SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:1-11
OBSERVATION:
1. “Disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels” – This action was understood as a form of ‘threshing’ of the crops.
2. “Unlawful on the Sabbath” – The Sabbath was a day of rest commanded by God for Israel in the Law of Moses. In order to stay obedient to this command, the Pharisees developed an elaborate series of sub-commands that spelled out what was and was not considered “work”.
3. “Have you never read what David did” – Interesting that Jesus uses David as an example of breaking the Law of Moses, not just understanding it differently. What David did was clearly wrong, according to the Law.
4. “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” – The messiah was to be the Son of David, the greatest king in Israel. If David could go beyond the Law, how much more the “Son of Man”, the messiah!
5. “Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely… Jesus knew what they were thinking” – These stories reveal Luke’s intent to highlight the rising conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders, that eventually leads to His death. Jesus does not take the ‘peace-making’ path, but intentionally challenges the Jewish leaders and their flawed understanding of God’s will.
6. “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it” – Jesus points to the trut intent behind the Law, not to be a straight-jacket but to be a blessing, to do good, to save life. The Sabbath is a gift, but should not be turned into a burden.
APPLICATION:
This passage highlights who Jesus is (the messiah, son of David, Lord of all) and why He came (to do good, to save life). It also shows the purpose of the Law of Moses in its time, and how it ought to be read and applied. Not as a straight-jacket but as a guide for doing good and saving lives. As a Christ-follower, I need to make “doing good” and saving lives” in Jesus’ Name, according to Jesus’ example, my highest priority. I need to spend less time focusing on the technicalities of interpretation and more time on the opportunities for generosity and compassion.
PRAYER:
Lord, forgive me when I become bogged down in the details, and lose sight of Your purpose and expectation for my life. Help me love, not just talk about it. Amen.
The disciples were following Jesus as He was ministering to the people. He had a following because the pharisees were with the peoples. The disciples were not harvesting but most likely fulfilling the hunger pangs of their stomachs. This insignificant gesture as they were traveling became the stumbling block for the religious leaders. The same is true about doing good – healing the shriveled hand. The pharisees focus was on the man made rules, and not on Jesus and His deeds of mercy at this time. The limelight had shifted from the pharisees to Jesus and their popularity, following was dwindling. Their vision was blinded by the splinters, log, in their own eyes. Their focus was on themselves and not the power of God.
Use me as an instrument of Your peace Lord. May I too never be caught up on the legalities of the law, but rather the spirit of the law. It must be all about You.
It’s all about You, Jesus
And all this is for You
For Your glory and your fame
It’s not about me
As if You should do things my way
You alone are God
And I surrender to your ways