and give you good gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. It's not a timeout to prove your love by avoiding work. God insists there be time in your week for Him. Your Sabbath won't be diminished by work, but by God not being there to heal and feed. Jesus fulfills Isaiah's prophecy: "The bruised reed he will not break, the smoldering wick he will not quench." Your justification is delivered in church through Word and sacrament. Church isn't where you get lectured to feel worse about what you already regret. The law shows what's wrong, but the gospel lifts up bruised reeds rather than breaking them with more burdens. When everything falls apart, you know where and when to go. The Sabbath exists so God can spend time with you and give good gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology. #higherthings #lcms #lutheran #lent If you have questions or topics that you'd like discussed on Higher Things, email them to content@higherthings.org Subscribe to our channel to get notifications when we go live: http://youtube.com/@HTgospel4all To support the work of Higher Things®, visit https://higherthings.org/morehi/giving/ For more information about Higher Things, go to http://higherthings.org ------ Join the conversation on Social Media: http://facebook.com/higherthings http://instagram.com/higherthings https://www.tiktok.com/@higherthings