When Good Obedience Goes Bad

📖 Sermon — “Accidental Pharisees, Part 5” (Matthew 12:1–21)

🎯 Main Point

Godly obedience pursues what is right without crushing the person.

Pastor Tim teaches that the Pharisees were not evil—they were deeply committed to obedience—but their obedience produced judgment instead of mercy.

1️⃣ Good Obedience Goes Wrong When We Lose Sight of People

The Pharisees saw Jesus’ hungry disciples picking grain and saw only “rule breakers,” not people in need.

Jesus rebukes them with three examples:

• David eating consecrated bread when starving

• Priests working on the Sabbath

• Hosea 6:6 — “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”

Key idea:   The Pharisees cared more about being right than caring for people.

2️⃣ Good Obedience Goes Wrong When We Lose Sight of God’s Heart

Matthew quotes Isaiah 42 to show Jesus’ character:

• Gentle

• Not argumentative

• Not seeking attention

• He does not “break a bruised reed” or “put out a smoldering wick”

These images represent hurting, fragile people whom Jesus restores rather than discards.

3️⃣ Practical Examples of Becoming Accidental Pharisees

Pastor Tim gives three real‑life areas where Christians often choose “being right” over people:

Parenting

Winning battles with children instead of shepherding their hearts.

Marriage & Dating

Arguments escalate when both sides insist on being right instead of seeking empathy.

Customer Service Situations

People become harsh when orders are wrong, forgetting the humanity of workers.

🌟 Gospel Connection

We are the bruised reeds and smoldering wicks—weak, inconsistent, often failing—yet Jesus restores us instead of discarding us.

At the cross:

• Sin is judged (truth upheld)

• The sinner is loved (mercy upheld)