Dear Explorer,
Read Matthew 12:1-8
And
Read Luke 6:1-5
According to the Pharisees the disciples were harvesting on the Sabbath. I imagine that they were walking near a field of wheat and reached over and grabbed a few heads of wheat or oats. Some translations say they were picking corn and eating it raw. Neither raw grain nor raw corn make a very good meal, but it would help if you are hungry.
Jesus reminded them that David took consecrated bread and fed his hungry soldiers with it. That story is in 1 Samuel 21:1-6. In other words, he broke God's law to keep his men alive.
And Jesus said that priests do all kinds of work on the Sabbath when they prepare an animal for sacrifice.
I believe Jesus was challenging them to think carefully about the “Laws” and not just obey them without meaning. Jesus again reminded them of the verses in Hosea 6:6 and Micah 6:6-8 and pleaded with them to have mercy and compassion and kindness instead of rigid Laws.
Jesus was teaching something new. He was teaching a NEW WAY, not the Law of Rules and Regulations. I believe that He was saying, if there is a judgment to be made – it should be based on mercy, kindness and compassion, not laws.
In the American justice system, we have two different punishments for someone who steals based on their reason for doing so. If they were stealing food to feed their family, they are given mercy and a lighter sentence. This is based on this teaching of Jesus.
Read Matthew 12:9-14
And
Read Mark 3:1-5
And
Read Luke 6:6-11
Note Jesus' emotions as He saw the religious leaders' lack of caring for this man. Describe Jesus' reaction.
I don't want Jesus to ever look at me like that! I want Him to be pleased with the way I treat others.
So, what is this Law that they were accusing Jesus of breaking?
What does the word Sabbath mean?
It was a time of rest. In the Old Testament Law there was a Sabbath Day every 7th day, and there was a Sabbath year every 7th year! You can read about it in Leviticus 25:1-7, if you wish. Today's Jews still practice both the weekly and yearly Sabbath in Israel today. Jesus NEW WAY says that God's Laws have fulfilled their purpose and we are no longer living under their direction. We'll talk more about that later. I want you to see what Jesus taught about the Sabbath.
Read Mark 2:23-28
What did Jesus mean when He said the Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath?
Read Genesis 2:2-3
Here we see God celebrating the first Sabbath.
How did He celebrate it?
He rested.
My husband and I have tried to keep our Sabbath (Sundays) holy. We don't have a lot of rules, we just try to not do work on that day. And we try not to cause anyone else to have to work on the Sabbath. There are certainly exceptions like when we are on vacation and traveling, or when someone is sick and needs help, etc. But on a normal Sunday we spend it in restful activities – playing games, watching TV, visiting with friends, taking naps, reading, etc. I don't cook elaborate meals – in fact, for years we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every Sunday.
God has blessed us and refreshed our spirit and bodies so that we can work hard for the other 6 days.
My Daddy, L.B. Gunn, was known as a farmer who wouldn't work on Sundays – even during harvest. That was unusual and people noticed. Most farmers felt that they couldn't afford to not harvest their crops on Sunday if the weather was right. My Daddy was at church in worship regardless of the season.
But we, as followers of Jesus, do not keep the Sabbath because it was one of God's 10 Commandments or Laws. We keep the Sabbath because of this word from Jesus that says, “the Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27). It is not a “Law” for us, it is a gift, a privilege, an opportunity, a prize. God modeled this for us at creation when He rested on the 7th day.
We have taken a day off most every week to just rest and relax and have fun. It refreshes and renews us for the rest of the week. Our Sabbath also includes our worship time with our church family.
Jesus came to set us free from Rules and Regulations and Laws!
Re-Read Luke 6:5
Isn't it sad that the One who created the Sabbath was told that He didn't know how to celebrate it correctly?
When He declared that He was the Lord of the Sabbath, He was declaring again that He was the Messiah. They should have fallen at His feet and worshipped Him. But they didn't.
In His service, dale
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